Effect of human body to the read range of radio frequency identification devices worn in close proximity.

Abstract

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a wireless data collecting system which involves the use of radio frequency (RF) in the electromagnetic spectrum to transfer data between a reader and a tag. The read range is the working distance between the reader and tag that the RF signals can be delivered. This study aims to investigate the effect to the read range by placing the tag in close proximity to the human body compared to placing it in free-space. The results show that the read range diminished when the tag is worn by a human. The read range can be improved by incorporating metamaterials structure in the RFID devices