Intelligent Wristbands: Fabrication of Wearable RFID Solutions by 3D Printing Pen

Abstract

<p>We present RFID (radio frequency identification)-based passive UHF (ultra-high frequency) wristbands fabricated with a 3D printing pen. The used 3D printing material is flexible and biodegradable, and thus suitable for fabrication of such inexpensive and widely useful wearable wireless platforms. The tag antenna (that is fabricated from conductive thread) and the RFID IC (integrated circuit) are embedded into the platform by using 3D-printed fasteners. This paper presents the wristband fabrication, ensures their reliability, and carries out practical testing in normal use environments. Based on the achieved results, the studied combination of conductive thread and 3D printing pen is a suitable fabrication solution for intelligent wearable platforms. The fabricated wristbands show high moisture reliability and excellent wireless performance in practical testing situations.</p>