Managing Crowds with Wireless and Mobile Technologies

Table 2

Comparison between RFID and WSN.

Factor	WSN	RFID
Main goal	Monitor and sense environment [18].	Detection location and Identity [19].
Tasks	Collect, Process, Transfer, and Store [20]	Usually reflects RF signal transmitted from Reader for identification of location of the attached object [21].
Element	(i) Sink aggregates the information from sensor nodes.; (ii) Sensor node with sensing, Computing, and communicating elements [21].	(i) Tag (Passive/Active) stores the unique serial number, and it provides memory for some additional info.; Passive tag is used only for reading info by a Reader. Active tag supports two ways communications with higher signal strength and can store some information, but it is costly.; (ii) Reader can read or write data on Tag and pass it to the host. Capable to send messages to an individual tag or broadcast to all tags within range.; (iii) Host Computer analyses data [22].
Range	Can’t support long range of communication, so it uses multihub to reach the Sink Node and increase the range [21].	Usually small Range of communication, where Passive Tag (2-3 meters), Active Tag (100-200 meters), but it is costly relative to its abilities [22].
Application	Applications in many fields including Safety and Wellbeing, Healthcare, Smart-Grid, Environment [23].	The main applications are Tracing, Security & Access Control, Healthcare, Crowding, Clothes stores, etc. [22].
Protocol of connection	Wireless connections: Wi-Fi 802.11WLAN but is High on power, Bluetooth 802.15.1 WPAN, ZIGBEE 802.15.4 Low Power WPAN [24].	RFID Protocols (Air-Interface) (IOS-x), LF, UHF, NFC, etc. [25].
Communication and Connection	Multi-hop to increase strength of signal, and WSNs can link to each other (Ad hoc) [24].	Single-hub and there isn’t communication between RFIDs [21].
Mobility	Usually Static	Usually Mobile
Programmability	Supported	No Support
Deployment	Random or Fixed	Attached to or embedded in objects
Power and energy	Battery for sensors, and power supply for Sink Node [20].	No need of battery for Passive Tag, but powered-battery is needed for Active Tag, and power supply for Reader. [26].
Usability	Car, phone, clothes, electronic devices, etc.	Card, bracelet, phone, car, etc.
Limitation	Range, Architecture, Massively heterogeneous, Real-Time Apps, Privacy & Security, etc. [23].	Power, Communications, Cost of Active Type, Security & Privacy, etc. [21]