Vubiq Networks has completed development of a hardware/software millimeter wave hyper imaging system. The system incorporates Vubiq Networks’ patented high-bit density chipless radio frequency identification (RFID) technology using polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (POLSAR) in combination with proprietary software.

This breakthrough hyper imaging system is able to code and decode chipless RFID tags with an order of magnitude higher bit density as compared to existing solutions and competitive approaches. The hyper imaging system greatly improves performance while dramatically lowering costs as Vubiq's chipless RFID tags use low electrical conductivity metals for the antenna elements, avoiding costly silver-based inks. The company achieved this breakthrough because they are not relying on the spectral signature response, but instead relying on radar cross-section and antenna reradiation mechanisms.

The system addresses the downfalls of traditional RFID solutions, especially today’s biggest barrier: the cost of the RFID tag. The company’s approach reduces tag costs to less than one cent per tag. With POLSAR as the technique for the RFID reader, tag and reader collisions are no longer an issue. By using the millimeter wave spectrum, reader performance increases and wireless disruption is minimized.

The increased density and lower RFID tag costs are important developments for the marketplace, especially for the emerging Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Vubiq Networks’ system achieves very high-density chipless tag encoding through the use of innovative geometrical layout of patch antennas as the tiny tag elements. This provides for optimized element spacing, providing very high bit density for chipless RFID.

Next steps for the company include full product development, leveraging recently introduced single-chip millimeter wave radar solutions that incorporate 60 GHz radar and digital signal processing (DSP) in one device.

Vubiq Networks’ RFID hyper imaging system is based on several technology patents held by the company:

• US Patent Number 7460014, issued December 2, 2008. RFID System Utilizing Parametric Reflective Technology
• US Patent Number 7498940, issued March 3, 2009. RFID System Utilizing Parametric Reradiated Technology
• US Patent Application 62746829, submitted October 17, 2018. Multimode Millimeter Wave RFID Systems and Methods Thereof
• US Patent Application 62775479, submitted December 5, 2018. System and Method for High-Bit Density Millimeter Wave Chipless RFID