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A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Physical Sensors".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2022) | Viewed by 44635

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Dr. Pedro Pinho

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1. Instituto de Telecomunicações, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
2. Departamento de Engenharia Eletrónica, Telecomunicações e de Computadores, Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa, 1959-007 Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: antennas; propagation; wireless power transfer
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Dear Colleagues,

Antenna sensors have received considerable interest in recent years, mainly in the area of wireless sensor networks (WSN), since this technology represents a promising area for both the present and immediate future. The possible use of such systems has a broad range of applications, such as for military, rescue, medical, environment or entertaining purposes. Depending on the application, the frequency range of operations could be extended from UHF up to mm-waves.

Moreover, in order to reach the goals envisioned by the Internet of Things concept, a new world of sensors must be developed, which should be much more immersive and embedded in the day-by-day utilities and infrastructures. To do so, new design techniques and new materials can be explored for the development of these embedded sensors, with communication capability and low power of consumption. In this sense, it is important to develop a set of passive sensors integrated within different materials, such as cork, ceramics, paper, plastic and/or fabrics, to be later applied in identification and detection applications.

To further promote the development of this area, we invite researchers to contribute with original research manuscripts, as well as review articles, focused on recent advances in design and also performance analysis of sensors based on antennas and their applications. Future research directions and open problems are also suggested.

Dr. Pedro Pinho
Guest Editor

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Keywords

antenna sensor
antennas in alternative material
antenna backscattering
batteryless wireless sensor
impedance-switching RFID
wearable RFID sensor
smart textiles
flexible sensor skin
body area network
dielectric sensor

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Published Papers (12 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 7068 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Direction of Arrival Estimation Based on Received Signal Strength Using Two-Row Electronically Steerable Parasitic Array Radiator Antenna

by Mateusz Rzymowski, Krzysztof Nyka and Lukasz Kulas

Sensors 2022, 22(5), 2034; https://doi.org/10.3390/s22052034 - 5 Mar 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2817

Abstract

In this paper, we present a novel approach to direction-of-arrival (DoA) estimation using two-row electronically steerable parasitic array radiator (ESPAR) antenna which has 12 passive elements and allows for elevation and azimuth beam switching using a simple microcontroller, relying solely on received signal strength (RSS) values measured at the antenna output port. To this end, we thoroughly investigate all 18 available 3D antenna radiation patterns of the antenna measured in an anechoic chamber with respect to radiation coverage in the horizontal and vertical direction and propose a generalization of the power-pattern cross-correlation (PPCC) algorithm involving a high number of multiple calibration planes (MCP) as well as specific combinations of radiation pattern sets. Additionally, a new way of RSS-based DoA estimation accuracy assessment, which involves thorough testing conducted along the elevation direction when RF signals impinging on the antenna arrive from arbitrary θ angles, has been reported in this paper to verify the overall algorithm’s performance. The results obtained for different signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) levels indicate that two-row ESPAR antenna can produce, even for low SNR values, accurate DoA estimation in the horizontal plane without prior knowledge about the elevation direction of the unknown RF signals by using appropriate combinations of only 12 3D antenna radiation patterns. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Antenna Technology in Sensors)

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14 pages, 5193 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Simplified Mutual Inductance Calculation of Planar Spiral Coil for Wireless Power Applications

by Iftikhar Hussain and Dong-Kyun Woo

Sensors 2022, 22(4), 1537; https://doi.org/10.3390/s22041537 - 16 Feb 2022

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 5767

Abstract

In this paper, a simplified method for the calculation of a mutual inductance of the planar spiral coil, motivated from the Archimedean spiral, is presented. This method is derived by solving Neumann’s integral formula in a cylindrical coordinate system, and a numerical tool is used to determine the value of mutual inductance. This approach can calculate the mutual inductances accurately at various coaxial and non-coaxial distances for different coil geometries. The calculation result is compared with the 3D finite element analyses to verify its accuracy, which shows good consistency. Furthermore, to confirm it experimentally, Litz wire is used to fabricate the sample spiral coils. Finally, the comparison of a simplified method is also studied relative to the coupling coefficient. The accuracy of the calculation results with the simulation and the measurement results makes it a good candidate to apply it in wireless power applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Antenna Technology in Sensors)

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22 pages, 9151 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Flexible and Transparent Circularly Polarized Patch Antenna for Reliable Unobtrusive Wearable Wireless Communications

by Abu Sadat Md. Sayem, Roy B. V. B. Simorangkir, Karu P. Esselle, Ali Lalbakhsh, Dinesh R. Gawade, Brendan O’Flynn and John L. Buckley

Sensors 2022, 22(3), 1276; https://doi.org/10.3390/s22031276 - 8 Feb 2022

Cited by 25 | Viewed by 4558

Abstract

This paper presents a circularly polarized flexible and transparent circular patch antenna suitable for body-worn wireless-communications. Circular polarization is highly beneficial in wearable wireless communications, where antennas, as a key component of the RF front-end, operate in dynamic environments, such as the human body. The demonstrated antenna is realized with highly flexible, robust and transparent conductive-fabric-polymer composite. The performance of the explored flexible-transparent antenna is also compared with its non-transparent counterpart manufactured with non-transparent conductive fabric. This comparison further demonstrates the suitability of the proposed materials for the target unobtrusive wearable applications. Detailed numerical and experimental investigations are explored in this paper to verify the proposed design. Moreover, the compatibility of the antenna in wearable applications is evaluated by testing the performance on a forearm phantom and calculating the specific absorption rate (SAR). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Antenna Technology in Sensors)

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13 pages, 3541 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Implementation of a Miniaturized Planar Tri-Band Microstrip Patch Antenna for Wireless Sensors in Mobile Applications

by Ahmed Saad Elkorany, Alyaa Nehru Mousa, Sarosh Ahmad, Demyana Adel Saleeb, Adnan Ghaffar, Mohammad Soruri, Mariana Dalarsson, Mohammad Alibakhshikenari and Ernesto Limiti

Sensors 2022, 22(2), 667; https://doi.org/10.3390/s22020667 - 16 Jan 2022

Cited by 27 | Viewed by 4289

Abstract

Antennas in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are characterized by the enhanced capacity of the network, longer range of transmission, better spatial reuse, and lower interference. In this paper, we propose a planar patch antenna for mobile communication applications operating at 1.8, 3.5, and 5.4 GHz. A planar microstrip patch antenna (MPA) consists of two F-shaped resonators that enable operations at 1.8 and 3.5 GHz while operation at 5.4 GHz is achieved when the patch is truncated from the middle. The proposed planar patch is printed on a low-cost FR-4 substrate that is 1.6 mm in thickness. The equivalent circuit model is also designed to validate the reflection coefficient of the proposed antenna with the S₁₁ obtained from the circuit model. It contains three RLC (resistor–inductor–capacitor) circuits for generating three frequency bands for the proposed antenna. Thereby, we obtained a good agreement between simulation and measurement results. The proposed antenna has an elliptically shaped radiation pattern at 1.8 and 3.5 GHz, while the broadside directional pattern is obtained at the 5.4 GHz frequency band. At 1.8, 3.5, and 5.4 GHz, the simulated peak realized gains of 2.34, 5.2, and 1.42 dB are obtained and compared to the experimental peak realized gains of 2.22, 5.18, and 1.38 dB at same frequencies. The results indicate that the proposed planar patch antenna can be utilized for mobile applications such as digital communication systems (DCS), worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), and wireless local area networks (WLAN). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Antenna Technology in Sensors)

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20 pages, 17491 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Low Discrepancy Sparse Phased Array Antennas

by Travis Torres, Nicola Anselmi, Payam Nayeri, Paolo Rocca and Randy Haupt

Sensors 2021, 21(23), 7816; https://doi.org/10.3390/s21237816 - 24 Nov 2021

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4171

Abstract

Sparse arrays have grating lobes in the far field pattern due to the large spacing of elements residing in a rectangular or triangular grid. Random element spacing removes the grating lobes but produces large variations in element density across the aperture. In fact, some areas are so dense that the elements overlap. This paper introduces a low discrepancy sequence (LDS) for generating the element locations in sparse planar arrays without grating lobes. This nonrandom alternative finds an element layout that reduces the grating lobes while keeping the elements far enough apart for practical construction. Our studies consider uniform sparse LDS arrays with 86% less elements than a fully populated array, and numerical results are presented that show these sampling techniques are capable of completely removing the grating lobes of sparse arrays. We present the mathematical formulation for implementing an LDS generated element lattice for sparse planar arrays, and present numerical results on their performance. Multiple array configurations are studied, and we show that these LDS techniques are not impacted by the type/shape of the planar array. Moreover, in comparison between the LDS techniques, we show that the Poisson disk sampling technique outperforms all other approaches and is the recommended LDS technique for sparse arrays. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Antenna Technology in Sensors)

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11 pages, 2306 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

A Novel Method of Transmission Enhancement and Misalignment Mitigation between Implant and External Antennas for Efficient Biopotential Sensing

by Md Shifatul Islam, Asimina Kiourti and Md Asiful Islam

Sensors 2021, 21(20), 6730; https://doi.org/10.3390/s21206730 - 11 Oct 2021

Viewed by 1973

Abstract

The idea of passive biosensing through inductive coupling between antennas has been of recent interest. Passive sensing systems have the advantages of flexibility, wearability, and unobtrusiveness. However, it is difficult to build such systems having good transmission performance. Moreover, their near-field coupling makes them sensitive to misalignment and movements. In this work, to enhance transmission between two antennas, we investigate the effect of superstrates and metamaterials and propose the idea of dielectric fill in between the antenna and the superstrate. Preliminary studies show that the proposed method can increase transmission between a pair of antennas significantly. Specifically, transmission increase of ≈5 dB in free space and ≈8 dB in lossy media have been observed. Next, an analysis on a representative passive neurosensing system with realistic biological tissues shows very low transmission loss, as well as considerably better performance than the state-of-the-art systems. Apart from transmission enhancement, the proposed technique can significantly mitigate performance degradation due to misalignment of the external antenna, which is confirmed through suitable sensitivity analysis. Overall, the proposed idea can have fascinating prospects in the field of biopotential sensing for different biomedical applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Antenna Technology in Sensors)

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12 pages, 2398 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Integration and Prototyping of a Pulsed RF Oscillator with an UWB Antenna for Low-Cost, Low-Power RTLS Applications

by Stefano Bottigliero and Riccardo Maggiora

Sensors 2021, 21(18), 6060; https://doi.org/10.3390/s21186060 - 10 Sep 2021

Viewed by 2482

Abstract

The goal of this paper is to present a compact low-cost and low-power prototype of a pulsed Ultra Wide Band (UWB) oscillator and an UWB elliptical dipole antenna integrated on the same Radio Frequency (RF) Printed Circuit Board (PCB) and its digital control board for Real Time Locating System (RTLS) applications. The design is compatible with IEEE 802.15.4 high rate pulse repetition UWB standard being able to work between 6 GHz and 8.5 GHz with 500 MHz bandwidth and with a pulse duration of 2 ns. The UWB system has been designed using the CST Microwave Studio transient Electro-Magnetic (EM) circuit co-simulation method. This method integrates the functional circuit simulation together with the full wave (EM) simulation of the PCB’s 3D model allowing fast parameter tuning. The PCB has been manufactured and the entire system has been assembled and measured. Simulated and measured results are in excellent agreement with respect to the radiation performances as well as the power consumption. A compact, very low-power and low-cost system has been designed and validated. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Antenna Technology in Sensors)

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18 pages, 1784 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Conformal Design of a High-Performance Antenna for Energy-Autonomous UWB Communication

by Shobit Agarwal, Diego Masotti, Symeon Nikolaou and Alessandra Costanzo

Sensors 2021, 21(17), 5939; https://doi.org/10.3390/s21175939 - 3 Sep 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3737

Abstract

In view of the need for communication with distributed sensors/items, this paper presents the design of a single-port antenna with dual-mode operation, representing the front-end of a future generation tag acting as a position sensor, with identification and energy harvesting capabilities. An Archimedean spiral covers the lower European Ultra-Wideband (UWB) frequency range for communication/localization purposes, whereas a non-standard dipole operates in the Ultra High Frequency (UHF) band to wirelessly receive the energy. The versatility of the antenna is guaranteed by the inclusion of a High Impedance Surface (HIS) back layer, which is responsible for the low-profile stack-up and the insensitivity to the background material. A conformal design, supported by 3D-printing technology, is pursued to check the versatility of the proposed architecture in view of any application involving its deformation and tracking/powering operations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Antenna Technology in Sensors)

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29 pages, 5942 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development and Validation of an ISA100.11a Simulation Model for Accurate Industrial WSN Planning and Deployment

by Zoltan Padrah, Andra Pastrav, Tudor Palade, Ovidiu Ratiu and Emanuel Puschita

Sensors 2021, 21(11), 3600; https://doi.org/10.3390/s21113600 - 21 May 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2661

Abstract

During the planning, design, and optimization of an industrial wireless sensor network (IWSN), the proposed solutions need to be validated and evaluated. To reduce the time and expenses, highly accurate simulators can be used for these tasks. This paper presents the development and experimental validation of an ISA100.11a simulation model for industrial wireless sensor networks (IWSN). To achieve high simulation accuracy, the ISA100.11a software stack running on two types of certified devices (i.e., an all-in-one gateway and a field device) is integrated with the ns-3 simulator. The behavior of IWSNs is analyzed in four different types of test scenarios: (1) through simulation using the proposed ISA100.11a simulation model, (2) on an experimental testbed using ISA100.11a certified devices, (3) in a Gateway-in-the-loop Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) scenario, and (4) in a Node-in-the-loop HIL scenario. Moreover, the scalability of the proposed simulation model is evaluated. Several metrics related to the timing of events and communication statistics are used to evaluate the behavior and performance of the tested IWSNs. The results analysis demonstrates the potential of the proposed model to accurately predict IWSN behavior. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Antenna Technology in Sensors)

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13 pages, 4165 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

The Design and Manufacturing Process of an Electrolyte-Free Liquid Metal Frequency-Reconfigurable Antenna

by Peng Qin, Lei Wang, Tian-Ying Liu, Qian-Yu Wang, Jun-Heng Fu, Guan-Long Huang, Lin Gui, Jing Liu and Zhong-Shan Deng

Sensors 2021, 21(5), 1793; https://doi.org/10.3390/s21051793 - 5 Mar 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3442

Abstract

This communication provides an integrated process route of smelting gallium-based liquid metal (GBLM) in a high vacuum, and injecting GBLM into the antenna channel in high-pressure protective gas, which avoids the oxidation of GBLM during smelting and filling. Then, a frequency-reconfigurable antenna, utilizing the thermal expansion characteristic of GBLM, is proposed. To drive GBLM into an air-proof space, the thermal expansion characteristics of GBLM are required. The dimensions of the radiating element of the liquid metal antenna can be adjusted at different temperatures, resulting in the reconfigurability of the operating frequency. To validate the proposed concept, an L-band antenna prototype was fabricated and measured. Experimental results demonstrate that the GBLM in the antenna was well filled, and the GBLM was not oxidized. Due to the GBLM being in an air-proof channel, the designed liquid metal antenna without electrolytes could be used in an air environment for a long time. The antenna is able to achieve an effective bandwidth of over 1.25–2.00 GHz between 25 °C and 100 °C. The maximum radiation efficiency and gain in the tunable range are 94% and 2.9 dBi, respectively. The designed antenna also provides a new approach to the fabrication of a temperature sensor that detects temperature in some situations that are challenging for conventional temperature sensing technology. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Antenna Technology in Sensors)

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18 pages, 9991 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multi-Layer and Conformally Integrated Structurally Embedded Vascular Antenna (SEVA) Arrays

by Amrita Bal, Jeffery W. Baur, Darren J. Hartl, Geoffrey J. Frank, Thao Gibson, Hong Pan and Gregory H. Huff

Sensors 2021, 21(5), 1764; https://doi.org/10.3390/s21051764 - 4 Mar 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2411

Abstract

This work presents the design and fabrication of two multi-element structurally embedded vascular antennas (SEVAs). These are achieved through advances in additively manufactured sacrificial materials and demonstrate the ability to embed vascular microchannels in both planar and complex-curved epoxy-filled quartz fiber structural composite panels. Frequency-reconfigurable antennas are formed by these structures through the pressure-driven transport of liquid metal through the embedded microchannels. The planar multi-layer topology examines the ability to fabricate two co-located radiating structures separated by a single ply of quartz fabric within the composite layup. The multi-element linear array topology composed of microchannels embedded on to a single-layer are used to demonstrate the ability to conformally-integrate these channels into a complex curved surface that mimics an array of antennas on the leading edge of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). A parallel-strip antipodal dipole feed structure provides excitation and serves as the interface for fluid displacement within the microchannels to facilitate reconfiguration. The nominal design of the SEVAs achieve over a decade of frequency reconfiguration with respect to the fundamental dipole mode of the antenna. Experimental and predicted results demonstrate the operation for canonical states of the antennas. Additional results for the array topology demonstrate beam steering and contiguous operation of interconnected elements in the multi-element structure. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Antenna Technology in Sensors)

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17 pages, 5974 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Three-Dimensional Chipless RFID Tags: Fabrication through Additive Manufacturing

by Sergio Terranova, Filippo Costa, Giuliano Manara and Simone Genovesi

Sensors 2020, 20(17), 4740; https://doi.org/10.3390/s20174740 - 21 Aug 2020

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 3713

Abstract

A new class of Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) tags, namely the three-dimensional (3D)-printed chipless RFID one, is proposed, and their performance is assessed. These tags can be realized by low-cost materials, inexpensive manufacturing processes and can be mounted on metallic surfaces. The tag consists of a solid dielectric cylinder, which externally appears as homogeneous. However, the information is hidden in the inner structure of the object, where voids are created to encrypt information in the object. The proposed chipless tag represents a promising solution for anti-counterfeiting or security applications, since it avoids an unwanted eavesdropping during the reading process or information retrieval from a visual inspection that may affect other chipless systems. The adopted data-encoding algorithm does not rely on On–Off or amplitude schemes that are commonly adopted in the chipless RFID implementations but it is based on the maximization of available states or the maximization of non-overlapping regions of uncertainty. The performance of such class of chipless RFID tags are finally assessed by measurements on real prototypes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Antenna Technology in Sensors)

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