I'm curious if it's feasible to create a device that can locate lost credit cards in my home using NFC technology. I envision something similar to a metal detector that beeps when it gets close to an NFC chip, like what's found in credit cards. I know that NFC has a short effective range (1-5 cm), so you'd need to be pretty close to find it, but that could still be super helpful. I'm also wondering if the detecting range is different for simply identifying the presence of an NFC signal compared to actually communicating with it. Can you detect an NFC credit card's presence from a greater distance without needing to interact with it?
2 Answers
Once you're close enough to any detector, chances are you've probably already seen it. I’m not sure I fully get the use case here.
You could definitely use an NFC reader on your smartphone to find your card when you're close enough. I think that’s about as good as it gets right now!
Well, it could be in a pocket or hidden under stuff. The real question is whether we can detect NFC from further away, as that would make it easier to find cards. If a device could just beep as you sweep it around, it could save a lot of searching time!