Conductive Fabric Based RFID Wearable Textile Antennas for Product Authentication and Quality Control

In this article, we present a novel use of wireless wearable Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for secure authentication via blockchain platform and long-term quality control in supply chain management. A log-periodic bowtie antenna operating at a 915 MHz center frequency is fabricated from fine mesh conductive fabric on a cotton fabric substrate. Two conductive fabrics (copper-coated brass and steel) that feature a balance of durability, flexibility, and cost-efficiency have been considered for antenna demonstration. The robust integration of the antennas with the lumped components is encapsulated with an additional top-layer of cotton fabric. These tag prototypes are embedded into the clothing products for sensing, reliability, authentication, and quality control tests. A conventional decentralized consensus Proof of Work (PoW) mechanism in combination with RFID packaged tags can be used for product monitoring at selected locations, providing traceability, transparency, and security protection from data tampering and counterfeited products. Further, these tag prototypes are tested for sensing, read range, and mechanical stability under recurrent washing cycles. The measured results received by the RFID reader system from the tag prototypes display good received signal strength indicator (RSSI) performance and maintain ample read range after 10 washing cycles.