Passive UHF RFID-based User Interface on a Wooden Surface

We present a passive ultra-high frequency (UHF) radio frequency identification (RFID)-based human-technology interface platform. The platform comprises of two dipole antennas and three integrated circuits (IC), each with a unique ID. The platform, which is fixed on a wooden table by cutting the antennas and antenna-IC interconnections from copper tape, can be used for push button and swipe controlling. Each IC can be activated, i.e., connected to the antennas, by touching with finger. As the RFID reader can be connected to any application through WIFI, these ICs can act as wireless input points integrated into furniture, items, and textiles, where they can be used as inputs to desired digital actions. The platform allows all connected devices to be controlled accurately and effortlessly, which will take the convenience of implementation and utilization of these systems to a new level. As a preliminary trial, the platform was tested by two people giving 200 random inputs and 98% and 99% success rates were achieved. Based on these results, this type of passive RFID-based solutions could be used for administrating interfaces that would administer wide variety of interaction modalities, such as touch or tangible interaction on flat surfaces (e.g., tabletop surfaces, walls, doors).