Battery-free Touch Sensors
We are developing new types of RFID-based touch sensors for human computer interaction with IoT and smart devices. RFID stands for radio frequency identification, a ubiquitous technology commonly used in special tags to track objects like retail items and farm animals. These tags are low cost, have a relatively long communication range, need no battery, and available in small form factors. Our goal is to exploit the physical, radio frequency, and electromagnetic characteristics of how RFID tags work to adapt the technology to create different form factors for touch input. This includes: a 1D sensor array mounted on a planar surface, suitable for locations like a wall or mobile remote control; a 1D sensor for a nonplanar surface, such as a ring or appliance housing; and extend and combine these methods to create a 2D sensor for planar and nonplanar surfaces.