Hours:
12 hours (3 credits)

Room:

Aula Riunioni del Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell’Informazione, Via G. Caruso 16, Pisa - Ground Floor e Aula Riunioni Piano 6, Largo Lucio Lazzarino 1, Pisa

To register to the course, click here

Short Abstract:

The rapid growth of the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence, and data-driven technologies is transforming research across a wide range of disciplines, including engineering, healthcare, environmental sciences, transportation, and smart infrastructure. A key challenge for future intelligent systems is how to collect, process, and communicate information in a sustainable and scalable manner, particularly when billions of interconnected devices are expected to operate in diverse and resource-constrained environments.

This course introduces the fundamental concepts and emerging trends of battery-free intelligent systems, with a particular focus on RFID technology, wireless power transfer, energy harvesting, and smart sensing. Starting from the foundations of passive wireless systems, the course explores how sensing, communication, and energy management can be integrated to enable autonomous and sustainable intelligent devices. Real-world applications from different domains, including healthcare, industrial monitoring, smart cities, environmental sensing, and digital twins, will be discussed to highlight the interdisciplinary impact of these technologies.

The course also examines current research challenges and future directions at the intersection of sensing, wireless communications, artificial intelligence, and sustainable system design. Through case studies and interactive discussions, participants will be encouraged to reflect on how the concepts presented can be applied within their own research fields and to identify opportunities for interdisciplinary innovation.

The course is intended for PhD students from different scientific and engineering backgrounds and does not require prior expertise in RFID or wireless communications.

Course Contents in brief:

1. RFID and the foundations of intelligent sensing (the evolution of intelligent systems, RFID fundamentals and passive wireless systems, RFID applications across disciplines, intelligent sensing and future trends)
2. Wireless power transfer and energy harvesting (the energy problem in modern electronics, energy harvesting fundamentals, battery-free intelligent systems, applications and future perspectives)
3. Smart sensing, AI, and future interdisciplinary systems (from sensors to intelligent decision systems, intelligent wireless environments, interdisciplinary innovation and research challenges, final interactive session)

Schedule:

1. July 27th – 14.00-18.00 
2. July 28th – 9.00-13.00 corso di dottorato (14:30-16:00 seminario)
3. July 29th – 9.00-15:30