RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) devices or tags, in their basic form, are useful as identification and proximity sensors. When augmented with other environmental sensors, RFIDs can also be turned into other wireless sensors. This project addresses ubiquitous RFID-based systems enabled by dense deployment of RFID tags/sensors, and RFID readers, where the readers are themselves inter-connected using a wireless ad hoc network. The goal of the readers is to access the RFID tag/sensor data and relay the necessary information to an application running on a central computer system. The project considers design and evaluation of protocols and algorithms to exploit redundancy and diversity in the form of tag multiplicity, reader multiplicity, antenna diversity, and multiplicity of operating modes for the tags. Communication protocols for tag-to-reader and reader-to-reader communication, as well as mechanisms for efficiently answering higher-level queries from applications are of particular interest.
Expected results from the project include efficient protocols and algorithms to exploit redundancy and diversity in RFID systems, and demonstration of their efficacy by experimental or simulation-based methods. Results from the project will be disseminated via publications in conferences and journals. The project has significant potential for impact on practical utility of RFIDs, by improving the accuracy and efficiency of RFID access and queries. Potential applications include object tracking on factory floors, and sensing applications in home and office environments.
