Built-in battery-less sensors for the wireless temperature monitoring of undercarriages in connected industrial vehicles

Undercarriages for mining, construction, forestry, and agriculture machinery often operate in harsh environments (mud, water, dust), with an expected thermal gradient during operative conditions of about 20-30 °C. Overheating issues might reduce the lifespan of undercarriage mechanical parts, particularly the track rollers. The possibility to get the temperature on the central axis of the roller, as close as possible to its core, could therefore enable unprecedented data collection. A miniaturized, battery-less, wireless temperature sensor is proposed to be embedded within the track rollers with minimal geometry modifications. Despite the presence of many metal parts, the battery-less transponders enable robust communication with a minimal number of interrogating antennas, leading to the creation of a Connected Vehicle.