A portable sensing system (120, 200) for sensing an object, the system comprising: a portable device housing configured to be carried by a user; and a sensing unit (130, 150) within said housing, said sensing unit (130, 150) comprising: a capacitive sensor array, said capacitive sensor array comprises a printed circuit board, PCB, having a plurality of layers, a plurality of feed lines (152, 154, 201-215, 202-216), a plurality of receive lines and a plurality of capacitive sensor plates, wherein the plurality of feed lines (152, 154, 201-215, 202-216) are coupled to the plurality of receive lines through an electromagnetic field, said electromagnetic field is formed at one or more areas located between at least two capacitive sensor plates of said plurality of capacitive sensor plates and wherein said capacitive sensor plates are connected to said feed lines (152, 154, 201-215, 202-216) and receive lines and wherein the plurality of capacitive sensor plates are located only on the top layer of the PCB; a transmitter unit for applying RF (radio-frequency) signals to said electromagnetic transducers array; and a receiver unit for receiving coupled RF signals from said electromagnetic transducers array; wherein said sensing unit (130, 150) is configured to identify or quantitatively characterize the object; wherein the sensing unit (130, 150) comprising the plurality of layers and wherein the feed lines (152, 154, 201-215, 202-216) are placed in separate layers, and are connected to the sensing plates through vertical holes said holes interconnecting the separate layers, and a plurality of ground layers are located between and around said layers. a portable device housing configured to be carried by a user; and a sensing unit (130, 150) within said housing, said sensing unit (130, 150) comprising: a capacitive sensor array, said capacitive sensor array comprises a printed circuit board, PCB, having a plurality of layers, a plurality of feed lines (152, 154, 201-215, 202-216), a plurality of receive lines and a plurality of capacitive sensor plates, wherein the plurality of feed lines (152, 154, 201-215, 202-216) are coupled to the plurality of receive lines through an electromagnetic field, said electromagnetic field is formed at one or more areas located between at least two capacitive sensor plates of said plurality of capacitive sensor plates and wherein said capacitive sensor plates are connected to said feed lines (152, 154, 201-215, 202-216) and receive lines and wherein the plurality of capacitive sensor plates are located only on the top layer of the PCB; a transmitter unit for applying RF (radio-frequency) signals to said electromagnetic transducers array; and a receiver unit for receiving coupled RF signals from said electromagnetic transducers array; wherein said sensing unit (130, 150) is configured to identify or quantitatively characterize the object; wherein the sensing unit (130, 150) comprising the plurality of layers and wherein the feed lines (152, 154, 201-215, 202-216) are placed in separate layers, and are connected to the sensing plates through vertical holes said holes interconnecting the separate layers, and a plurality of ground layers are located between and around said layers. a capacitive sensor array, said capacitive sensor array comprises a printed circuit board, PCB, having a plurality of layers, a plurality of feed lines (152, 154, 201-215, 202-216), a plurality of receive lines and a plurality of capacitive sensor plates, wherein the plurality of feed lines (152, 154, 201-215, 202-216) are coupled to the plurality of receive lines through an electromagnetic field, said electromagnetic field is formed at one or more areas located between at least two capacitive sensor plates of said plurality of capacitive sensor plates and wherein said capacitive sensor plates are connected to said feed lines (152, 154, 201-215, 202-216) and receive lines and wherein the plurality of capacitive sensor plates are located only on the top layer of the PCB; a transmitter unit for applying RF (radio-frequency) signals to said electromagnetic transducers array; and a receiver unit for receiving coupled RF signals from said electromagnetic transducers array; wherein said sensing unit (130, 150) is configured to identify or quantitatively characterize the object; wherein the sensing unit (130, 150) comprising the plurality of layers and wherein the feed lines (152, 154, 201-215, 202-216) are placed in separate layers, and are connected to the sensing plates through vertical holes said holes interconnecting the separate layers, and a plurality of ground layers are located between and around said layers.