Smart Shopping: Design of an Automated Cart System using EM-18 RFID Reader Module
Abstract
Long checkout lines and manual billing are still common problems in traditional stores. This paper presents a smart shopping cart system that uses an EM-18 RFID reader module to automate product identification and billing. Each product is represented by an RFID tag, and the cart shows product details and prices on an LCD display. The bill updates automatically when products are added or removed. Customers can remove products by pressing a button and scanning the product again. They can also view the online bill summary using the cart’s displayed IP address. After shopping, checkout is completed by scanning an admin RFID card, and payment is made through the web interface. The prototype uses a NodeMCU ESP8266, EM-18 RFID reader module, RFID tags, LED indicators, a push button, a buzzer, and an LCD display. Tests show the RFID reader module detects RFID tags from about 8 to 10 cm away, and the system updates product information and the total bill amount as products are added or removed. Using RFID helps reduce checkout time and makes shopping more efficient through automated billing and web-based payment.
Authors: Divanshu Jain, Pranab Roy, Debajyoti Pal, Niyati Soni, Akbar Khan