Compact Antenna for UHF-RFID Tag Tested on the Human Body for Identification Cards

This article proposes a new and simple miniaturized tag for radio frequency identification (RFID) in the European and Moroccan UHF band (866-868 MHz). This tag can be mounted on the surfaces of the human body and may be used for identification cards. For human body modelling, we used a four-layer laminated elliptical cylinder with physical parameters for electromagnetic simulations. The radiation characteristics of the antenna placed in proximity to the human model and the effects of absorption caused by the human body were analysed and controlled. Our antenna is composed of a meander dipole and a T-shaped adaptation network structure. We used the CST-MS for the design of the antenna and the human body model and verified the results with the HFSS simulator. The designed tag was manufactured to test the reading range. The measured range is about 6 m when the tag is placed near to the chest and between hands. The new features of the proposed new tag are characterized by its simple structure, reliable stability on the surface of the human body, a long reading range and a miniaturized size of 46 x 20 mm. Our antenna was designed on a low-cost, single-sided FR-4 substrate with a thickness of 0.8 mm. Compared to the conventional ultra-high frequency patch; our antenna achieves a miniaturization rate of 91%.