Indoor Object Sensing Using Radio-Frequency Identification With Inverse Methods
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As Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) methods continue to evolve to higher levels of complexity, one form of machine learning is making its appearance. The use of Neural Networks (NN) in the RFID field is steadily increasing, and in the fields of localization and activity recognition, promising results are being shown from a variety of research. RFID applications fall primarily under two types of problems including regression and classification. We analyze RIFD localization techniques which fall under regression, and activity recognition which falls under classification. Many works don’t classify themselves as activity recognition methods, but because they fall under the classification category, we still consider them as activity recognition techniques. This research overviews the Neural Network models in the localization field based on whether they can perform independently of the environment in which they were tested. For activity recognition and accessory fields, the major methods involve tag-based and tag-free approaches. In conclusion, after the models are surveyed, a comparison study is given to examine what may be the cause for increased accuracy between different Neural Network models.
A tag for detecting an analyte can include a radio frequency identification tag including a sensor portion, the sensor portion configured to change resistivity when the radio frequency identification tag contacts or interacts with an analyte, whereby the resistivity change alters an output of the radio frequency identification tag, wherein the sensor portion includes a circuit, and wherein the sensor portion is configured to activate the circuit or deactivate the circuit when contacted or having interacted with the analyte, wherein the sensor portion includes a conductive material associated with a polymer complex.
Building HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) consumes approximately 13% of all energy consumption in USA. Motion detectors, cameras and user programmable thermostats have been shown to be ineffective for HVAC controls to save energy, mostly due to the user concerns of comfort, reliability and privacy. A new HVAC control system based on real-time occupant counting that is fully automated, highly accurate, economically sensible and preserving privacy and aesthetics can thus bring forth a disruptive impact to this large energy sector. Our indoor occupant monitoring technology is based on the radio-frequency identification system (RFID), deployed in the room, not on the occupants. One reader with four antennas can be deployed on the ceiling or behind the ceiling panels for every thousand square feet in home, office and assisted living, with or without room partitions. The sticker-like passive tag, 10 cents each and maintenance-free, are profusely hidden on the wall or inside the furniture at arbitrary position, preserving privacy and aesthetics. The large number of tags can realize diverse observation points to accommodate arbitrary room layouts, which is impractical by other active units of camera, infrared, radar or lidar. With 20 tags, the system can reliably detect the number of occupants. For 100 tags, occupant posture and location can be known. The technology has been verified in the research labs and test buildings with very high accuracy. When the real-time occupant number can be accurately known without assuming devices on occupants or occupant motion, the building HVAC system can be automated to achieve building energy saving without sacrificing occupant comfort. According to our limited testing in a few types of building models and the simplified cost calculation, the RFID system has low overall cost in production, deployment, operation and maintenance. The signal processing algorithm based on machine learning requires very small number of training cases as most learning is transferrable for various layouts, and very low computational needs during operation, according to our testing in four different room sizes and layouts. In our preliminary estimate from HVAC saving alone, the RFID system can potentially pay for itself within 1.5 years, in addition to the other enhancement in building automation systems (BAS). Our commercialization strategy and business pitch deck focus on venturing this Cornell occupant monitoring technology into BAS and energy management markets. We have identified three broad BAS market segments of senior living, residential buildings, and office buildings. We have put together the minimum viable product characteristics for these identified segments, including analyses on total cost and competing technologies, as well as the fit and technical gaps for these market segments. We intend to bring the technology to market by licensing or partnering with existing BAS vendors. A list of potential collaborators and licensing partner candidates was assembled for different aspects of integrating our technology into a potential product that can be used with BAS.
A novel reactive inkjet printing (RIJ) process for fabricating environmentally benign, conductive zinc structures on biodegradable substrates is reported. A precursor consisting of oxidized zinc microparticles is formulated into a viscous ink for high‐resolution, high‐repeatability screen printing. A single RIJ process is performed to selectively dispense an acid‐based oxide etching agent onto the screen‐printed zinc ink to significantly improve its electrical conductivity, up to 4 × 10 4 S m −1 . The RIJ process enables precise control of the amount of deposited etching agent, allowing control of conductivity and avoiding damage caused by excessive acid exposure. The RIJ process deposits the etching agent selectively on the screen‐printed, water‐soluble zinc patterns, thus preserving the print fidelity by avoiding ink smearing that can occur when using a blanket treatment such as submersion. A printed biodegradable antenna with a minimum feature size of 500 μm for use with a batteryless radio frequency identification (RFID) chip is fabricated as demonstration. Due to the higher ink conductivity and improved pattern fidelity, the antenna fabricated by the RIJ process shows a ≈2.2× increase in reading distance compared with a similar antenna that is screen printed and activated using a drop‐casting process.
Abstract Distributed sensors and electronics can be used in agriculture to optimize crop management and improve environmental outcomes. Electronic devices in these outdoor spaces require medium to long range (>1m) wireless communication of data over several weeks or months, which in turn requires high conductivity (1 × 10 5 Sm −1 ) antennas. Printed bioinert or ecoresorbable conductors, comprising carbon, magnesium, or zinc fillers, typically exhibit conductivity on the order of 10–1000 Sm −1 and lifetimes from a few hours to a few days. A print‐based fabrication process for chemically treated zinc traces, which achieves conductivity of up to 6 × 10 5 Sm −1 is reported here. The ink formulation uses a non‐water‐soluble soil biodegradable polycaprolactone binder. The ink and printing processes reported here led to stable conductive traces that are used in ultra high frequency radio frequency identification (UHF‐RFID) folded dipole antennas operating at 915 MHz. The conductivity of the printed traces is maintained for over 70 days in ambient environments when traces are protected by a biodegradable beeswax encapsulation layer.
The commercialization of DNA tagging is a growing trend that demonstrates the increasing practicality of this novel approach. This interdisciplinary technology is based on the distinctive characteristics of DNA as a molecule that can remain stable in varying environmental conditions and store data following appropriate preparation. Moreover, newly developed technologies could simplify DNA synthesis and the encoding of data within DNA. The implementation of DNA tagging presents distinctive benefits in comparison to conventional labelling techniques, including universal product code (UPC) barcoding, radio-frequency identification (RFID), quick response (QR) codes, and Bluetooth technologies, by surmounting the limitations encountered by these systems. The discourse pertains to extant DNA-tagging mechanisms along with prospective implementations in a wide range of domains, including but not limited to art, the metaverse, forensics, wildlife monitoring, and the military. The potential of DNA labelling in various contexts underscores the importance of continued research and development in this rapidly evolving field.
Element One, Inc. is reporting on the results of its DOE SBIR Phase I project for the development and testing of low-cost thin film hydrogen sensors and their subsequent integration into wireless sensing systems and networks. This work is based on Element One’s chemo-chromic sensing technology which indicates hydrogen presence (leaks) colorimetrically and electronically with no power required. The lack of required power makes them particularly suitable for passive Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) technology which can be deployed affordably and abundantly to detect leaks in hazardous environments. Element One built upon its experience with chemochromic materials that change color in the presence of hydrogen. Both thin films and pigments have been used, but thin films have the ability to change conductivity by more than three orders of magnitude making them ideal for resistive sensors. Prototype sensors were fabricated, tested and characterized. For the wireless component, Element One partnered with Esensor, Inc. to construct and test a wireless sensing network. The network was tested and validated at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in February and March. The tests involved exposing the wireless system to hydrogen gas concentrations of 1% and 5%. There were no significant problems encountered, and the system is ready for commercial development. The system demonstrated the viability of wireless hydrogen sensing networks for hydrogen leak detection and other applications.
To address an important need for Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) to significantly reduce the amount of the required cables for sensor data communications, this Phase I SBIR effort successfully developed and demonstrated a novel low-cost proof-of-concept prototype of a secure wireless sensor network backbone communications system. This system combines commercially available low power, low cost XBEE wireless communications network and passive (battery-free) Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems to report individual sensor data and their location through the containment wall for rapid response to anomalies in nuclear facilities. This WIreless Sensing and Locating (WISLO) system network architecture allows non-intrusive wireless collection of sensor data with the sensor’s accurate location information from inside of the instrumentation or containment area with minimal need for power sources. The multi-node sensor data in the containment area is wirelessly transmitted to outside through the metal reinforced concrete walls without the need for any batteries. The WISLO system could be readily used in current reactor fleet and future advanced reactors, as well as in small modular reactors (SMR). The WISLO system is the first dual frequency battery-free trough the wall communications backbone system developed specifically for use in nuclear power plants. It not only can modernize the sensor monitoring practices in the existing reactor fleet, but also offers a secure, low-cost solution to advanced reactors and SMRs by removing cables and issues related to them such as cable integrity, reporting delays, and installation and maintenance costs. The intent is to improve process safety, reliability, efficiency, and cost effectiveness to the monitoring and maintenance process in current and future plants. As we address the next productization and manufacturing capabilities in the next phase, this system will serve the needs of many commercial and government applications in remote monitoring of sensor data that demand battery-free transmission of sensor data such as Internet-of-Things (IOT).
This research is motivated by the challenges faced during biomass processing in bioenergy plants. It has been observed that variations in biomass characteristics, such as moisture, ash, and carbohydrate contents cause variations in feeding of the system which led to underutilization of equipment and the reactor. The objective of this research is to ensure a continuous flow of biomass to the reactor in plants that use the biochemical conversion process to generate liquid fuels. The overall goal is to lower the cost of producing biofuels, which could lead to improving US’s energy independency and growing US’s rural economy. The research team developed analytical models, such as discrete element method (DEM) models and mathematical models. The DEM models are unit-level models that explicitly capture biomass characteristics and quantify the impacts of biomass characteristics on bulk material properties and the performance of specific equipment. The mathematical models are system-level models that capture the impacts of system infeed rate, equipment processing rate, storage location and capacity, and biomass characteristics on system throughput. The functional relations predicting the bulk material properties from DEM models are incorporated to the mathematical models. The models developed were validated and evaluated using data collected at Idaho National Laboratory’s biomass processing facility. Via these models, we identified process control strategies that ensure a continuous flow of biomass to the reactor, while meeting the requirements of biochemical conversion process. Our analysis indicates that sequencing of biomass bales based on moisture level, and carbohydrate contents could have a positive impact on reducing processing time and inventory level and increasing throughput rate. Short bale sequences that repeat frequently, seem to have the greatest impact on improving system’s performance. Based on our experiments, the total annual system operating costs reduced by 20-30%, and the maximum inventory level reduced by 3 to 4 times. The operating costs include the annual equipment amortization cost and processing cost. The implementation of the models developed requires the use of standardized bale format, Radio Frequency Identification technology, sensing and real time monitoring of material attributes, automated material handling equipment, and automated process control. The scope of the model proposed can be extended to include the whole supply chain. The supply chain models help identify how many bales of different biomass feedstock to purchase given biomass availability in the region, biomass price and quality, and the biomass processing capabilities of the biorefinery. Thus, the outcomes of supply chain models can be used to inform the design of long-term contracts among farmers and the biorefinery.
Commercial, off-the-shelf Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems have been successfully deployed for inventory tracking in numerous industries, but their viability in the tracking of complex environments containing nuclear material is less understood. Of primary interest in this setting is a RFID tracking system for nuclear material accounting which can reliably identify as many tags as possible with high accuracy, while also reducing an operator’s exposure to radiation. In this work, we develop a formal statistical approach to identify relevant handheld RFID reader settings which optimize tagging performance. To achieve this goal, we design a full factorial split-plot experiment for a static shelf configuration scene with 50 randomly placed nuclear material containers affixed with RFID tags. We use Bayesian inference to fit a second-order response surface model which expresses the probability of a successful match for each container as a function of the experimental factors. Such effects are allowed to vary across individual containers and the containers’ population in its entirety to estimate overall effects. Uncertainties of estimates and predictions are quantified via their corresponding posterior distributions. Following extensive model checking and validation, the fitted model is used to identify experimental factors which maximize matching probabilities at both the container-level and for the full shelf configuration scene. We also analyze sensitivity of performance to relevant factors.
Researchers at West Virginia University (WVU) propose to demonstrate inexpensive wireless, high-temperature sensors for real-time monitoring of the temperature and corrosion of metal components, which are commonly used in coal-fired boilers. This study presents the development of cost-effective wireless high-temperature sensors for real-time temperature and corrosion monitoring in coal-fired boilers' metal components. The focus is on fabricating and evaluating chipless radio-frequency identification (RFID) sensors capable of operating between 25-1300 ºC. Efforts were directed towards designing passive RFID sensor and interrogator antenna with a broad frequency range, optimizing a microstrip patch antenna sensor integrated into a "peel-and-stick" format for efficient application to various metal specimens without altering their geometry. Additionally, this research aimed to assess the sensor responses under accelerated high-temperature conditions, correlating corrosion and cracking mechanisms with sensor data. An investigation of through-wall data acquisition techniques was also planned, facilitating unobtrusive monitoring of sensor responses housed within metal enclosures. Ultimately, this work sought to establish a robust passive wireless sensor system for the continuous health monitoring of metal components in operational settings, thereby contributing to enhanced safety and efficiency in coal-fired power plants.
Prior research has shown that radio frequency identification (RFID) technology offers potential benefits for streamlining inventory management amidst rising production levels across the NNSA/DOE complex, yet it also presents substantial risks. RFID presents challenges never faced by LANL but also significant opportunities for accelerated inventory identification, real-time locating of assets, and minimized radiation exposure. This risk assessment evaluates the implementation of RFID technology at different Technical Area 55 (TA-55) locations, primarily withing the RLUOB basement and PF-4.
Effective and secure carbon subsurface storage, involving the deep underground injection of CO 2 into geological formations where it is permanently trapped, is paramount to mitigating CO 2 emissions (Figure I). Ensuring the integrity of these storage sites and detecting potential leakage through the casing annulus necessitates robust monitoring. This work provides the first integrated demonstration of a wireless casing-annulus monitoring architecture that can operate in highly attenuating cement-brine environments relevant to CO 2 storage. This project focused on developing and validating a novel sensor system for integration with autonomous monitoring near the cement reservoir interface. The goal was a fully integrated Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4/5 field validation of a distributed wireless intelligent sensor system providing real-time, direct subsurface formation measurements to enhance fluid movement monitoring in the cemented casing annulus. Achieving this objective required the development and integration of 1) wireless autonomous microsensor technology by California Institute of Technology (Caltech); 2) sensor packaging and emplacement technology by Research Triangle Institute (RTI); and 3) smart well completions using wireless active casing collars and NOV pipe by the Sandia National Lab (SNL). The collaboration with the Caltech team in this project aimed to develop millimeter-scale radio frequency identification (RFID) sensors capable of detecting CO 2 , pH, and/or methane levels. These sensors are engineered to be impervious to fluids, allowing them to be mixed with cement and installed within the casing annulus. They operate using RFID protocols at frequencies of 902–928 MHz for both power and communication. A Sandia National Laboratories’ team engaged their expertise in the development of a Smart Collar system designed for the wireless data collection from these RFID sensors embedded in the cement annulus and transmission of this information to the ground surface via IntelliPipe/IntelliServ NOV drill pipe. This is accomplished through inductive coupling at the collar, which facilitates data transfer through each segment of the pipe. Because the system cannot transmit a direct current signal to power the Smart Collar, both power and communication were implemented using alternating current and electromagnetic signals at varying frequencies. Furthermore, the developed microsensor technology had to be demonstrated and validated in comparison with reference transducer measurements in a field test site at The University of Texas at Austin (UT-Austin). Although the full sensor suite did not reach field-deployment readiness, the system-level integration achieved in this project establishes a validated pathway for future incorporation of advanced microsensors.
Tamper-indicating seals protect sensitive materials, valuable equipment, and critical shipments. Most conventional seals must be checked through manual visual inspection and do not provide a digital record of their condition. Some attempts to remove, alter, or bypass a seal may also leave little visible damage, making tampering difficult to identify during routine inspections. Los Alamos National Laboratory has developed a smart tamper-indicating seal that converts even subtle tampering into a persistent digital record. The seal communicates its identity and status wirelessly through standard radio-frequency identification (RFID) readers, giving organizations a faster, more reliable way to verify that an asset has remained secure.
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