Design and test of a smart-space interaction device combining RFID and electromagnetic interferometry

Abstract

A smart RFID system is developed and tested able to select, discover and interact with objects, possibly hidden, distributed in harsh electromagnetic environments. This is accomplished by augmenting the RFID technology with direction finding capabilities of a monopulse radar operated at 2.45 GHz. Low-cost transceivers are exploited at both the tagged objects and the reader sides. The system is configured for the integration with smart domestic and industrial spaces allowing natural interaction with tagged objects by different users' categories and needs. An item is first selected and its characteristics are then available to be collected, modified and exchanged with a remotely located central unit. The same information are then used to drive subsequent detections and localizations of the same object. In both operating modes objects are successfully addressed by a smart reception of their far-field radiation properties. For this purpose a two-element antenna array connected to a rat-race coupler is designed and integrated with the sensors at the reader side .

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“…These features derive, respectively, from an in- and out-of-phase feeding, and their combination guaranteed the figure of merit used for the detection of the tags. Finally, the electronic beam steering technique allowed to retrieve instantaneously the correct angular position of the tags with centimeter-level accuracy [ 43 , 44 , 45 ].…”

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“…ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE AUTOMATIC DEVELOPMENT OF A SMART SPACE Technological objects to assist the user in creating and updating a SS need to be highly effective and reliable but at the same time easy to interact with the user. This is accomplished by augmenting the RFID technology with A) direction finding monopulse radar, to remotely discover and select items (RID) [7]; B) gesture recognizer (GOR), to enable the user to interact with the Smart Space and the devices in a natural way; C) computer vision based item recognizer (VOR), to allow items themselves to act as natural tags. These technologies may be adopted, alternatively or simultaneously, to fulfill information exchanges required by the facility management of large buildings described above.…”

“…RF-ID enabled remotely identifying and discovering (RID) objects by EM interference A smart object, based on the monopulse radar operating principle, which simultaneously combines maximum and null radiation pattern data of an antenna array [7], is used to remotely select or detect fixed tagged objects, equipped with some intelligence to be exchanged and updated several times for several purposes. The SO operates wirelessly at 2.45 GHz.…”