RFID Tag Antenna-Based Sensing for Pervasive Surface Crack Detection

We introduce the concept of using an RFID tag´s antenna to sense surface cracks. Our contribution is two fold. First, we present the design of an inductively coupled loop antenna that can be used as a crack detector. Second, we propose the development of a 2-D grid of tags to improve spatial coverage and discuss how it can be used to monitor typical crack patterns in civil infrastructure. We demonstrate that the technique works reliably over a read distance of 1 m and in different types of environments. Potential engineering extensions and future research directions are also discussed.