MUMBAI, India, May 1 -- Intellectual Property India has published a patent application (202641026329 A) filed by Srm Valliammai Engineering College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, on March 6, for 'rfid-based smart cart for contactless billing and navigation.'
Inventor(s) include Mr. S. Venkatesh; Nivethithadevi B; Tholkappiyan S; Balaji P; and Nallamuthu S.
The application for the patent was published on May 1, under issue no. 18/2026.
According to the abstract released by the Intellectual Property India: "The present invention aims to create an RFID-based smart cart system that can be used to achieve contactless billing and autonomous cart navigation in retail environments. This invention is meant to reduce congestion at checkout counters, eliminate the need to scan barcodes, and offer convenience to the user through the integration of automatic product identification and human-follow cart mobility without the need to maintain internet connectivity at all times. The system comprises two major functional blocks: the embedded control unit ofthe smart cart and the product identification unit. This unit comprises an Arduino-based microcontroller, an RFID reader module, an ultrasonic sensor with servo motor assistance, a motor driver circuit, a display interface, and a power supply unit. Each product is provided with an RFID tag that carries information such as the product's ID and price. Once the product is placed in the cart, the RFID reader detects the tag and sends the information to the microcontroller to calculate the bill in real-time. In addition to the automated billing, the system has a navigation control using ultrasonic distance sensors. The cart continuously monitors the position of the user and adjusts its movement by controlling the motors, which allows the cart to follow the human without any physical interaction, i.e., hands-free. The system operates independently, without requiring cloud connectivity, GPS, or high-speed communication, making it well-suited to dynamic environments. The invention of the . . automated billing system using contactless billing, along with the navigation control, reduces the time taken to check out, minimizes the chances of human error, makes the system more accessible to the elderly and physically challenged, and makes the system more cost-effective as a smart retail automation system."
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
