An RFID-based toolbox for the study of under- and outside-water movement of pebbles on coarse-grained beaches

In this paper the authors describe an innovative toolbox with an RFID-based automatic identification technology for tracking and analyzing pebble movements along coarse beaches. The developed system proposes utilizing several 'Smart Pebbles', embedded with an RFID transponder. Through an ad hoc waterproof device it was possible to detect the presence of these Smart Pebbles and calculate their exact position with a GPS device. Though RFID is a radio technology that is unsuitable under water, it can yet be developed to operate under water through certain modifications in the system. Performing several recovery campaigns over a long span of time, it was possible to trace the movements of the entire swarm of Smart Pebbles. All of the information gathered through the RFID system was then analyzed with an ad hoc software interacting with a database containing the movement data of every pebble. The software provided a graphic picture of the paths followed by all the Smart Pebbles and the same was utilized for calculating the distances covered by the pebbles.