Progress Towards the First Wireless Sensor Networks Consisting of Inkjet-Printed, Paper-Based RFID-Enabled Sensor Tags

Abstract

| This paper discusses the evolution towards the first integrated radio-frequency identification (RFID)-enabled wireless sensor network infrastructure using ultra-high frequency/ radio frequency (UHF/RF) RFID-enabled sensor nodes and inkjetprinted electronics technologies on flexible and paper substrates for the first time ever. The first sections highlight the unique capabilities of inkjet printed electronics as well as the benefits of using paper as the ultra-low-cost, conformal and environmentally friendly substrate for the mass-scale ubiquitous implementation of the first RFID-enabled wireless sensing applications.Various inkjet-printed antenna configurations are presented for enhanced-range compact RFID-enabled sensing platforms in Brugged[ environments up to 7 GHz, followed by the discussion of their 2-D integration with integrated circuit (IC) and sensors on paper. This integration is extended to a power-scavenging Bsmart-shoe[ batteryless integrated RFID module on paper that could be used for autonomous wearable sensing applications with enhanced range. The paper concludes discussing the details for establishing for the first time an asynchronous wireless link between the aforementioned RFID-tags and a widely used commercial wireless sensor network (WSN) mote using a simplified protocol; a paramount step that could potentially create ubiquitous ultra-low-cost sensor networks and large-scale RFID implementations eliminating the need of expensive RFID reader infrastructure and linking RFIDs to the mature level of WSNs.

Internetworking Objects with RFID

“…Given the potential ultra-low cost of RFID objects, as shown in e.g. Lakafosis et al (2010) we can reach a completely new layer in the Internet of Things. Therefore the combination of the two will give us a technology with extended capabilities, scalability and of course portability while still being able to control the cost.…”

“…To support this functionality, new breakthroughs in battery technology are needed, in particular to enable more energy, less space (or printing of the tag), and more reliability than ever before. Lakafosis et al (2010) demonstrate prototypes that uses inkjet printed RFIDs integrated with wireless sensors. Today almost all conventional RFID devices contain a silicon-based microchip.…”

Thermal inkjet printing of copper tetrasulfonated phthalocyanine (CuTsPc) as a semiconducting layer on flexible MIS capacitors

“…Organic materials have been studied for years as active compounds for many electronic purposes as the fabrication of field-effect transistors (OFETs) [1][2][3] , photovoltaics (OPVs) [4][5][6] , sensors [7][8][9][10] , memories [11][12][13] , radio-frequency identification tags (RFIDs) 14,15 and light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) [16][17][18] . Such applications become even more interesting when solution-processed organic materials are used to produce low-cost and flexible devices, which can be achieved by printing techniques, for instance [19][20][21] .…”

A novel screen-printed multi-component nanocomposite ink with a pressure sensitive electrical resistance functionality

“…Examples of established functional applications include photovoltaics and RFID tags. 1,2 Another area of significant technological importance is that of printed touch sensitive components where applications include switching and location sensing. A key addition to touch sensitive components is the capacity to discern applied force, this would add a third dimension to the current x-y location functionality of current touch sensitive interfaces.…”