Contactless shopping cart automation using RFID tags with security and inventory management during pandemic diseases outbreak

Shopping malls are typically teeming with intense purchasing activity; however, long queue lines can be extremely time- consuming and may cause fatigue from pushing trolleys and waiting for payment processing. These challenges are particularly burdensome for the elderly, individuals with disabilities, pregnant women, and nursing mothers. During the pandemic, interacting with people in crowded malls became a major issue. To address these problems, a self-sustaining shopping cart was developed. As a customer adds items to the cart while moving, the system automatically generates a bill, requests payment, and updates inventory in real-time using a database. The design features an ATmega328 microcontroller with 32 KB ISP flash memory, an RFID reader, a WiFi module, and a 20 x 4 alphanumeric LCD screen. RFID tags are attached to products, and the billing process is managed using XAMPP, an open-source cross-platform software. The ESP8266 WiFi module transmits payment and product information to the original database. A dedicated webpage is also available for user interaction. This system integrates technologies from the Internet of Things and networking to ensure seamless data transfer from sensors to the database, enabling efficient and automated billing.