Radio frequency identification enabled wireless sensing for intelligent food logistics

Area of Science:

• Technology and Engineering
• Computer Science
• Supply Chain Management

Background:

• The Internet of Things (IoT) is poised to revolutionize the food supply chain.
• Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are key enabling technologies for IoT in this domain.
• Seamless integration of physical parameters and location data with enterprise systems is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review challenges, considerations, and design examples for IoT in the food supply chain.
• To focus on intelligent packaging and logistics for fresh food tracking and monitoring.
• To introduce a novel two-layer IoT platform architecture.

Main Methods:

• A two-layer IoT platform architecture combining RFID and WSN layers is presented.
• Discussion of RFID technologies, including passive, semi-passive, and active solutions.
• Exploration of ultra-wideband (UWB) RFID for low-power wireless sensing.

Main Results:

• The proposed IoT platform facilitates seamless integration of sensor data over the internet.
• Ultra-wideband RFID shows promise for cost-effective wireless sensing applications.
• An example application in fresh food tracking demonstrates practical implementation and field testing results.

Conclusions:

• IoT, powered by RFID and WSNs, offers significant added value for the food supply chain.
• Intelligent packaging and logistics solutions are vital for fresh food tracking and monitoring.
• The presented IoT platform and UWB RFID technology provide a robust framework for future applications.