Scientists from the North Dakota State University’s Center for Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) have developed an antennaless radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, which paves the way to track a variety of products that are difficult to be tracked by most of the current RFID systems.
The antennaless RFID tag is less than 3mm thick and uses the metal container as the antenna to transmit information. (credit: North Dakota State University Center for Nanoscale Science and Engineering)
This patent-pending technology helps in developing a low-cost and producible tracking solution that complies with EPCglobal standards. According to research engineer Cherish Bauer-Reich, most of the RFID tags have a thickness range between 0.5-3 cm. The novel antennaless RFID tags have a thickness of below 3 mm and can be positioned directly on the surface of metal objects or can be recessed into a metal container surface to be tracked.
Bauer-Reich further stated that the metal container to be tracked will be used as an antenna by the novel tag instead of using a separate antenna placed over the container. Most of the tags have to be placed away from the metal, as it alters the electromagnetic fields that surround the tags and wrecks their communication functionality. However, these tags utilize the metal as the antenna for communication. This unique property allows these tags to track any products ranging from coffee cans to metal cargo containers to oil barrels, with less concern about damaging or losing the tag, Bauer-Reich concluded.
High-permeability materials reroute current into the integrated circuit of a tag, thus tags utilizing those materials are thinner when compared to other tags.
NDSU Research Foundation handles the partnering or licensing opportunities of the patent-pending technology.