A Review of RFID Sensors, the New Frontier of Internet of Things

A review of technological solutions for RFID sensing and their current or envisioned applications is presented. The fundamentals of the wireless sensing technology are summarized in the first part of the work, and the benefits of adopting RFID sensors for replacing standard sensor-equipped Wi-Fi nodes are discussed. Emphasis is put on the absence of batteries and the lower cost of RFID sensors with respect to other sensor solutions available on the market. RFID sensors are critically compared by separating them into chipped and chipless configurations. Both categories are further analyzed with reference to their working mechanism (electronic, electromagnetic, and acoustic). RFID sensing through chip-equipped tags is now a mature technological solution, which is continuously increasing its presence on the market and in several applicative scenarios. On the other hand, chipless RFID sensing represents a relatively new concept, which could become a disruptive solution in the market, but further research in this field is necessary for customizing its employment in specific scenarios. The benefits and limitations of several tag configurations are shown and discussed. A summary of the most suitable applicative scenarios for RFID sensors are finally illustrated. Finally, a look at some sensing solutions available on the market are described and compared.

Automated summary

This paper reviews the technological solutions for RFID sensing and discusses the benefits of using RFID sensors, such as the absence of batteries and lower cost. It categorizes RFID sensors into chipped and chipless configurations and analyzes their working mechanisms. While chip-equipped RFID sensing is mature and increasingly present in the market, chipless RFID sensing is a relatively new concept that requires further research for customization in specific scenarios.