UHF RFID Tag Antenna for Embedded Use in a Concrete Floor

This letter presents a novel design of the UHF RFID tag antenna suitable for embedded use in a concrete floor (CF). The tag antenna is used to track and trace the location of a shipyard transporter. The proposed antenna consists of a ceramic patch, a parasitic patch (PP), and a metal cavity (MC). The gain of the proposed antenna is highly improved using a PP and an MC because they decrease the electromagnetic energy flow into the CF and increase the directivity and radiation efficiency of the antenna. The proposed design is verified by simulation and measurement. The tag antenna has a high absolute gain of 3.6 dBi and a very long read range of 12.8 m in a direction normal to the CF.