In the future, large-scale sensor deployment would enable many areas such as infrastructure condition monitoring and supply chain management. However, many of today's wireless sensor technologies are still too expensive to meet this need. Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) offers good potential for the development of pervasive sensors: RFID tags have a proven track record of large-scale, highly integrated deployment for object identification in the retail and consumer goods industry. Furthermore, the last decade has seen much progress in making RFID a reliable, standardized wireless communication medium with the ability to mass produce low-cost RFID tags. My thesis introduces the concept of RFID Tag Antenna-Based Sensing (RFID TABS). In this approach, a change in the sensed parameter of interest induces a controlled change in the geometry or boundary conditions of an RFID tag's antenna. The resultant change in the tag's response signal can then be detected by an RFID reader. My approach builds upon current developments in RFID technology. For instance, the manufacturing techniques for the mass production of low-cost RFID tags can be used for pervasive tag-sensor development. My thesis examines TABS in a two-pronged approach: First, I demonstrate how three fundamental tag and reader signal properties can be used for sensing and propose three classes of TABS: -- Amplitude Modifying (AM) TABS use RFID reader transmitted power and tag response power for sensing. I illustrate proof of concept using a displacement sensor. I demonstrate that both these power metrics can be used to reliably measure structural displacement to a precision of 2.5 mm using commercial RFID tags. -- Frequency Modifying (FM) TABS relate changes in the sensed parameter to a shift in the tag's optimal operating frequency - the carrier frequency for which the tag is best tuned to respond to the reader. I demonstrate proof of concept using a temperature threshold sensor - the crossing of a design temperature threshold results in a shift in the sensor's optimal operating frequency. I demonstrate that the sensor works reliably over a 3 m read range and in different environmental conditions. -- Phase Modifying (PM) TABS use tag backscatter phase for sensing. I provide a brief summary of the factors influencing RF phase and outline the design for a PM TABS fluid level sensor that uses RFID tag response phase to detect the presence or absence of fluid in a beverage glass. I highlight the challenges in the practical implementation of this approach by demonstrating the sensitivity of RFID tag phase to three extraneous factors. Second, I introduce the concept of Non-Electric Memory to record short timescale threshold crossovers in the sensed parameter that may occur when the tag-sensor is unpowered. When information about, rather than the exact time of, the threshold occurrence is sufficient, non-electric memory provides a solution. I demonstrate how non-electric memory can be integrated into sensor design at minimal added cost. In the proof of concept of a temperature threshold sensor, I design a thermally actuated shape memory polymer switch to permanently change the electrical properties of an RFID tag when the temperature threshold is crossed. I demonstrate that the design works reliably over a read range of 3 m and is independent of the material on which the sensor is deployed. In summary, this thesis demonstrates how an RFID tag can be adapted for low cost, pervasive sensing. Sensor prototypes illustrate proof of concept in three application areas. Extensions to two other applications are also discussed.

A systematic treatment of the design and fabrication of chipless RFID sensors This book presents various sensing techniques incorporated into chipless RFID systems. The book is divided into five main sections: Introduction to Chipless RFID Sensors; RFID Sensor Design; Smart Materials; Fabrication, Integration and Testing; and Applications of Chipless RFID Sensors. After a comprehensive review of conventional RFID sensors, the book presents various passive microwave circuit designs to achieve compact, high data density and highly sensitive tag sensors for a number of real-world ubiquitous sensing applications. The book reviews the application of smart materials for microwave sensing and provides an overview of various micro- and nano-fabrication techniques with the potential to be used in the development of chipless RFID sensors. The authors also explore a chipless RFID reader design capable of reading data ID and sensory information from the chipless RFID sensors presented in the book. The unique features of the book are: Evaluating new chipless RFID sensor design that allow non-invasive PD detection and localization, real-time environment monitoring, and temperature threshold detection and humidity Providing a classification of smart materials based on sensing physical parameters (i.e. humidity, temperature, pH, gas, strain, light, etc.) Discussing innovative micro- and nano-fabrication processes including printing suitable for chipless RFID sensors Presenting a detailed case study on various real-world applications including retail, pharmaceutical, logistics, power, and construction industries Chipless RFID Sensors is primarily written for researchers in the field of RF sensors but can serve as supplementary reading for graduate students and professors in electrical engineering and wireless communications.

A systematic treatment of the design and fabrication of chipless RFID sensors This book presents various sensing techniques incorporated into chipless RFID systems. The book is divided into five main sections: Introduction to Chipless RFID Sensors; RFID Sensor Design; Smart Materials; Fabrication, Integration and Testing; and Applications of Chipless RFID Sensors. After a comprehensive review of conventional RFID sensors, the book presents various passive microwave circuit designs to achieve compact, high data density and highly sensitive tag sensors for a number of real-world ubiquitous sensing applications. The book reviews the application of smart materials for microwave sensing and provides an overview of various micro- and nano-fabrication techniques with the potential to be used in the development of chipless RFID sensors. The authors also explore a chipless RFID reader design capable of reading data ID and sensory information from the chipless RFID sensors presented in the book. The unique features of the book are: Evaluating new chipless RFID sensor design that allow non-invasive PD detection and localization, real-time environment monitoring, and temperature threshold detection and humidity Providing a classification of smart materials based on sensing physical parameters (i.e. humidity, temperature, pH, gas, strain, light, etc.) Discussing innovative micro- and nano-fabrication processes including printing suitable for chipless RFID sensors Presenting a detailed case study on various real-world applications including retail, pharmaceutical, logistics, power, and construction industries Chipless RFID Sensors is primarily written for researchers in the field of RF sensors but can serve as supplementary reading for graduate students and professors in electrical engineering and wireless communications.

RFID (radio-frequency identification) is an emerging communication system technology and one of the most rapidly growing segments of todayOCOs automatic identification data collection industry. This cutting-edge resource offers you a solid understanding of the basic technical principles and applications of RFID-enabled sensor systems. The book provides you with a detailed description of RFID and itOCOs operation, along with a fundamental overview of sensors and wireless sensor networks. Moreover, this practical reference gives you step-by-step guidance on how to design RFID-enabled sensors that form a wireless sensor network. You also find detailed coverage of state-of OCothe-art RFID/sensor technology and worldwide applications.

This book presents a step-by-step discussion of the design and development of radio frequency identification (RFID) and RFID-enabled sensors on flexible low cost substrates for UHF frequency bands. Various examples of fully function building blocks (design and fabrication of antennas, integration with ICs and microcontrollers, power sources, as well as inkjet-printing techniques) demonstrate the revolutionary effect of this approach in low cost RFID and RFID-enabled sensors fields. This approach could be easily extended to other microwave and wireless applications as well. The first chapter describes the basic functionality and the physical and IT-related principles underlying RFID and sensors technology. Chapter two explains in detail inkjet-printing technology providing the characterization of the conductive ink, which consists of nano-silver-particles, while highlighting the importance of this technology as a fast and simple fabrication technique especially on flexible organic substrates such as Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) or paper-based substrates. Chapter three demonstrates several compact inkjet-printed UHF RFID antennas using antenna matching techniques to match IC's complex impedance as prototypes to provide the proof of concept of this technology. Chapter four discusses the benefits of using conformal magnetic material as a substrate for miniaturized high-frequency circuit applications. In addition, in Chapter five, the authors also touch up the state-of-the-art area of fully-integrated wireless sensor modules on organic substrates and show the first ever 2D sensor integration with an RFID tag module on paper, as well as the possibility of 3D multilayer paper-based RF/microwave structures. Table of Contents: Radio Frequency Identification Introduction / Flexible Organic Low Cost Substrates / Benchmarking RFID Prototypes on Organic Substrates / Conformal Magnetic Composite RFID Tags / Inkjet-Printed RFID-Enabled Sensors

This book presents a step-by-step discussion of the design and development of radio frequency identification (RFID) and RFID-enabled sensors on flexible low cost substrates for UHF frequency bands. Various examples of fully function building blocks (design and fabrication of antennas, integration with ICs and microcontrollers, power sources, as well as inkjet-printing techniques) demonstrate the revolutionary effect of this approach in low cost RFID and RFID-enabled sensors fields. This approach could be easily extended to other microwave and wireless applications as well. The first chapter describes the basic functionality and the physical and IT-related principles underlying RFID and sensors technology. Chapter two explains in detail inkjet-printing technology providing the characterization of the conductive ink, which consists of nano-silver-particles, while highlighting the importance of this technology as a fast and simple fabrication technique especially on flexible organic substrates such as Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) or paper-based substrates. Chapter three demonstrates several compact inkjet-printed UHF RFID antennas using antenna matching techniques to match IC's complex impedance as prototypes to provide the proof of concept of this technology. Chapter four discusses the benefits of using conformal magnetic material as a substrate for miniaturized high-frequency circuit applications. In addition, in Chapter five, the authors also touch up the state-of-the-art area of fully-integrated wireless sensor modules on organic substrates and show the first ever 2D sensor integration with an RFID tag module on paper, as well as the possibility of 3D multilayer paper-based RF/microwave structures. Table of Contents: Radio Frequency Identification Introduction / Flexible Organic Low Cost Substrates / Benchmarking RFID Prototypes on Organic Substrates / Conformal Magnetic Composite RFID Tags / Inkjet-Printed RFID-Enabled Sensors

Structural Health Monitoring and Integrity Management is a collection of the papers presented at the 2nd International Conference of Structural Health Monitoring and Integrity Management (ICSHMIM2014, Nanjing, China, 24-26 September 2014), and addresses the most recent developments in the field of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) and integrity ma