This paper presents a low-power wireless strain sensor that can be remotely powered by a light source and can be dynamically interrogated with a low-cost wireless interrogator. Based on a conventional thin film strain gauge, the wireless sensor is capable of measuring both static and vibration deformations. The low power wireless operation was achieved via amplitude modulation of the antenna backscattering using a high frequency oscillatory signal whose frequency is controlled by the low-frequency strain signal. The wireless strain sensor can be powered continuously by harvesting the energy supplied from a remote light source using a small solar panel. A micro-processor based wireless interrogator was developed to recover the strain information from the wirelessly received signals dynamically. The implementation and characterization of the wireless strain sensor and wireless interrogator are presented.
This paper presents a novel pressure sensor consisting of a low-cost microstrip patch antenna placed a distance from a metal reflection plate. The pressure applied on the plate changes the distance between the metal plate and the patch antenna, which shifts the resonant frequency of the antenna sensor. The operation principle of the pressure sensor is firstly presented. Subsequently, the design and fabrication of the antenna sensor as well as the electromagnetic (EM) simulations of its response to the applied pressure are described. Finally, static experiments are performed to validate the performance of the pressure sensor and the results are discussed.
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