Automatic identification has evolved to use mechanisms that can identify an object without direct human intervention. Such devices are the bar code, magnetic-stripe, integrated circuit, and biometric and radio-frequency indentification.

Innovative Automatic Identification & Location-Based Services: From Bar Codes to Chip Implants emphasizes the convergence and trajectory of automatic identification and location-based services toward chip implants and real-time positioning capabilities. Recording the history of automatic identification, this book also discusses the social, cultural, and ethical implications of the technological possibilities with respect to national security initiatives.