Patent ID: 8736281

Claim:
A sensing system comprising: a material having a matrix structure, composed of an elastomer or epoxy resin, in which a plurality of sensing particles are embedded such that the sensing particles are dispersed within and surrounded by the matrix structure, the sensing particles include nanoparticles comprising at least one of single wall carbon nanotubes, multiwall carbon nanotubes, gold nanorings, magnetic nanoparticles, nanowires and spherical nanoparticles, and the sensing particles have electron distribution and/or transport properties that change in response to a change in a physical or chemical property of the material such that the sensing particles that exhibit a microwave resonance behaviour that leads to harmonic generation and frequency doubling; and a receiver, including an antenna, the receiver arranged to receive, from the material, a returned RF signal resulting from interrogation of, the material by a source RF signal; a coupling mechanism facilitating the exchange of RF energy between the material and the antenna; and circuitry arranged to determine at least one of the mechanical, electrical and chemical status of the material; wherein a change in the electron distribution and/or transport properties of the sensing particles cause the returned RF signal to change, such that a change in a property of the material can be determined from the returned RF signal.