Self-powered smart active RFID tag integrated with wearable hybrid nanogenerator

Abstract Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology is essential to construct the Internet of Things (IoT), which is significant to promote the blooming development of the new-generation information technology. RFID tags are widely used in many identification fields due to the non-contact, low-power-consumption and rapid feature for target recognition. However, the working distance of traditional passive RFID tags is extremely short at millimeter level in a limited direction range, since the power supply is passively delivered by an external electromagnetic radiation source. Moreover, the information transmission of traditional passive RFID tags is simplex in only one direction from RFID tag to the monitor, and in other words, the pre-stored information in passive RFID tags can only be passively detected by the monitor. Herein, a self-powered smart active RFID tag integrated with wearable hybrid nanogenerator is developed to overcome these drawbacks above. A new power supply strategy for RFID tags were proposed by the integration of a wearable nanogenerator based on the triboelectric-electromagnetic hybrid mechanisms, which can effectively convert the biomechanical energy into electricity to sustainably power RFID tags. The fabricated triboelectric-electromagnetic hybrid nanogenerator (TEHN) showed a remarkable performance with the maximum power density of 6.79 W/m 2 . A new transistors-controlled power management module (PMM) circuit of automatic parallel-series transformation of capacitors was proposed and also integrated to enhance the charging capability of TEHN by shortening 50% charging time. The integration of TEHN and PMM enable this active RFID tag to work autonomously with a 330-fold enhancement of working distance up to 33 m, and its working direction range is overcome to be omnidirectional. Furthermore, the developed active RFID tag can work in duplex communication mode to exchange the information with the monitor. This all-in-one self-powered smart active RFID tag was successfully demonstrated to remotely control the automatic door and be a wearable microsystem for ultra-large-area target recognition, which show an attractive potential in many application fields.