Wireless Identification and Radio localization Technologies, Ubiquitous Oriented, Smart and Energy efficient

The new system WIRTUOSE will integrate heterogeneous technologies in the area of communication, micro-system components, integrated circuits, energy harvesting and storage solutions, and flexible materials. To provide both radiofrequency identification an d high-accuracy localization of tags attached to objects, the WIRTUOSE system will be based on the full combination of UHF EPC Gen2 RFID and Ultra-Wideband (UWB) as add-on technology. The combination of these technologies will be addressed both at communi cation and network level, by properly exploiting their functionalities, as well as at the level of IC design by developing a new integrated UHF-UWB RFID chip. To cope with different end-user localization requirements, the tag will integrate both an activ e UWB transceiver for long-range operating distance, and a passive UWB backscattering technique to be employed in those applications (e.g., baggage sorting) where ranging is limited to a few meters, in favour of a smaller energy consumption and of reduced cost. From the over-all architecture point of view, techniques based on multi-static approaches, multiple antennas on the reader, the deployment of relays, and fingerprinting schemes will be addressed to ensure high-reliability of detection and high-accu racy of localization even in harsh propagation environments (including the non-line-of sight (NLOS) conditions generated by the arbitrary orientation and emplacement of the tagged objects). In the WIRTUOSE system, the new tag will be fully passive and zer o-power, thanks to RF energy harvesting and to integrated power management circuits with state-of-the-art intrinsic nano-power consumption. Novel low-cost and green energy storage technologies (e.g., super-capacitance) will be developed and integrated int o the tag. Moreover, low-cost and flexible materials will be considered for the realization of the UHF-UWB antenna for the tag. The WIRTUOSE tag will be fully remotely configurable throughout the UHF channel.