Design and Experimental Evaluation of an Integrated RF–PIR-Based Warehouse Access and Utility Control Prototype

Access and utility control systems are manually operated and maintain by human beings in small and medium-sized warehouses. This research proposes the design and test of a prototype access and utility control system built on radio frequency (RF), passive infrared (PIR) sensing, and an Arduino-based controller. The system uses vehicle-associated RF detection and PIR presence confirmation for access-control actions; along with independent motion-activated lighting and ultrasonic water-level monitoring with automatic pump control. Wireless communication was used to detect a registered vehicle at designated access area, and an HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor was used to estimate the water level in a laboratory-scale tank. The control system was coordinated using non-blocking timing to coordinate the activation of access, lighting and water-level controls. The experimental testing included RF binding distance measurements, access-control actuation tests, lighting response measurement, water-level control trials, and sensor fusion operation. The mean RF binding distance and the detection rate at the gate, door, window, light was 0.205m, 0.1027m, 0.09m, 0.10m and 100%, 87%, 79%, 92% respectively. The water-level controller operated with nominal switching thresholds of 20% and 95%, with a reported average time of 51.1 s. In this study, it was tested whether low-cost wireless detection, motion sensors, and utility monitoring could be implemented in a lab-scale prototype of access and utility control for a laboratory-scale warehouse control.