Design and characterization of a novel battery-less, solar powered wireless tag for enhanced-range remote tracking applications

In this paper, a novel wireless "Battery-less Solar Powered Wireless Tag" with an enhanced range of a factor of 3-5 with respect to other passive tags is introduced for remote tracking applications. Power and wireless link measurements carried out between the tag and a commercial wireless sensor network receiver verify the feasibility of this technology for remote tracking deploying very low cost multi-hop wireless communication. It is the first time that a communication between an RFID and a wireless sensor network is reported - based on the convergence/co-design of five different technologies - thus tremendously enhancing the capabilities, as well as drastically reducing the implementation cost of RFID\´s, while leading to the first generation of truly “green” RF electronics.