A durable and flexible, low-cost tag antenna design for UHF RFID wearable applications

This contribution presents a flexible radiofrequency (RFID) wristband tag which can be fabricated using low-cost substrates such as polyethylene (PET), Teflon (PTFE) or other low-loss polymers. The tag wristband consists of a multi-layer design that doesn’t require interconnecting metallic layers. The wristband design is constrained to a thickness of 1 mm and a width of 3 cm, respectively, to produce a light and comfortable wearable device that could be used in most applications, including activity monitoring, but with enough durability to be used for a prolonged period without significant antenna de-tuning. The proposed wristband is designed to operate in the European band (865-868 MHz) and its measured read range is over 2.5 meters.