Journal of Multidisciplinary Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST)

ISSN: 3159-0040
Vol. 2 Issue 7, July - 2015

SMART REFRIGERATOR USING INTERNET

OF THINGS

Prapulla S B Dr. Shobha G Dr. Thanuja T C

Dept. of CSE, Dept. of CSE, VLSI Design and Embedded
RVCE, RVCE, systems, VTU,
Bengaluru, India Bengaluru, India Belgaum

Abstract—Intelligent appliances with multimedia Developing Smart Appliances is directly proportional

capability have been emerging into our daily life. to Developing Smart Home environment [1]. It is a
Thanks to the fast advance of computing critical factor in the realization of the smart home
technology and the wide use of the Internet, smart environment.
home is one of the most prominent areas of Kitchen is one of the most important place for a Smart
intelligent appliances. Kitchen is one of the places home as it consists of many Appliances which
where such intelligent appliances have been used. provides better services to the household [2]. The
The global market for industrial WSN is expected focus of our project is on the smart fridge. Many
to reach $944.92 million by 2020, at a CAGR of efforts in the development of the smart refrigerator
12.96% from 2014 to 2020. Existing systems used have been made, none of which has been energy
barcode or RFID scanning to keep track of the efficient or cost effective.
stock. The products currently available are The modern living and the fast paced environment
expensive as the user has to purchase the whole doesn’t allow the user to keep a track of the food
refrigerator. The Smart Refrigerator module is items inside the refrigerator.
designed to convert any existing refrigerator into Although efforts have been put by the industry to
an intelligent cost effective appliance using develop the smart refrigerator, the current or the
sensors .The smart refrigerator is capable of existing technology is still not cost effective or energy
sensing and monitoring its contents. The smart efficient. The technology is too complicated or
refrigerator is also able to remotely notify the user complex for a simple household user who have little
about scarce products via SMS (Short Message knowledge of how all the mechanism behind the smart
Service) and email. It also facilitates the purchase refrigerator works [3]. The internet connectivity at
of scarce items by providing a link of the online most of the places is still poor and there is limited
vendor of that particular item. Additional network connectivity i.e. either low internet speeds or
functionality includes the acknowledgement of a low support. The barcode is not uniform to record the
placed order in order to avoid the purchase of the essentials of the product that includes the expiration
same item by different users of the same smart date. The smart home environment or the networked
refrigerator. home doesn’t have enough security to protect the
The core functionality of the smart fridge, outflow of data from the house. The privacy of user
is to maintain, with minimum effort, an inventory and the house can be compromised by attackers.
list of food items which might want to be There is no unique operating system for remote
purchased as soon as they run out. As a result, device use to control the smart system. There is no
the user is notified every time three eggs are standard for the area, resulting products conforming to
used. The pressure sensor triggers a notification different specifications by different producers.
to user as soon as the applied pressure is below The smart refrigerator or the internet refrigerator as it
0.5 kg. LDR sensors monitor the containers in is called, is used to monitor the items inside it and
which liquids are sensed. The user notifies other notify about scarce products[2]. The idea of
users of the smart refrigerator about a placed connecting home appliances to the internet or the
order. smart home environment has been seen as the future
and is highly regarded as the next big thing.
Keywords—Keil software, smart refrigerator
using IoT A. State of the art development
By the late 1990s and the early 2000s, the idea of
I. INTRODUCTION connecting home appliances to the internet (Internet
Both Research and Industry have focused on the of Things) had been popularized and was seen as the
development of the Smart Home Environment For next big thing. In June 2000, LG launched the world's
example, more than 100 homes offering smart first internet refrigerator, the Internet Digital DIOS.
technology have been built in South Korea and Internet refrigerator (also known as Smart refrigerator)
another 30,000 were planned .Research has also is a refrigerator which has been programmed to sense
focused on developing smart homes for the elderly. what kinds of products are being stored inside it and

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 Journal of Multidisciplinary Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST)
ISSN: 3159-0040
Vol. 2 Issue 7, July - 2015

keep a track of the PC SERVER

stock through barcode or RFID scanning [4]. This kind

of refrigerator is often equipped to determine itself
whenever a food item needs to be replenished. This INTERFACING CKT

refrigerator was an unsuccessful product because the

SENSORS
consumers had seen it as an unnecessary product
and due to the high cost (more than $20,000) and that ROUTER

the problems solved were obscure. For example,

many juice bottles are transparent, providing a visual
reminder that a purchase is needed eventually;
vegetable drawers are similarly transparent and
contain items often removed from packages, thus
eliminating bar codes for inventory which meant BLOCK DIAGRAM
Figure 1.1: Block diagram of smart storage
manually keying in descriptions and dates[5].
Moreover, the ability of the device to remind users of
SENSORS: These field sensors are fitted in
upcoming purchases when there are often multiple
Refrigerator where bottles are stored, one for each
buyers in a household who communicate informally is
bottle. They are object sensors and if not found any
not typically addressable as a use case.
object in front of them, they produce NO Object signal
B. Problem Statement which is fed to Object Detector Unit for further
processing.
A hardware prototype is to be developed which OBJECT DETECTOR UNIT: This unit generates NO
senses the contents inside the refrigerator, triggers Object alert signal corresponding to field sensors
when the contents inside is below a certain threshold signal, which is server’s software format. This server
(set by the user). In case of scarce products, this understandable alert signal is fed to input port of
trigger is sent to the users mobile and eventually to server through suitable Interfacing stage. [Not shown
his email id through an android application. The in diagram]
message comes with information about the product INTERFACING STAGE: As server needs TTL
which is low on quantity inside the fridge and comes compatible level signals at its input port, suitable
with a predefined link which facilitates online interfacing stage must be introduced before feeding
purchasing. field signals directly to it to avoid any kind of damage.
C. Objectives PC: The Monitoring unit of this system has software
module in its memory, which will be always in
This paper is intended to have an operational model monitoring mode and scans its input port for any
which monitors the contents inside the refrigerator in update alert signal. If any such signal found, it
real time and generates a notification to the user in automatically deducts the blood bottle database for
case of any product which is low on quantity (as per one less. So after every pre-determined time interval
the threshold set by the user). Also this project this updated data base is further send to Server,
intends to facilitate online purchase of food items from where user/owner’s website is situated for other
online vendors and notify all the members of the customer’s information.
family if the order has been placed. SERVER: This unit keeps the retailer’s website in its
D. Methodology memory bank and allows retailer to access it from
The system comprises of 4 sections where the remote end and to other retailer’s customers through
sensors are placed[6] Light dependent Resistors router.
(LDR) sensors are placed along with a counter which POWER SUPPLY UNIT: This specially designed
can be used to sense the number of eggs inside the regulated power supply unit provides all necessary
refrigerator, Also they are used to detect the level of voltages to system for proper working.
milk and soft drinks in the container. The fourth SENSORS: These field sensors are fitted in
application is to sense the presence of vegetables in Refrigerator where bottles are stored, one for each
the refrigerator which is being done with the help of bottle. They are object sensors and if not found any
pressure sensors which has a threshold of 500gm object in front of them, they produce NO Object signal
approximately. Whenever the contents inside the which is fed to Object Detector Unit for further
refrigerator goes below the set threshold it generates processing.
OBJECT DETECTOR UNIT: This unit generates NO
a trigger which is being transmitted in the form of
message to the user . Object alert signal corresponding to field sensors
signal, which is server’s software format. This server
understandable alert signal is fed to input port of
server through suitable Interfacing stage. [Not shown
in diagram]

Organization of the rest of the paper:

Section 2 describes about the high level design and
specification, Section 3 briefs about the

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 Journal of Multidisciplinary Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST)
ISSN: 3159-0040
Vol. 2 Issue 7, July - 2015

implementation details, section 4 focuses on the sensors and new ways of communicating with the
various modules tested, Section 5 gives pictorial user. Current module supports a few essential
representation of the results and Section 6 concludes applications but it can be designed to meet the needs
the work and gives some information to carry out as of a particular user.
the future work. 1) User Interface Paradigm
The output is shown on a circuit board which
II. DESIGN AND SPECIFICATIONS consists of the smart refrigeration module. LED’s are
A. High Level Design placed at various places to indicate the flow of
execution. A buzzer is used to highlight a trigger by
any of the sensors.
This chapter discusses the High Level Design that
will be used in the development of the SRIOT (Smart 2) Error Detection and Recovery
Refrigerator Using IOT) module. This chapter lists the The possible source of error include replacing
techniques and approaches used during development of food items without using them. If the user extracts
of this module and also provides a detailed analysis. an egg from the tray and places it again at the end the
This module could be seen as a combination of module will detect the use of one egg which could to
smaller modules namely: lead to false notification. To recover from such an
1. Sensing module error, the module could be reset or a dedicated
2. Control module application could be implemented .
3. Transmission module
These modules work together to determine low 3) Data Storage Management
contents of a particular product inside the refrigerator Data storage management is essential to the
and notify the user about the scarce product via SMS efficient nature of the program. It must be ensured
(Short Message Service) or e-mail. that all dynamically allocated variables and objects
B. Design Considerations are efficiently de-allocated and cleaned up.

4) Communication Mechanism
This section addresses the issues that need The smart refrigeration module communicates with
to be resolved before attempting to devise a complete the users via a GSM (Global System for Mobile
design solution. communication) module.
1) General Constraints D. Design And Specification Of Smart Refrigerator
The following constraints must be kept in This section deals with the implementation
mind while developing the design. and design of the components used. For the first
● Power supply should be switched off when application i.e. detection of scarcity of eggs in the
module not in use refrigerator an LDR is combined with a counter to
● Module has to be installed such that there is keep track of the contents in the egg compartment. In
availability of strong network in order to notify this implementation as soon as 3 eggs are used, the
the user user is notified.
● The food items have to be placed in their The second and third application involves the use
respective slots. LDR sensors for sensing items inside the refrigerator
● The pressure sensor output has to be kept which are placed inside specific containers. Placing of
high. sensors is to be done according to the requirement of
● The design must be applicable any existing the user or threshold level required. The next
refrigerator application makes use of a pressure sensor. As
2) Architectural Strategies vegetables are measured according to weight and not
This section describes the design decisions size a pressure sensor is used to sense the scarcity of
and strategies that affect the overall organization of vegetables in a particular compartment. In this
the system and its higher-level structures. These implementation the threshold kept is around 0.5 kg
strategies will provide insight into the key abstractions
and mechanisms used in the system architecture. 1) Block diagram of smart refrigerator
3) Programming Language Figure 2.1 module needs two voltages viz., +12 V &
The programming language plays a major role in the +5 V, as working voltages. Hence specially designed
efficiency as well as the future development of the power supply is constructed to get regulated power
project. ‘embedded C’ was the effective option among supplies. A photo resistor or light-dependent
others to be chosen as programming language. resistor (LDR) or photocell is a light-controlled
C. Future Plans variable resistor. The resistance of a photo resistor
Figure 2.1 Block diagram of smart refrigerator
The successful completion of the module will
introduce many new possibilities that could be decreases with increasing incident light intensity; in
integrated with the existing system. The module can other words, it exhibits photoconductivity. A photo
be extended to include many new and advanced resistor can be applied in light-sensitive detector

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 Journal of Multidisciplinary Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST)
ISSN: 3159-0040
Vol. 2 Issue 7, July - 2015

circuits, and light- and dark-activated switching and program debugging in one single, powerful
circuits. environment[8].

Buffers do not affect the logical state of a digital signal The ARM7 ANSI Optimizing C Compiler creates re
(i.e. a logic 1 input results in a logic 1 output whereas locatable object modules from the C source code. The
logic 0 input results in a logic 0 output). Buffers are ARM Macro Assembler creates re locatable object
normally used to provide extra current drive at the modules from the LPC21XX assembly source code.
output but can also be used to regularize the logic The Linker/Locator combines re-locatable object
present at an interface. Drivers are used to drive the modules created by the Compiler and the Assembler
into absolute object modules[7]. The Library Manager
combines object modules into libraries that may be
used by the linker. The Object-HEX Converter creates
Intel HEX files from absolute object modules.

1) Development Tools

The Keil development tools for ARM offer

numerous features and advantages that helps to
quickly and successfully develop embedded
applications.It is easy to use and guarantees to help
and achieve the design goals. The µVision IDE and
Debugger is the central part of the Keil ARM
development tools. µVision offers a Build Mode and
a Debug Mode. In the µVision Build Mode the project
files are maintained and application is generated.
relay where the output is complement of input which is µVision uses either the GNU or ARM ADS/Real
applied to the drive but current will be amplified. View™ development tools[9]. In the µVision Debug
An electromagnetic device is used to drive the load Mode the program is verified either with a powerful
connected across the relay and the o/p of relay can be CPU and peripheral simulator that connects the
connected to controller or load for further processing. debugger to the target system.
A buzzer or beeper is an audio signaling
device, which may be mechanical, electromechanical,
or piezoelectric. Typical uses of buzzers and beepers The ULINK allows to download the application into
include alarm devices, timers and confirmation of user Flash ROM of the target system.
input such as a mouse click or keystroke. Indicator
provides visual indication of which relay is actuated 2) Create a Project
and deactivated, by glowing respective LED or
Buzzer. µVision includes a project manager which makes it
easy to design applications for an ARM based
III. IMPLEMENTATION microcontroller. One needs to perform the following
This section deals with the detailed description and steps to create a new project:
implementation of the various components and
pertinent connections to obtain the working model of  Start µVision and select the toolset
the Smart Refrigeration module.  Create a project file and select a CPU from
A. Hardware and Software Implementation the device database.
This section mentions the hardware and software  Create a new source file and add this source
used for implementation of the Smart Refrigeration file to the project.
module.  Add and configure the startup code for the
The hardware used for Smart Refrigeration module ARM.
are: Power supply unit, mono stable multivibrator,  Set tool options for target hardware.
electromagnetic relay, buffer driver and switching  Build project and create a HEX file for PROM
stage[7] programming.

The Keil Software LPC2148 development tools are IV. TESTING

programs that are used to compile the C code, Testing was done in a room with normal daylight. The
assemble the assembly source files, link and locate temperature during testing was recorded to be 260C.
object modules and libraries, create HEX files, and
debug the target program. µVision for Windows™ is A. Testing of the Sensor Module (Eggs)
an Integrated Development Environment that
combines project management, source code editing, The Egg Compartment is tested and test cases are
tabulated in the tables. The two tests performed were

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 Journal of Multidisciplinary Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST)
ISSN: 3159-0040
Vol. 2 Issue 7, July - 2015

to check whether a message is generated to the user the user. The test was successful. This test is done in
in case of the number of eggs go beyond three. order to notify other users in the family that the order
Unit test 1 was done to check if two eggs are lifted placed was successfully delivered. The LED which
from the compartment i.e. light is allowed to pass two was in the ON state goes to OFF state which gives an
times to the LDR sensors then no message should indication that the order has been received.
be generated.
V. RESULTS
Unit test 2 shows that the user will be notified when
the fourth egg is lifted from the compartment i.e. light This section shows the results.
is passed four times. As the value of the counter is
set to 3, the user gets a notification along with an A. Pictorial Representation of Results
option to purchase online.

B. Testing of the Sensor Module (Milk and Soft

drinks)
Unit test 3 was carried out to determine whether a
message will be passed to the user or not in case the
contents of the container go beyond the set level.
The LDR sensors can be placed at a certain level
and it acts as level sensors. When the contents go
below this set level a trigger is generated which is
sent in the form of message to the user. The test Figure : 5.1 Smart Refrigerator module
conducted was to check for Soft drinks and milk, As
milk and soft drinks are opaque and doesn’t allow Figure 5.1 depicts the smart refrigeration module. It
light to pass through it, LDR sensors are used as shows the LDR and the pressure sensors which is
level sensors in the container. connected to a 555 times to create a trigger. It also
shows the buffer, driver and relay which is connected
C. Unit Test of Sensor Module (Vegetables) to the micro controller which is further connected to
In unit test 4, the pressure sensors are tested for the GSM module. The LCD display confirms that the
the presence of vegetables in the refrigerator power supply is turned ON.
compartment. A trigger is only generated if the weight
inside the fridge’s tray will go below the threshold of
the pressure sensors which is appx.500gm. As the
weight falls below this level, the user is notified in the
form of a message.
D. Testing of order placed notification

The ORDER RCD keyword is a special keyword that

can be used by the user to inform all other users that
the order has been placed by him/her. The LED
should glow which shows that order has been
received by the vendor and also it is an indication to
the other users of the family that the order has been
placed.
E. Test of the Keyword “THANK YOU” Figure 5.2: System Ready

The LED should glow which shows that order has Figure 5.2 depicts the SRIOT module when it is ready.
been received by the vendor and also it is an After turning on the power supply we need to wait for
indication to the other users of the family that the the system to be ready for it to function properly. This
order has been placed. The keyword “Thank You” is is an indication that all the components are properly
used by the user to notify the user that the placed connected and working fine.
order has been delivered to the user. The test was
successful. This test is done in order to notify other
users in the family that the order placed was
successfully delivered. The LED which was in the ON
state goes to OFF state which gives an indication that
the order has been received.

The keyword “Thank You” is used by the user to notify

the user that the placed order has been delivered to

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ISSN: 3159-0040
Vol. 2 Issue 7, July - 2015

Figure 5.3: low on eggs

Figure 5.3 shows that the refrigerator has sensed for

low contents of egg. As soon as the count of the
Eggs inside the refrigerator goes below 3, the SRIOT
module confirms by displaying EGG on the display Figure 5.5 Message received on user's mobile
and sends this information to the user on his mobile
phone and email id. Figure 5.5 shows the screen shots of the messages
Similarly, the SRIOT module senses for the low received on the users mobile phone while testing the
contents of vegetables in the refrigerator by the various case of the SRIOT module.
pressure sensor as the weight on the sensor is below
the threshold level. The SRIOT module confirms by VI. CONCLUSION
displaying vegetables on the LCD display. This
information is further sent to the user in the form of an The Smart Refrigerator module is able to remotely
SMS and email. The SRIOT module has been notify the user about the low contents inside the
designed to sense for low contents of Soft drinks in refrigerator. It also facilitates purchase of the scarce
the refrigerator. It further confirms by displaying Soft food items from an online vendor. The link to the
drink on the LCD display. This message is then online vendor is incorporated inside the notification
passed to the user in the form of an SMS and email. that is sent to the user via SMS (Short Message
Service) and email. This module allows the user to
indicate a placed order and the other users to
acknowledge the placed order.

A. Future Work
The concept of smart fridge is far more
reaching than notifying the user about the contents of
the refrigerator. It should give importance on
maintaining a healthier lifestyle by providing the
Figure 5.3: Sending message to user about scarce food items
nutritional value of the contents. The future smart
fridge will use 'nano-articulated technology' shelf
Figure 5.3 depicts that the information gathered by
surfaces which, whilst smooth to the touch, will have
different sensors about the low contents inside the
millions of independently controlled micro-tiles which
refrigerator is sent to the user in the form of an SMS
will manoeuvre products which soon need to be eaten
with the help of the GSM module.
to the front of the fridge.
The fridge will also monitor gases released by
degrading foods and push these to the front of its
shelves.
Ultrasound-scanning technology built into the door will
allow the fridge to 'swipe and capture' the food on a
plate before and after mealtime, meaning it can
assess what type and amount of food is wasted.
The fridge of the future would then be able to cross
Figure 5.4: Link to online vendor included in the notification reference and act on reducing the ingredients used in
future meal suggestions and helping to minimize food
waste.
Figure 5.4 depicts the option for placing an order. If
the user wants to purchase any food item which is low ACKNOWLEDGMENT
on stock then he/she can do from an online vendor.
The SMS comes with the link of the online vendor Special thanks to Anmol Seth and Dixit Jaiswal for
which gives him/her an option to buy online their contribution in this work.

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 Journal of Multidisciplinary Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST)
ISSN: 3159-0040
Vol. 2 Issue 7, July - 2015

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