I reiterate. The cost of RFID chips. The advantage is that they can be read at a distance, even those without batteries. Thus, roaming device’s locations can be detected very quickly. The disadvantage is that they are more expensive than optical barcodes. Only optical object recognition can track objects at a distance, but again, this requires more sophisticated computer technology, both hardware and software. Again, as has already been the case in the discussion of cellphones, without advanced technology, the only way to be able to locate objects efficiently is to keep consistent home locations. If an object’s location keeps changing, you’ve got to keep making database updates at a high frequency. And, as I’ve indicated early, you’ve got to pay the price for speed, and speed is only possible using newer technologies.
Just to reiterate the point, to be clear. One of the main problems with RFIDs is that they have to include a certain amount of metal, and metal still is expensive. Thus, RFIDs will very likely be “more expensive” for a long time into the future. Maybe advancements in organic electronics will drop the cost of RFIDs, but for now, we know that RFIDs are simply more expensive than other solutions.