RFID-grids for deformation sensing

This paper explores the possibility to monitor structural deformations by means of grids of antennas. Deformations, occurring in engineering structures due to unexpected loading conditions and to obsolescence, may lead to potentially dangerous events, especially in critical environments such as aerospace platforms or civil infrastructures. By engineering the electromagnetic interaction among the elements of a grid of UHF Radiofrequency Identification (RFID) tags, it is possible to extract various measurable indicators useful to track the local as well the overall deformation of the body on which the antennas are attached on, and hence to monitor the "health" of sensitive structures.