Main Keynote

SAW Devices Combining RFID and Sensor Functionalities for Harsh Environments

Abstract

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices are key components in communication systems and are widely used as filters, delay lines or resonators, making them relevant for the development of 5G compatible technologies or beyond. As SAW devices are highly sensitive to external physical parameters and to any disturbance that may affect the velocity, the traveling distance or even the wave propagation mode, they also offer very promising solutions as sensors in a wide range of applications including industrial processes, automotive, aeronautic, or energy domains. SAW sensors have the advantage of being robust, small, passive (battery-less), wireless and even packageless in specific configurations. In the reflective delay line (R-DL) configuration, they can integrate the identification code and operate as an RFID which allows simultaneous interrogation of several sensors. The technology also allows to operate in extreme conditions such as those with high levels of radiation, high temperatures up to 1 000 °C, corrosive gas, or electromagnetic interference. This is obviously conditioned by the fact that the constitutive materials can withstand these harsh conditions. In this lecture, an overview of general principle of the SAW sensors in wired and wireless configurations and developments needed to implement this technology will be given. A review of recent works related to SAW devices combining RFID and sensing functionalities including from our group will be presented by positioning them with respect to the state of the art. Finally, examples of potential applications (existing or new ones) will be proposed and analyzed together with a future outlook of what the SAW technology can bring in severe environments.

Keynote Bio:

Omar ELMAZRIA is a Full Professor at Université de Lorraine, Nancy, France within Jean Lamour Institute and he was a guest Professor at several Universities around the world (SFU, Canada; IoA, Chinese Academy of Sciences; UCF, USA, SJTU, Shanghai). O. Elmazria is the head of Nanomaterial, Electronic and Living department within the IJL and his current research focuses on SAW devices for sensing applications. He is member of Technical Program Committee of several international conferences and society including IEEE IUS, IEEE MTT-26-RFID-Wireless-Sensor-and-IoT; SAW Symposium; IFTC. He is also an AdCom member of IEEE UFFC Society and IEEE RFID Council. In 2017, he was a recipient of the URSI-France medal from the International Union of Radio Science.

Hot Topics Plenary Keynotes

RFID: The Next Decades

Abstract

We briefly review the history of the use of radio signals to identify objects, and of the key RFID standards for UHF and near-field communications that enabled broad use of these technologies in daily life.  We compare the vision for the future presented by the AutoID Lab in the early 20th century with the reality we see today, two decades and a bit after.  We will review some of the applications in which UHF RFID technology has become hugely successful, others where HF NFC is preferred, and applications where optical identification is dominant.   

We will then examine some possible future paths for RFID technology.  We anticipate that UHF read capability will become widely available for cellphones, making it as universal as NFC and Bluetooth are today.  We will discuss the integration of information from AI-based image processing, barcodes, NFC and UHF tags, into a digital twin of the real environment experienced by the human user.  We will examine the role of RFID with sensing in improving the management of perishable goods.  The role that RFID might play in a truly circular economy, with intelligent recycling and reuse, will be discussed.  Finally, we’ll go over the many hazards and obstacles that obstruct the path to an RF-informed future. 

 Bio: Dr. Daniel M. Dobkin has been involved in technology development for over four decades, including semiconductor processing and device physics, chemical vapor deposition, wireless communications, IC reliability, and radio frequency identification. He is the author of technical books on chemical vapor deposition (with Michael Zuraw), RF engineering, and RFID, in addition to numerous technical publications. He has been making jokes about science and engineering for almost as long as he has been working, and has finally collected some of them into She Sells C Shells By The Seashore, also available on Amazon. He works as an engineering consultant and technical writer in Sunnyvale, CA

Leveraging mmWave Backscatter for Precise Indoor Positioning and Enhanced Automotive Radar Vision

Abstract

Millimeter-wave (mmWave) backscatter—backed with relatively compact, high gain, and wide angular coverage architectures—has demonstrated remarkable potential for enabling long-range detection and centimeter-accuracy localization. In this talk, I will present our recent work on utilizing mmWave RFIDs, also known as mmIDs, to achieve high-precision, single-radar 3D positioning of highly dynamic targets in indoor GPS-denied environments. This approach enables centimeter-level accuracy without requiring complex multi-sensor fusion, making it particularly valuable for applications where cost and computational efficiency are critical. Additionally, I will discuss how strategically placed passive markers can enable self-localization of radar-equipped robots in cluttered environments, offering an affordable alternative to computationally intensive and expensive LiDAR-based solutions. Beyond positioning, this talk will also explore how mmWave backscatter can extend the vision capabilities of automotive radars. I will introduce the design and implementation of electromagnetic retroreflective surfaces that serve as a novel form of lane marking, enhancing the perception of self-driving vehicles in all weather conditions. By improving radar visibility and reliability, these retroreflective markers can play a crucial role in enhancing autonomous vehicle safety and navigation. Through these advancements, mmWave backscatter presents a transformative opportunity to redefine localization and perception in robotics and autonomous systems, providing unmatched levels of affordability, accuracy, and robustness to real-world deployments.

Bio: Aline Eid is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She earned her Ph.D. in ECE from Georgia Tech in 2021 and her Master’s degree from the American University of Beirut. Aline previously worked as a Postdoctoral Associate at the MIT Media Lab and interned at Google in the wearable/AR/VR and ATAP groups. She has authored over 70 papers and received more than 20 awards, including the 2020 IEEE MTT-S Graduate Fellowship and best paper awards in IEEE AP-S and RFID. Her research focuses on ultra-low power wireless sensing, backscatter and 5G communications, and wireless power transfer with applications in smart cities and infrastructures.

Drivers, challenges and hot topics in the Digital Transformation of Agri Food Systems

Abstract

Our global agri-food systems are in a constant state of flux driven primarily by ever evolving consumer habits and trends, environmental and climate challenges and political and financial uncertainty. Our current Agri Food systems continue to function despite the fact that anywhere between 30 – 50 % of what we produce never gets used and is discarded as “Waste”. Given our immediate climate challenges and need to improve efficiencies across our trading channels the potential for digital technology to improve both the function and performance is gaining much attention. This session will discuss the Drivers, challenges and hot topics in the Digital Transformation of our Global Agri Food Systems.

Bio:   Ultan is currently an academic and researcher based at South East Technological University, Ireland. He has spent many years in research in the USA and EU specializing in the use of digital technologies to improve the operational and strategic efficiency of supply chains across agri-food, pharmaceutical, automotive, aviation and defense supply networks. His research has focused on the use of a broad array of networked wireless sensing technologies, including RFID, to increase global supply chain sustainability and is currently developing a number of low-cost digital technologies to reduce food and biologic waste.

 

His PhD investigated the use of UHF RFID technology to provide item level digital traceability across food supply chains. His MBA degree investigated the enhanced use of digitized data across the organization to enhance decision making and increase responsiveness and flexibility to better competitively position organizations. He is former manager of Ireland’s RFID and IoT Technology Gateway research center. He a strong track record in research and commercialization and has successfully secured a broad array of EU, national as well as industrial sponsored funding.  He is currently VP of finance for the IEEE Council on RFID and is also an IEEE CRFID Distinguished Lecturer for “The electronic transformation of agri-food systems”. His talk will focus on a number of broad topics surrounding the challenges and drivers and hot topics in the Digital Transformation of Agri Food Systems