A wireless identification and sensing platform (WISP) is an RFID (radio-frequency identification) device that supports sensing and computing: a microcontroller powered by radio-frequency energy.[1]
That is, like a passive RFID tag, WISP is powered and read by a standard off-the-shelf RFID reader, harvesting the power it uses from the reader's emitted radiosignals. To an RFID reader, a WISP is just a normal EPC gen1 or gen2 tag; but inside the WISP, the harvested energy is operating a 16-bit general purpose microcontroller. The microcontroller can perform a variety of computing tasks, including sampling sensors, and reporting that sensor data back to the RFID reader. WISPs have been built with light sensors, temperature sensors, and strain gauges. Some contain accelerometers.[2]
WISPs can write to flash and perform cryptographic computations. The WISP was originally developed by Intel ResearchSeattle, but after their closure development work has continued at the Sensor Systems Laboratory at the University of Washington in Seattle.
Implementation
The WISP consists of a board with power harvesting circuitry, demodulator, modulator, microcontroller, external sensors, and other components such as EEPROM and LED.
Applications
WISPs have been used for light level measurement, acceleration sensing, cold chain monitoring (passive data logging), and cryptography and security applications.
Alanson P. Sample; Daniel J Yeager; Pauline S Powledge; Alexander V Mamishev; Joshua R Smith (2018-06-06). "Design of an RFID-based battery-free programmable sensing platform". IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement. 57 (11): 2608–2615.
M. Segev-Bar; N. Bachar; Y.Wolf; B. Ukrainsky; L. Sarraf; H. Haick (Dec 13, 2016). "Multi‐Parametric Sensing Platforms Based on Nanoparticles". Advanced Materials Technologies. 2 (1): 1600206. doi:10.1002/admt.201600206. S2CID63385571. [...] potentially to differentiate between the different signals. They have advantages in fields that include wearable systems, humanoid robotics, structural health monitoring and precision agriculture, [...]