This paper presents a passive cavity type Ultra High Frequency (UHF) Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag antenna having the longest read-range, and compares it with existing long-range UHF RFID ...tag antenna. The study also demonstrates mathematically and experimentally that our proposed longest-range UHF RFID cavity type tag antenna has a longer read-range than existing passive tag antennas. Our tag antenna was designed with 140 × 60 × 10 mm
size, and reached 26 m measured read-range and 36.3 m mathematically calculated read-range. This UHF tag antenna can be applied to metal and non-metal objects. By adding a further sensing capability, it can have a great benefit for the Internet of Things (IoT) and wireless sensor networks (WSN).
Four heuristic optimization algorithms (genetic algorithm, plant growth algorithm, simulated annealing algorithm, particle swarm algorithm) are adapted to the problem of the search for the best ...antenna deployment using a combinational RFID-based two-dimensional localization method. During the experiment the best antenna deployment was obtained by the simulated annealing algorithm.
A review of technological solutions for RFID sensing and their current or envisioned applications is presented. The fundamentals of the wireless sensing technology are summarized in the first part of ...the work, and the benefits of adopting RFID sensors for replacing standard sensor-equipped Wi-Fi nodes are discussed. Emphasis is put on the absence of batteries and the lower cost of RFID sensors with respect to other sensor solutions available on the market. RFID sensors are critically compared by separating them into chipped and chipless configurations. Both categories are further analyzed with reference to their working mechanism (electronic, electromagnetic, and acoustic). RFID sensing through chip-equipped tags is now a mature technological solution, which is continuously increasing its presence on the market and in several applicative scenarios. On the other hand, chipless RFID sensing represents a relatively new concept, which could become a disruptive solution in the market, but further research in this field is necessary for customizing its employment in specific scenarios. The benefits and limitations of several tag configurations are shown and discussed. A summary of the most suitable applicative scenarios for RFID sensors are finally illustrated. Finally, a look at some sensing solutions available on the market are described and compared.
This article presents the application of the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) localization method for indoor positioning of ultrahigh-frequency (UHF)-radio frequency identification (RFID) tags when the ...robot-mounted reader antenna moves along multiple trajectories. By properly combining the phase data associated with a set of multiple paths, the whole length of the combined synthetic apertures enlarges, and then, the localization accuracy may improve. Besides, during consecutive inventory rounds, several tag position estimates are available, and they can be profitably combined to minimize the localization uncertainty. Different combination approaches are investigated to determine the best choice to improve the localization performance. The method capabilities are discussed through numerical analysis by considering different configurations of the multiple apertures and different measurement uncertainty sources. Finally, the proposed localization method is validated through an experimental analysis carried out with commercial RFID hardware and a robotic wheeled walker, in an indoor scenario, by employing different types of tags. The knowledge of the reader/robot trajectory required by the SAR method is here achieved with an optical system.
This paper presents the design of a 920 MHz Ultra High Frequency (UHF) band radio frequency identification (RFID) conductive fabric tag antenna. The DC (Direct Current) resistance and impedance of ...the conductive fabric are measured by a DC multimeter and by a network analyzer at a UHF frequency band. The conductivities of the fabrics are calculated with their measured DC resistance and impedance values, respectively. The conductivities of the fabric are inserted into the CST simulation program to simulate the fabric tag antenna designs, and the results of the tag designs with two conductivities are compared. Two fabric UHF RFID tag antennas with a T-Matching structure, one with the name-tag size of 80 × 40 mm, and another with 40 × 23 are simulated and measured the characteristics of tag antennas. The simulated and measured results are compared by reflection coefficient S11, radar cross-section and reading range. The reading range of the 80 × 40 mm fabric tag antenna is about 4 m and 0.5 m for the 40 × 23 size tag. These fabric tags can be easily applied to an entrance control system as they can be attached to other fabrics and clothes.
This paper presents and characterizes a measurement method for positioning of passive tags, by a drone equipped with a UHF-RFID reader. The method is based on a synthetic aperture radar approach and ...exploits the knowledge of the reader/drone trajectory, which is achieved with a differential Global Navigation Satellite System. Different sources of measurement uncertainty are analyzed by means of numerical simulations and experimental results. The method capabilities are discussed versus the length and shape of the reader trajectory. Finally, the proposed localization method is validated through an experimental analysis carried out with commercial RFID hardware and a microclass unmanned aerial vehicle.
This article presents a novel sensor-fusion method for indoor vehicle tracking. The phase of the signals backscattered by a set of Ultra High Frequency-Radio Frequency Identification (UHF-RFID) ...reference tags spread in the scenario is combined with the information acquired by on-board low-cost kinematic sensors. The RFID data are acquired by the on-board reader, during the relative motion of the vehicle with respect to the static reference tags, by resembling a synthetic-array approach, with an advantageous reduction of the reference-tag spatial density. In particular, such phase samples are combined with the kinematic data collected by odometers, through a sensor-fusion approach. The method capability is investigated through a numerical analysis that accounts for the main system parameters. Then, the tracking capability is demonstrated through a measurement campaign in a laboratory test set with a UHF-RFID robot prototype equipped with commercial encoders. Experimental results show an average localization error of centimeter order in the estimation of medium-length trajectories by employing only two reference tags in a relatively small area. The proposed method does not need for any calibration procedure and can be implemented by commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware.
This paper introduces a new Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) gate for access control merging the benefits of Near-Field Focusing (NFF) and Deep Learning (DL). The gate uses a near-field focused ...antenna with a slight tilted beam to create an asymmetrical reading volume, which is essential to determine the direction of tag transit with a single antenna. The power and phase of the signal backscattered from the tag are used as features for classifying tag status: crossing, static, or moving around the gate yet not crossing it. The antenna is made up of a 3 × 3 array of circularly polarized resonant patches, operating at the ETSI RFID band (865-868 MHz). After validating the coverage volume of the antenna, tag data were used to train a multi-class Support Vector Machine (SVM) and a Long-Short Term Memory (LSTM) Neural Network (LSTM-NN). The appropriately sized LSTM-NN yields 98% classification accuracy in a scenario emulating a realistic shop entrance. The solution offers improved robustness to multipath effects and reduced false positives compared to conventional RFID gates using phased array antennas, two closely spaced portals, or bulky electromagnetic screens or absorbers, at lower cost and with a simpler infrastructure.
In this paper, we describe a long-range convex cavity-type passive ultra-high-frequency (UHF) radio frequency identification (RFID) tag to use on various metal and non-metal surfaces, for IoT sensor ...energy harvesting. The tag antenna is built on the 3D printed cavity structure with polylactic acid (PLA) plastic and painted with the conductive ink on the 1 mm protruding area (convex) of inner surface and the side-walls of the cavity structure to form a cavity structure. The tag is designed to operate in the UHF band (840-960 MHz). This long-range cavity tag antenna (CTA) works at both 920 MHz and 915 MHz UHF RFID frequencies. It provides a linear polarized (LP) frontal reading range of 35 m and side reading range above 15 m when mounted on either metal or non-metal objects. We describe the antenna characteristics, structure, modeling, simulation, and experimental results. A mathematical reading range also was calculated and compared with experimental data.
Radio frequency identification (RFID) and wireless sensors networks (WSNs) are two fundamental pillars that enable the Internet of Things (IoT). RFID systems are able to identify and track devices, ...whilst WSNs cooperate to gather and provide information from interconnected sensors. This involves challenges, for example, in transforming RFID systems with identification capabilities into sensing and computational platforms, as well as considering them as architectures of wirelessly connected sensing tags. This, together with the latest advances in WSNs and with the integration of both technologies, has resulted in the opportunity to develop novel IoT applications. This paper presents a review of these two technologies and the obstacles and challenges that need to be overcome. Some of these challenges are the efficiency of the energy harvesting, communication interference, fault tolerance, higher capacities to handling data processing, cost feasibility, and an appropriate integration of these factors. Additionally, two emerging trends in IoT are reviewed: the combination of RFID and WSNs in order to exploit their advantages and complement their limitations, and wearable sensors, which enable new promising IoT applications.
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