Intro Sentence:
UCLA researchers in the Department of Computer Science have developed a chipless and batteryless RFID tag that operates at mmWave frequency and achieves millimeter resolution.
Background:
Radio frequency identification (RFID) tags have been used for a wide range of applications, such as baggage tracking and item localization in warehouses. However, these tags require a chip to store and encode ID into their reader’s signal, making them non-printable and relatively expensive for large-scale deployment. In addition, chips are generally not biodegradable, and their inclusion prevents RFID tags from being used in sustainable applications. Moreover, the current limitations of RFID technology, including small operating bandwidth and low operating frequency, result in poor ranging resolution and hinder the feasibility of reasonably sized antenna arrays. Thus, there is a need to develop sustainable batteryless and chipless IDs that can be fully printable.
Innovation:
Researchers from the Department of Computer Science have developed MID, a batteryless and chipless RFID tag that operates at millimeter wave (mmWave) frequency. They have also presented a compatible mmWave reader capable of precisely identifying the tags' IDs and determining their locations. Operating within the high frequency radio frequency signals range (24 GHz to 100 GHz), these tags can be localized with millimeter accuracy and achieve an operating range of 5 meters. These MID tags, which are chipless, batteryless, small (1.5 × 1.5 in2), and paper-thin, can be fully printable and deployed at a low cost . These tags can be used for a wide array of applications and provide a sustainable solution to current, non-biodegradable chips.
Potential Applications:
- RFID tags
- Inventory management
- Gaming
- Agriculture
- Internet of Things
- Pet tracking
- Logistics
Advantages:
- Accurate localization
- Fully printable
- Chipless, battery-less
- Low-cost
- Small form factor (1.5 × 1.5 in2, paper-thin)
- Biodegradable tags
Development-To-Date:
First successful demonstration of MID tag (1.5 1.5 in2) with unique IDs.
Reference:
UCLA Case No. 2023-220
Lead Inventor:
Omid Abari