Smart Trolley Using RFID Technology

Smart Trolley Using RFID Technology

Sharmila Banu

Computer Science, Lady Doak College, Madurai, India

Vishnupriya

Physics, Lady Doak College, Madurai, India

Keethika

Physics, Lady Doak College, Madurai, India

Abstract – Navigating the chaos of supermarkets and malls, especially with long checkout lines, can be a major pain for busy customers who value their time. Enter the Smart Trolley system, a groundbreaking solution designed to streamline the shopping experience by automating the billing process. Smart Trolley works as soon as an item is placed in the trolley, it is instantly scanned using advanced RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology. This process not only eliminates the hassle of traditional checkout lines. One of the standout features of the Smart Trolley is its OLED screen, which continuously displays the total bill. This allows customers to keep track of their spending in real-time, ensuring there are no surprises at the register. With the total amount always visible, shoppers can make informed decisions about their purchases and stay within their budget. The benefits of this innovative system are twofold. For shoppers, it saves valuable time and reduces stress by making the checkout process virtually instantaneous. For stores, it enhances customer satisfaction and operational efficiency, leading to a smoother shopping experience for everyone.

In essence, the Smart Trolley system revolutionizes the way we shop, making it faster, safer, and more convenient. This technology-driven approach not only caters to the needs of busy customers but also ensures a more enjoyable and efficient shopping experience for all.

Keywords: RFID, microcontroller, OLED, streamline

1. INTRODUCTION

   Technology has a significant impact on human existence. The growth of e-commerce during the past ten years has altered our purchasing patterns and trends. E-Commerce is directly related to the Internet. Online purchasing is now feasible because of marketing, advertising, and the Internet. Because of the emergence of specialized websites like Amazon, Julie Chic, Instagram, and others, internet shopping has become more popular. However, the growth of the traditional marketplaces has continued despite the existence of e-commerce. The marketplace is the actual location where transactions involving the selling of goods and services between buyers and sellers occur. The rise in trade exchanges centered on the sale and purchase is facilitated by the development of commercial ideas.

   Numerous strategies have been developed for the development of procurement, and there are numerous trolleys that are employed in various capacities, including shopping carts, baby strollers, and mobile food carts. The stores give their clients shopping carts so they may effortlessly move their purchases across the store until they get to the counter worker. A smart trolley is not the same as a standard trolley. The classic cart is inexpensive and easily accessible in the majority of supermarkets. In contrast, the smart trolley is highly advanced, costly, and scarce due to its high

   manufacturing costs.

   This intelligent cart utilizes RFID technology. A unique kind of radio technology called radio frequency identification makes use of radio waves to automatically detect and track material things at distances ranging from a few inches to hundreds of meters. For identifying reasons, the transponder and reader are used together. Every RFID tag has a distinct identification code and is affixed to the object that has to be monitored or recognized. As a result, the item gains identity and uniqueness. When a tag is in the reader's range, the RFID reader continuously transmits electromagnetic waves, also known as radio waves, to the tag, which then responds with a feedback signal. The reader recognizes the tag based on the feedback signal, and consequently recognizes.

2. LITERATURE REVIEW

   Bedi HS, Goyal N, Kumar S, Gupta – Smart trolley using smart phone, Barcode Scanner. Customers Smartphone acts as the barcode scanner. Information can be encoded in a machine-readable visual pattern using a barcode. On their smartphone, customers have a mobile application. The barcode has several zebra strips in the colors black and white. The barcode will be decoded by the smartphone camera as it approaches, and the Arduino Uno will then be able to read it via the Bluetooth module. Every barcode has a distinct identification and provides comprehensive details about the goods. It is simple to create a barcode [1]

   Amna Khamis, Salim Al – Hakmani , Ajitha Sajan – Design and Implementation of a Smart Shopping Trolley Using RFID Technology.This paper focuses on the design and implementation of a Smart Trolley Shopping in supermarkets to solve difficulties of customers whilst waiting in queues for billing. The trolley is designed to develop market services and make them modern, healthy and easy to use. The remote controls the movement of the trolley automatically and reduces the load on the client during pulling the trolley. [2]

   Omera Musahaf Ahemad Inamdar – The paper titled "IoT Based Smart Trolley for Auto Billing" proposes a Smart Trolley system utilizing Raspberry Pi and RFID technology to automate the billing process, enhancing the shopping experience by reducing checkout times and providing real- time expense tracking. [3]

   Tanmay Shukla, Poorvi Shrivastava, Prachi Takke, Prof. Madhuri Ghuge – RFID Based Smart Trolley Nowadays, in mall for purchasing variety of items it requires trolley. Every time customer has to pull the trolley from aisle to aisle for

   collecting items and at the same time customer has to do calculation of those items and need to compare it with his budget in pocket. After this procedure, customer has to wait in queue for billing. So, to avoid the hustle like pushing trolley, waiting in billing queue, thinking about budget, we have developed a project on the concept that is SMART TROLLEY. In todays world, for automation of mall we are developing an IoT based TROLLEY which is totally automatic. It helps the customer while purchasing items. [4]

   Wozniak, M., Krishnaswamy, D., Callegari, C., Takagi, H., Prasad, N. R., Que, X., … & Sandhu, R. – Automated Shopping Cart. With the hardware and software interfaced together, the customer can add or remove items from the cart as needed. With the membership card provided, he can recharge the card and complete the payment for a successful and speedy transaction, ending the customer's waiting time near the billing counter. The basic idea of this project is to maximize the amount of time that customers spend in shopping malls. To achieve this, the billing system is added to the cart itself. [5]

   Maurya, S., Sahu, G., Yadav, A., Shukla, B., Agrawal, G., & Kumar, N. The IoT-Based Smart Shopping Trolley System. When a consumer enters a shopping center, they first grab a trolley. Each last trolley has an RFID and a scanning tag attached to it for each user. When a consumer purchases an item, the framework work is the moment when the customer must inspect the item with the assistance of standardized tags that are available in each item using an RFID specific to each user. That obtained item can then be placed inside the cart. The cost of the purchased item is deducted and saved in the Arduino/framework memory while the customer is inspecting the item. [6]

   Manikandan T, Mohammed Aejaz M.A, Nithin Krishna N.M Mohan Kumar A.P. RFID Based Advanced Shopping Trolley for Supermarket Using RFID technology to create a unque representation of every goods in a market makes buying easier. This might be accomplished by installing an RFID reader in a shopping trolley that is managed by a microcontroller to scan and load each product. Each new customer will receive a personalized RFID-based customer card with all the information needed to identify them as well as the previous recharge amount. In addition, infrared sensors are fitted to alert the user in the event that they inadvertently dump items into the cart without first scanning. The cart has a sliding door that opens upon each product scan and is powered by a DC motor for added security. [7]

   Athauda, T., Marin, J. C. L., Lee, J., & Karmakar, N. C. Robust low-cost passive UHF RFID based smart shopping trolley. Retailers are often interested in low cost mechanisms to maintain stocks as well as for tracing products across the supply chain in an efficient and effective manner. In addition, shoplifting is another concern faced because of the lack of effectiveness in product tracing technique such as barcode used in retail super markets. AmazonGo a smart retail layout which was introduced by Amazon, to address above issues was found to be inefficient due to the over dependency of system based on historical purchased patterns of consumers. In this paper, we propose a low-cost, robust, passive UHF RFID based shopping trolley system which allows tracing and processing shopping data in real time. The

   UHF antenna mounted shopping trolleys are defined Smart Trolleys while shopping items are tagged using UHF RFID tags with unique identification codes. [8]

   Wani, A., Thakur, K., Vaze, N., Vadhel, M., & Advirkar, R.. RFID based intelligent trolley system using ZigBee. Purchasing and shopping at big malls is becoming daily activity in various cities. There is big rush at these malls on holidays and weekends. People purchase different items and put them in trolley. After completion of purchases, one needs to go to billing counter for payments. At billing counter the cashier prepare the bill using bar code reader which is very time consuming process and results in long queue at billing counter. In this project, we implement the automatic goods carrier navigation and the billing system in the shopping malls. The structure of the goods carrier consists of the robotic structure and keypad which is used to navigate the robotic goods carrier along the particular way. The keypad is used to give the commands to the controller where the robotic carrier has to move on. Keypad has the inbuilt product code reader. The use of product code reader is to read the bar codes of all products to define the name and price of the products. Depending on the signal from the reader, the controller displays the name and price of the each product by using the LCD display. The wireless billing system is made up of the Wi-Fi communication module. A load cell has been attached so that even if the RFID is not read, the weight of the product is also been measured. If there is more weight without the signal from product code reader, then there will arise an alarm or error message in billing system. [9]

3. METHODOLOGY

   1. Hardware Requirements:

      The Arduino Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is a versatile, open-source platform used for programming Arduino boards. Leveraging the programming languages C and C++, this software allows for the development and uploading of code to Arduino boards. Available for Windows, macOS, and Linux, the Arduino IDE makes it accessible for a wide range of users. The ATmega328 microcontroller on the Arduino board executes the code and stores it in the flash memory.

      Fig.1. Arduino UNO Fig.2. Bread Board

      Fig.3. IR Sensor Fig.4. Ultrasonic sensor

      Fig.5. Servo Motor Fig.6. Motor Drive

      Fig.7. RFID Reader Fig.8. RFID Tag

      Fig.9. OLED Fig.10. Jumper Wires

   2. Block Diagram:

      Fig.11. Block Diagram of Smart Trolley using RFID

      Tagging: RFID tags are equipped with an antenna for communicating with RFID readers and a microprocessor for data storage.

      Readers: RFID readers, which can be handheld or stationary, are responsible for reading the information stored on the tags. Ranges of Frequencies: The choice of frequency depends on several factors, such as the reading range, data transfer speed, and environmental conditions.

      Communication Protocols: The standard protocols for High-Frequency (HF) RFID are ISO/IEC 14443, while for Ultra-High-Frequency (UHF) RFID, the EPC Gen2 protocol is used.

      Method of Identification: When prompted, the RFID tag responds by transmitting its unique ID and sometimes additional stored information.

      Data Processing: After receiving the data from the tag, the RFID reader processes it accordingly.

      Fig.12. Working model of Smart Trolley using RFID

      Working Description:

      • Proximity Detection: When a person comes within a range of 5 to 20 cm from the ultrasonic sensor, the sensor reads the analog value, triggering the motor that drives the back wheels to advance.

      • Left Side IR Sensor Activation: When the left side infrared (IR) sensor's value reaches 1, motors M2 and M4 are activated.

      • Right Side IR Sensor Activation: When the right side IR sensor's value reaches 1, motors M1 and M3 are activated.

   3. Process Flow Chart:

      • Right IR sensor connected to analog pin A0 of Arduino Uno

      • Left IR sensor connected to analog pin A1 of Arduino Uno

      • Trigger pin connected to analog pin A2 of Arduino Uno

      • Echo pin connected to analog pin A3 of Arduino Uno

      • OLED VCC to Arduino 5V

      • OLED GND to Arduino GND

      • OLED SDA to Arduino Analog Pin A4

      • OLED SCL to Arduino Analog Pin A5

      • RFID VCC to Arduino 5V

      • RFID GND to Arduino GND

      • RFID RX to Arduino Digital Pin 2

      • RFID TX to Arduino Digital Pin 3

        Fig.14. Circuit Connection of Smart Trolley

        Fig.13. Flow Chart of Smart Trolley using RFID

        • Scan Product: Begin by scanning a product attached with an RFID tag.

        • Tag Scanned: If the tag is successfully scanned, the lid of the container or system opens.

        • Display Product Details: The details of the product are displayed on a screen.

        • Check Addition/Removal: The system checks whether the product is being added or removed.

          • Product Added/Removed: If so, the total amount is updated by either adding or subtracting the product's cost, and the updated details are displayed.

          • No Product Added/Removed: If no product is added or removed, the total amount remains unchanged.

        • Loop: This loop continues until no more items need to be added or removed.

        • End Process: The process ensures accurate tracking and updating of product details and concludes once no further items are to be added or removed

   4. Circuit Connection and Description:

   Fig.15. Circuit Connection of RFID

   Fig.16. Circuit Connection of Smart Trolley and RFID

4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

   • When the RFID tag is brought close to the RFID reader, the reader scans the tag, and the OLED display shows the message Start Shopping

     Fig.17. OLED screen dislay of Smart Trolley

     • As items are scanned, the smart trolley's OLED screen dynamically updates to display both the number of items scanned and their corresponding costs

       Fig.18. Number of items scanned and its respective costs are displayed in OLED

     • As items are being scanned, the top lid of the trolley automatically opens and closes with the help of a servomotor. This automated lid operation ensures easy access for adding items while providing a seamless and efficient shopping experience

       Fig.19. Top Lid view of Smart Trolley

     • The trolley uses an ultrasonic sensor to detect human movements and follows them accordingly. The direction of the trolley is controlled by infrared (IR) sensors. When the left IR sensor is triggered, the trolley's M1 and M4 wheels automatically change direction. Similarly, when the right IR sensor is activated, the M2 and M4 wheels adjust their direction. This system ensures smooth and responsive navigation of the smart trolley

   Fig.20. Direction changes in Smart Trolley the help of IR sensor

5. CONCLUSION

   Shopping often involves long checkout lines, resulting in wasted time. This project introduces a "Smart Trolley" equipped with RFID technology to transform the shopping experience. The trolley scans items and displays their costs instantly, effectively removing the need for checkout lines. Additionally, it features a "follow-me" function utilizing ultrasonic and IR sensors, eliminating the hassle of pushing heavy carts. The Arduino software ensures easy programming of the system. By integrating RFID tags with Arduino, the smart trolley streamlines the shopping process, saving time and effort. This innovative trolley is energy-efficient, reliable, and cost-effective, making it a perfect solution for the future of shopping

6. FUTURE ENCHACEMENT

   In the future, this work can be enhanced by incorporating an automated billing system and buzzer alarms to detect unscanned items, making shopping more secure and efficient for consumers. By adding these and more smart features to the system, it is important to focus on cost-efficiency to ensure that the smart trolley system remains accessible to everyone. This approach will not only enhance the shopping experience but also make the technology more affordable and widespread.

7. REFERENCES

1. Bedi, H. S., Goyal, N., Kumar, S., & Gupta, A. (2017). Smart trolley using Smart phone and Arduino. Journal of Electrical & Electronic Systems, 6(2), 1-3.

2. Al-Hakmani, A. K. S., & Sajan, A. (2019). Design and implementation of a smart shopping trolley using rfid technology. Journal of Student Research.

3. Omera, Musahaf, Ahemad, Inamdar. (2024). 1. IoT Based Smart Trolley for Auto Billing. Indian Scientific Journal of Research in Engineering And Management, doi: 10.55041/ijsrem31654.

4. Shukla, T., Shrivastava, P., Takke, P., & Ghuge, M. (2019). RFID Based Smart Trolley. IJSART, 5(3).

5. Wozniak, M., Krishnaswamy, D., Callegari, C., Takagi, H., Prasad, N. R., Que, X., … & Sandhu, R. (2015). Advances in computing, communications and informatics (ICACCI).

6. Maurya, S., Sahu, G., Yadav, A., Shukla, B., Agrawal, G., & Kumar, N. (2023, June). The IoT-Based Smart Shopping Trolley System. In 2023 International Conference on IoT, Communication and Automation Technology (ICICAT) (pp. 1-6). IEEE

7. Manikandan, T., Aejaz, M., Krishna, N. N., Kumar, A. M., & Manigandan, R. (2017). RFID based advanced shopping trolley for super market. Journal of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, (8).

8. Athauda, T., Marin, J. C. L., Lee, J., & Karmakar, N. C. (2018). Robust low-cost passive UHF RFID based smart shopping trolley. IEEE journal of radio frequency identification, 2(3), 134-143.

9. Wani, A., Thakur, K., Vaze, N., Vadhel, M., & Advirkar, R. (2015). RFID based intelligent trolley system using ZigBee. The International Journal of Science and Technoledge, 3(3), 144.