Chances are, you've seen radio frequency identification at work if you've ever driven the Illinios tollway and seen the I–pass, but that same technology is making breakthroughs in the manufacturing world as well.

The UW is breaking ground on RFID as the Engineering School unveils its state–of–the–art labs. The labs have been used to produce new RFID tags which may someday replace bar codes.

Unlike the I–pass, the new tag design costs less to make and can be used to identify products without being seen, which allows warehouses to check stock and product information without manually sorting through boxes.

"The inaugurations of this lab is an important milestone to the University of Wisconsin,” says Raj Veeramani, Director of UW e-business. “Not only because it is an important resource for the University and its researchers but it's a strategic resource for companies in the state."

RFID is changing the way products are tracked through the supply chain without human interaction... making the line of supply more efficient.

However, the RFID technology may cross into other industries, such as pharmaceuticals and health care, as more research is completed.