Wireless zero power torque sensing using SAW-IDT

This proposal details an innovative set of wireless sensors that are small, low cost, accurate, and flexible, and require no local power. They are able to measure strain, cracks, and other parameters. We propose to use a novel implementation of SurfaceAcoustic Wave (SAW) technology in combination with a wireless Transceiver Telemetry System (TTS). The basic sensor technology was developed at the Center for the Engineering of Electronic and Acoustic Materials (CEEAM) at Pennsylvania State University byDr. V.K. Varadan. Each sensor can be fabricated with a unique identification tag (IDT) which can be read remotely, simultaneous while reading desired data. We refer to the sensor as SAW-IDT. The SAW-IDT sensor is truly wireless and passive (no power atsensor location). Because it requires no wires, no power, is very thin and light, and can be conformally mounted it is ideal for making measurements on curved metal surfaces. The SAW-IDT sensor is a breakthrough in sensing because of the reasons notedabove. It has already been used to sense pressure, temperature, wind shear, force, strain, and has been made into gyroscopes, accelerometers, and even chemical sensors. A working system has been built where a car tire valve stem was fitted with a SAW-IDTsensor measuring pressure. A TTS reader measured tire pressure directly from inside the vehicle.