Abstract: RFID technology has many advantages in counting pilgrims, including contactless identification, multi-tag simultaneous identification, long-distance identification, data security and privacy protection, strong adaptability and flexibility, and improved management efficiency. These advantages make RFID technology an important tool for organizing large-scale pilgrimages, ensuring the safety of pilgrims, and conducting subsequent data analysis.
Keywords: RFID
Maha Kumbh, also known as the Maha Kumbh Mela, is a grand gathering event in Hinduism. It is one of the most sacred and grand religious gatherings in Hinduism. The time of Maha Kumbh is calculated according to the Hindu calendar and astronomy, and it revolves every 12 years. In a specific year, the Maha Kumbh Mela will be held in one of the four holy places for several weeks. The four holy places are Allahabad (now renamed Prayagraj), Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik. Devotees from across India gather at these holy sites to bathe, pray and meditate during the Kumbh Mela to wash away their sins, attain spiritual liberation and happiness in the afterlife. The 2025 Kumbh Mela will begin on January 13 in Prayagraj and the government expects around 450 million devotees to attend the religious carnival, which is a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, where the largest peaceful gathering of pilgrims takes a dip in a sacred river. The Mahakumbh will last for 45 days until February 26, 2025.
Regarding the arrangements made for the event, U.P. Cabinet Secretary Suresh Khanna said three technological methods will be used to count the number of people visiting the event. The first is an AI-enabled camera: This camera helps in differentiating between categories like humans, vehicles and animals. It can capture high-quality images while avoiding irrelevant information;
the second is an RFID wristband, which will be provided to pilgrims. Through these wristbands, the entry and exit times will be tracked by RFID readers;
the third method is mobile application tracking, and with the consent of the pilgrims, their location will be tracked using mobile applications through GPS.
Advantages of RFID in counting the number of pilgrims
RFID technology has many advantages in counting pilgrims, including contactless identification, simultaneous identification of multiple tags, long-distance identification, data security and privacy protection, strong adaptability and flexibility, and improved management efficiency. These advantages make RFID technology an important tool for organizing large-scale pilgrimage activities, ensuring the safety of pilgrims, and conducting subsequent data analysis. Specifically, these advantages are mainly reflected in the following aspects:
1. Contactless identification
The primary advantage of RFID technology lies in its contactless identification method. The reader can read the information in the tag through radio waves without direct contact with the RFID tag. This feature enables RFID technology to quickly and accurately identify and record the information of pilgrims in crowded and complex pilgrimage sites, avoiding the time consumption and physical wear caused by contact operations.
2. Simultaneous identification of multiple tags
Compared with traditional identification methods (such as barcode scanning), RFID technology can identify multiple tags at the same time. In pilgrimage activities, this means that the RFID system can track and record the information of a large number of pilgrims at the same time, greatly improving statistical efficiency and accuracy. This is of great significance for organizing large-scale pilgrimage activities, ensuring the safety of pilgrims, and conducting subsequent data analysis.
3. Long-distance identification
RFID technology has the ability of long-distance identification, allowing readers to identify tags at a longer distance. This feature is particularly important in pilgrimage activities, because pilgrims may be scattered in a wide venue or difficult to approach due to dense crowds. RFID technology can ensure that pilgrims’ information can be accurately tracked and recorded even in this situation.
4. Data security and privacy protection
RFID technology can ensure the integrity and security of data in the tag by adopting security measures such as encryption and authentication. This is crucial to protecting the personal privacy of pilgrims. At the same time, the RFID system can also realize remote transmission and real-time monitoring of data, providing organizers with comprehensive data management and analysis services. This capability helps to build a trusted digital environment and protect the legitimate rights and interests of pilgrims and organizers.
5. Strong adaptability and flexibility
RFID tags can be embedded or attached to items of various shapes and types, such as pilgrims’ bracelets, cards, etc. This allows RFID technology to be flexibly applied to various pilgrimage scenarios to meet the needs of different organizations. In addition, the RFID system can be customized and expanded as needed to adapt to the ever-changing needs of pilgrimage activities.
6. Improve management efficiency:
Through RFID technology, organizers can monitor the flow of pilgrims in real time, dispatch resources in a timely manner, and ensure the smooth progress of pilgrimage activities. At the same time, RFID technology can also help organizers better understand the needs and behavioral habits of pilgrims, and provide data support for future event planning.
Post time: Jan-06-2025