International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR)

ISSN: 2319-7064
ResearchGate Impact Factor (2018): 0.28 | SJIF (2018): 7.426

RFID Based Smart Trolley Using IOT

Manan Rao
Abstract: Even though E Commerce has grown exponentially in the past few years, sales made from retail still account for around
85% of the total sales made. Among the difficulties faced by customers, one difficulty is to line up in a queue to follow through with the
billing process. Though their intent is just to buy one or two products, waiting to bill products consumes time and also inconvenient
these days as people live in a busy environment. The goal is to develop technology that can meet all the needs of the customer while
simplifying the billing process and saving the time of the customer. The proposed method is to have the customer directly process
products and bill them in the trolley instead of waiting in a queue for long periods of time. The customers have to add the products after
a short scan in the trolley and when they’re done, the amount will be displayed in the trolley. The customer can also log in to the app
which will display the list of all the products added and their amount. Once done, the customer can pay digitally through the app; thus,
cutting down on the time that would be otherwise spent in long queues and relieve them from the tediousness of scanning barcodes.

Keywords: RFID, trolley, ESP8266, ATMEGA328P, ionic framework

1. Introduction for data processing. However, there are a few key differences
between the two. Barcode usually requires a barcode reader
The dynamic growth and the advent of new and exciting to visually register the code in order to obtain information,
development in the field of IoT (Internet of Things) have while in the case of RFID, the use of radio waves as a means
paved the way for unique ways of using technology in a lot of recording data means that no line of sight is required.
of fields. Wireless communication combined with radio and RFID has automatic tracking enabled and allows new
frequency sensing gives a whole new dimension to the way information to be updated from time to time while the
people interact with devices and use them in their daily barcode scanning requires one to manually track the data and
routine. has no provision for updating records. RFID overcomes the
drawbacks posed by barcode system which also include
Nowadays, supermarkets and shopping complexes have durability issues.
become so commonplace, that they are no longer a luxury
afforded only by urban cities. They have expanded beyond The aim here is to create a system that combines the
the domain of big cities and ventured into rural areas as convenience of RFID tags and wireless sensing with a simple
well. Anybody can go to these stores and buy products that and easy tracking system that allows customers to purchase
they need, but they are not entirely convenient, especially products without the hassle of waiting in queues. The
when a customer has to wait for hours in queues on busy customer simply has to put a product in the trolley and let the
days. reader scan the product for information. By fitting the trolley
with a touch-enabled LCD that can display product
information, it also gives us a feasible system of providing
the customer with all the information like manufacturing
date, expiry date, price, etc. which proves to be useful when
making the decision to buy an article.

The system allows a customer to scan the items and the

trolley automatically updates the total cost and bills the
customer. It also has the provision of setting a budget, which
when exceeded, sounds an alarm, as well as the removal of
products and their cost from the total bill if a person deems it
unnecessary. The system is built such that billing information
is sent to a central server in real-time using the ESP8266 wifi
Figure 1: The proportion of total sales occupied by in-store module which tracks all the shopping trolleys and allows the
sales client to log into the integrated app to track purchase and
make payments digitally on the spot. The ease of
In recent times, the RFID technology has been developing functionality, versatility, and adaptability of the RFID
rapidly and we’re seeing its applications in a variety of enabled shopping cart makes it a state of the art system for
industries, from employee ID cards being scanned in the shopping. On completion of the customer’s shopping, he/she
office to the issuing of books in libraries. RFID stands for will press the button present on the trolley, which will lock it
Radio-Frequency Identification, where information is through the help of a servo motor installed on the trolley to
digitally encoded into tags which can be used to uniquely provide security and prevent theft and the final bill will be
identify a product. The RFID tags are generally captured generated.
using radio waves and the captured data is stored into a
database. 2. Literature Survey
The RFID tags are somewhat similar to the traditional In [1], the authors have developed a smart shopping cart
barcodes in their purpose and functionality, as they are used fitted with facial recognition and information retrieval

Volume 8 Issue 11, November 2019

www.ijsr.net
Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY
Paper ID: ART20202364 10.21275/ART20202364 190
 International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR)
ISSN: 2319-7064
ResearchGate Impact Factor (2018): 0.28 | SJIF (2018): 7.426
features. They have also used an automated billing system b) Proposed Framework
to avoid queues during checkouts to provide a comfortable Our proposed method of billing is simple, stable as well as
shopping experience with the integration of the Internet of reliable. Customers don’t have to wait in queues for getting
Things into the cart for a smart system that assists the billed. They can easily pay online through our app, thus
customers. saving them time. Also, we provide our trolley with security
by locking it with the help of servo motor once the shopping
In [2], the authors succeeded in implementing a low budget, is completed. As RFID tags don’t work on the line of sight
smart and fully functional system to make the experience of technology, no product can be put inside the trolley without
shopping convenient and comfortable for customers. They being scanned. Also, as a backup, a security check is done at
made use of RFID technology because of its efficient the door. Another advantage of our project is that we have
tracking capabilities and security features. The system used ionic framework to develop our app, which enabled us
deployed features like setting a budget, product addition, to provide users with app compatibility with all three formats
and removal, recommendation, as well as addition and i.e, Android, Ios and Windows. Hence, our customers won’t
deduction of the cost of the product depending upon its just be limited to Android users.
presence in the cart.

The authors of [3] devised a smart shopping trolley by

installing RFID readers on the trolley which were
connected to a centralized server using a mode of wireless
communication known as ZigBee. It facilitated automatic
bill generation on scanning the products, which was
transmitted to a central department for billing. The
drawback of this system was that it only allowed payments
over the counter which compromised on user experience.

In [4], the authors created a concept model which made use

of RFID tags fitted on the products as well as ZigBee to
transmit bills to a central server. The drawback here is
again, the lack of alternative options for payment of bill as
opposed to the traditional counter payments. The worker is
supposed to collect the bill once the customer is identified,
which leads to the customer waiting in queues.

In [5], the authors conceptualized an advanced shopping

trolley, wherein each trolley had an RFID reader and RFID
tags were present for each product. Once the product is
scanned, the information is displayed on the LCD screen to
show all product related information to the consumer. The
aim was to help customer evade long queues but it also
posed the disadvantage of possible thefts as well as
collisions. Figure 2: Flow of control of the proposed framework

The authors of [6] accomplished in creating a centralized 4. Methodology

system for automatic billing. Every trolley was fitted with
a Product Identification Device(PID) containing an RFID a) Trolley Cart Design
reader, LCD, EEPROM, a microcontroller and ZigBee The methodology that we propose is based on the idea of
Module for wireless transmission. The biggest advantage of creating an automatic billing system while shopping made
this system was that enabled the customer to go cashless, possible using RFID assisted by other IOT based
thus, successfully implementing a method to avoid queues. technologies. All the products in the shopping malls or
supermarkets are provided a unique RFID tag instead of a
3. Approach barcode. Each shopping trolley has its own setup which
contains an RFID reader, a servo motor along with a door,
a) Problem Statement ESP module, a push button to make payments or cancel
The current system involves a large amount of manual orders, and an LCD screen to display all information related
handling on the part of the customer. It helps in tracking to the item.
and identification of trolleys, which is useful for the
● Micro-controller: ATMEGA is an 8-bit microcontroller
management of the shop but does nothing for the customer.
chip that delivers high performance at a low cost. Based on
It does not provide a feasible solution to reduce the time
AVR-RISC core for microprocessors, it combines its read-
spent by the customer in the store, mainly while standing in
while-write ability with a flash memory that clocks in at
line for billing and payment. This is because of a lack of
32KB, giving users complete control over the versatile
alternative mode of payments and collision issues as signals
applications of the chip in multiple areas. The RISC
are easily intercepted. The main drawback is the lack of
architecture ensures a quick execution of programs and the
satisfaction and ease of use on the part of the customer.
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www.ijsr.net
Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY
Paper ID: ART20202364 10.21275/ART20202364 191
 International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR)
ISSN: 2319-7064
ResearchGate Impact Factor (2018): 0.28 | SJIF (2018): 7.426
ability of the chip to be used in extreme temperatures
makes it one of the most popular controllers. It can be
easily operated at 1-1.5 Volts.
● RFID Tags: Each tag is fitted with a microchip that is
used for storing the number as well as a coil which is
used as an antenna for the radiation of information
through radio-frequency waves. Depending on whether
the kind is active or passive, it may or may not be
equipped with a power source. Active tags have their
own battery which they use to operate the circuitry and
emit electromagnetic ways to generate a current in the
antenna. Passive tags have no battery of their own and
function by drawing power from the RFID reader and
have a lower cost when compared to active tags. When
the tag makes contact with the coverage range of RFID
reader, the reader transmits radio-frequency waves to the
tag which emits the waves back to the reader for the
identification of an article. Figure 4: Circuit Diagram
● RFID Reader: Each trolley is reinforced with an RFID
reader, and the type of reader that is used is RFID- b) Mobile App Design
RC522. It is a low-cost RFID reader which can also write The app functions as a smart way of integrating the manual
data into the tags if required and can be directly loaded system of RFID enabled shopping cart with the seamless user
into the reader module for modulation and demodulation experience offered by an integrated app. All the product
of signals. It operates at 13.6 MHz frequency and can related information that can be displayed on the touch-
operate wirelessly and handsfree in any environment enabled LCD screen fixed in the smart shopping cart can be
making it a suitable choice as an RFID reader for a accessed on the app as well with a simple tap. The home
supermarket trolley. It also supports encryption screen of the app is designed to be as accessible and simple to
techniques and algorithms and error detection in modules use as possible. At the first prompt, it asks whether the person
for a reliable experience. logging in is a user or an admin. Both the options redirect to
● LCD Display: A 16X2 LCD touch-enabled LCD screen vastly different pages embedded inside the app, one for
is used for displaying the information. The LCD screen admin and the other for user, each offering features specific
can display a multitude of alphanumeric characters and to the category.
graphics on its screen. It is connected to the I/O port of
ATMEGA328P chip and can display information in real
time.
● ESP8266: A low cost and highly integrated solution to
connect wirelessly, this microcontroller is powered by a
32-bit Tensilica Microprocessor, which makes it possible
for it to consume minimum battery resources. The WiFi
stack, as well as the Real Time Operating System, allow
the user to use 80% of the power for program processing
and application development. It is a highly durable,
compact and is able to operate for long hours on a single
battery, making it suitable for a portable device like a
smart supermarket trolley.
● Servo Motor: The servo motor here functions as a part
of a mechanism to secure the products once a purchase is
made, to prevent the case of thefts and enable a security Figure 5: Home page of the integrated app.
feature. It is a simple device used to precisely control the
angular rotation, acceleration, velocity, or linear position. The admin login page consists of a simple login that asks one
The sensors are used to measure the rotation at every to enter the User ID and password in order to sign in to the
point and control its motion. admin account.
● Push Button: It functions as a simple switch that
performs a function like payment and cancellation when
it is pressed upon. It sends high voltage electrical signals
on feedback generated from the user to set a task in
motion. The Payment button is used to display the total
cost of all the items in the trolley, that were scanned
using either the screen or the app. The Cancel button
resets the total value to default i.e. NIL.

Volume 8 Issue 11, November 2019

www.ijsr.net
Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY
Paper ID: ART20202364 10.21275/ART20202364 192
 International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR)
ISSN: 2319-7064
ResearchGate Impact Factor (2018): 0.28 | SJIF (2018): 7.426
c) Implementation
Our proposed method works on two-way server interaction. It
makes the job of the staff easier as they can update the price
of any product easily by updating it on the server which will
get reflected on the RFID tags. This makes it eco-friendly too
as printing and paper wastage on the barcode and at times of
discounts to update prices is prevented.

Once the customer gets a trolley and logs in or signs up to the

app, he/she can start scanning products into their trolley.
Every product scanned will be sent to the server and the app
with the help of ESP module and if the customer wishes to
remove the product, he/she can scan it again and it will be
removed from both the server as well as the cart in their app.
Once the customer is done with their shopping, they can
Figure 6: Admin login page for updating RFID tags press the payment button installed on the trolley, which will
lock it to provide for security, so that more products cannot
Features that an admin can use on the app: be added during the payment process. The app will now show
the summary of the products purchased, with their price and
1) An admin can check the database of users at any point the discounts offered, and will then redirect you to online
in time. payment using a debit/credit card. The customer can now
2) The admin can also add or remove the users from the head straight to the exit doors where the RFID tags can be
database or modify their details. removed and can now be reused.
3) The admin can check the total bill generated by all users
and track the mode of payment. 5. Analysis
4) Admin can also track carts and purchases.
A system based on RFID technology that could replace the
The User Login page, on the other hand, is a little different; traditional barcode system was successfully established. The
as it also has a glaringly visible ‘Sign Up’ button located at barcode system had various drawbacks including the strict
the bottom in addition to the usual login features. The Sign- requirements on line of sight and its need to be placed in one
Up button takes the user to a page that requires the personal particular boundary while scanning, not to mention the issues
information of user like their name, contact details, and a concerning its durability and inability to update information.
password to create an account. Once the account is created, The only constraint that RFID scanning is known to have is
the user can log in and access the smart shopping features the distance and range coverage. RFID tags are durable and
of the app. allow constant update of information as well as a rewrite of
data to account for changes. They can also operate in extreme
temperature conditions and are not susceptible to physical
wear and tear or damage under water.

This makes the process reliable, flexible and adaptive. The

door fixed along with servo motor ensures that until the
payment is done, no unscanned product is placed inside the
trolley. The availability of multiple modes of payment
through digital wallets or bank accounts ensures that every
single penny is paid for and prevents the occurrence of penny
scams.

The proposed project is feasible as it is built on technology

that already exists. We have improved it by eliminating the
Figure 7: Customer Login Page on the app long waiting time of queue at the time of billing, secured it by
locking after completion of shopping and made the app
Features that a customer can use on the app: available to all customers using the ionic framework. The
only drawback would be that it would fail if the server is
1) A customer can view the product information on the app down for any reason.
before making the decision to buy an item.
2) The user can modify the cart by adding or removing
References
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Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY
Paper ID: ART20202364 10.21275/ART20202364 193
 International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR)
ISSN: 2319-7064
ResearchGate Impact Factor (2018): 0.28 | SJIF (2018): 7.426
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Paper ID: ART20202364 10.21275/ART20202364 194