Radio Assisted Identification Device: A Universal Card

George Mason University uses photo identification cards with magnetic stripes. This system contains multiple points of vulnerability for the campus community which could lead to identification theft. This problem may further result in unauthorized purchases and entries into buildings and dormitories. Security issues have become increasingly relevant on university campuses due to random occurrences of violent acts. When these situations occur it is imperative to quickly locate and respond to the problem. The current emergency system in use at George Mason utilizes twenty-seven call boxes scattered around campus to respond to requests for help; only fourteen of these function properly, so that responding to and locating the individual become both untimely and less accurate. With the current system the dining services on campus reach maximum capacity during peak hours of operation when mass numbers of students attempt to purchase meals in between classes. With limited amount of time for waiting in line, many students may be discouraged to purchase food which in turn causes the school to lose business. A new identification device may be developed to help the performance in food services, decrease response in event of campus threat, and protect against identification theft. The smart identification card may allow authorized personnel to triangulate the position of a campus member upon activation of the card in emergency. Smart identification cards will also be able to smoothly handle campus purchase transactions, subsequently reducing the waiting and processing times per individual. This will lead to both a higher efficiency of service and a higher return of profit. These features shall be integrated into a functioning unit known as radio assisted identification device, henceforth known as RAID. A system economic analysis is essential in determining if the device is sustainable, marketable, and have a desired usage in a campus environment. A comparative breakup of the existing system with the proposed RAID system shall be conducted in order to determine value of benefit vs. cost. A trade-off analysis is necessary in order to select a design alternative, whose component makeup gives the highest utility.