RFID-enabled temperature sensing devices: A major step forward for energy efficiency in home and industrial applications?

This paper presents the results of ongoing research in the area of autonomous RFID-enabled wireless sensors, focusing on low-power sensor nodes for use in temperature sensing applications. Low-power chipless RFID sensors operating in the 2.4 GHz band are utilized. The sensors are required to be completely autonomous, energy-independent, inexpensive, and easy to install. The compact design for both the sensors and reader will be considered, as well as the effects of operation/interference in the unlicensed frequency bands. Finally, the deployment of multiple sensors in benchmarking energy management application scenarios will be described accompanied by an assessment of the potential of this RFID-related technology for truly ubiquitous temperature measurement systems.