**Author details**

this case, RFID transponders could be used as a sort of electronic trail, with a reader positioned directly on the boat analysing the information stored on them and using it to move inside the harbour. On the other side, it could be possible to deploy transponders directly on the boat, and to use them as a sort of electronic license plate. This could al‐ low the boat to be automatically identified by a reader positioned on the pier without

The field of environmental monitoring probably opens the way to the widest range of possi‐ ble applications. Together with the geological applications concerning the sediments track‐ ing, RFID could also be useful for the monitoring of biological activities both is rivers and in the sea. The application concerning the tracking of pebbles has in fact suggested a possible extension for this technique. The pebbles recovered at the end of the experimentation pre‐ sented a lot of organic sediments left on them: this fact suggests then their possible use also as probes to analyse the impact of pollution on the biological activity of the portion of littor‐ al under study. This technique could also be extended to be employed in other scenarios where sediments tracking is required: a similar system could be for example deployed in the city of Venice to monitor the condition of the canals. In general, such a solution could be used in those water environments where the dynamics are slow enough to keep the tracers in an area small enough be manually scanned using a reader. In this sense, such a system

Together with these possible applications, deriving from the existing systems, other pos‐ sible solutions could be studied every time that an under water monitoring or tracking

In this chapter the chance to use RFID technology for systems operating under water has

The composition of salt and fresh water has been described, together with the influence that the salinity has on the conductivity of water and then on key parameters like water attenuation and penetration depth. The value of this second parameter has been calculat‐ ed for the standard RFID systems: the results show that only at Low Frequencies it's possible to develop solutions where a long reading range is required, both for salt and fresh water. Anyway, moving at higher frequencies, while for fresh water the chances to set up efficient solutions are still high, especially for short range applications, for salt

However, the chance to use the lower frequency bands has led to the development of some applications that use RFID technology for specific purposes, both in marine and in fresh wa‐ ter environments. These applications range from animal tracking solutions to environmental monitoring systems, and represent a good starting point for a wider diffusion of this tech‐ nology even in a sector traditionally precluded to technologies relying on electromagnetic

could be used for example to analyse in detail the dynamics of a glacier.

the direct intervention of a harbour operator.

394 Radio Frequency Identification from System to Applications

system is required.

**6. Conclusions**

been analysed.

water RFID becomes virtually unusable.

fields for their functioning.

Giuliano Benelli and Alessandro Pozzebon

University of Siena, Department of Information Engineering, Siena, Italy
