Unmuh Jember Lecturer Develops Battery-Free RFID Sensor for Agriculture
Jember, East Java - A lecturer from the Agricultural Industrial Technology programme at the University of Muhammadiyah (Unmuh) Jember, Dr. Eng. Danang Kumara Hadi, has developed a battery-free Ultra-High Frequency Radio Frequency Identification (UHF RFID) sensor for innovations in the agricultural sector.
“I am attempting to introduce cutting-edge technological breakthroughs that are highly relevant to the development of the Internet of Things (IoT) and modern agriculture,” he said on campus on Thursday.
His doctoral research at Ibaraki University in Japan offers novelty in the form of integrating sensor functions and indoor location tracking within a single UHF RFID system.
Whereas conventional RFID technology is generally only used for item identification and requires a separate battery for sensor functions, the developed innovation allows a single small device to track position while simultaneously detecting environmental temperature and humidity without a battery.
“The system operates solely by utilising energy from radio waves, making it more integrated, highly energy-efficient, and practical without the hassle of maintenance or battery replacement,” he explained.
He stated that the innovation is intended for direct application in the real sector, particularly for smart warehouse systems and smart agriculture. In agricultural-based areas like Jember, the technology has great potential.
“This battery-free RFID sensor can be deployed in greenhouses or indoor agricultural facilities to monitor soil temperature and humidity,” he said.
In the post-harvest sector, the technology is vital for real-time tracking of agricultural products’ positions in logistics warehouses while ensuring that product quality remains maintained within cold chain standards.
Looking ahead, Danang is committed to implementing his research results into the Four Duties of Higher Education at Unmuh Jember and building research collaborations with industry and global institutions.
“The concepts of smart farming, IoT, and data analytics are urgent needs at present,” he said.