Customized UHF RFID sensor tags to feed biomechanical models

In this work, an UHF RFID tag integrated with an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) sensor has been designed, realized, and tested. It leverages on a specific RFID chip provided with both wireless and wired memory access. High robustness, effectiveness, and working range, are assured through the use of an on-board battery to boost the chip sensitivity and to supply an ultra-low power microcontroller and the sensors. In such a context, specific electromagnetic aspects have been faced to insulate the battery from the radiofrequency (RF) circuitry and a Planar Inverted-F Antenna (PIFA) has been designed to match the RFID chip input impedance. Different devices have been realized, tested, and then applied on specific human body segments to feed a virtual human-body biomechanical model and validate the RFID-based approach.