Novel remote sensor systems: design, prototyping, and characterization

V. Kayastha; S. Gibbons; J. E. Lamb III; R. E. Giedd

doi:10.1117/12.2050706

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25 June 2014 Novel remote sensor systems: design, prototyping, and characterization

V. Kayastha, S. Gibbons, J. E. Lamb III, R. E. Giedd

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Proceedings Volume 9083, Micro- and Nanotechnology Sensors, Systems, and Applications VI; 90832U (2014) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2050706
Event: SPIE Defense + Security, 2014, Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Abstract

We have designed and tested a prototype TRL4 radio-frequency (RF) sensing platform containing a transceiver that interrogates a passive carbon nanotube (CNT)–based sensor platform. The transceiver can be interfaced to a server technology such as a Bluetooth® or Wi-Fi device for further connectivity. The novelty of a very-low-frequency (VLF) implementation in the transceiver design will ultimately enable deep penetration into the ground or metal structures to communicate with buried sensing platforms. The sensor platform generally consists of printed electronic devices made of CNTs on flexible poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and Kapton® substrates. This novel remote sensing system can be integrated with both passive and active sensing platforms. It offers unique characteristics suitable for a variety of sensing applications. The proposed sensing platforms can take on different form factors and the RF output of the sensing platforms could be modulated by humidity, temperature, pressure, strain, or vibration signals. Resonant structures were designed and constructed to operate in the very-high-frequency (VHF) and VLF ranges. In this presentation, we will report results of our continued effort to develop a commercially viable transceiver capable of interrogating the conformally mounted sensing platforms made from CNTs or silver-based nanomaterials on polyimide substrates over a broad range of frequencies. The overall performance of the sensing system with different sensing elements and at different frequency ranges will be discussed.

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V. Kayastha, S. Gibbons, J. E. Lamb III, and R. E. Giedd "Novel remote sensor systems: design, prototyping, and characterization", Proc. SPIE 9083, Micro- and Nanotechnology Sensors, Systems, and Applications VI, 90832U (25 June 2014); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2050706

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