SMART ASSISTIVE TROLLEY

Abstract

This project presents an innovative Smart Assistive Trolley System designed to revolutionize in-store shopping by enhancing convenience, accessibility, and customer engagement. Using an STM32F microcontroller, the trolley combines multiple technologies to create a guided and interactive shopping experience. Key features include RFID-based product scanning, which automatically registers items placed in the trolley and updates a virtual cart in real time, eliminating the need for manual barcode scanning. This feature not only simplifies the shopping process but also allows customers to keep track of their purchases more easily. The system is equipped with obstacle detection through ultrasonic and infrared sensors, ensuring safe navigation in busy aisles. By detecting obstacles in real time, the trolley can autonomously slow down or stop, alerting the customer if necessary, thereby preventing collisions and improving in-store safety. The trolley also features line-following navigation, than navigating through crowded spaces. For real-time positioning, the trolley integrates an Indoor Positioning System (IPS) using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) or Ultra-Wideband (UWB) beacons, which enables accurate sectioro-based guidance. This system helps the trolley determine its location within the store, allowing customers to receive precise, step-by-step directions to specific sections or products. To make navigation accessible for diverse audiences, the Multi-Language Voice Assistance provides these instructions in various languages, enhancing usability for non-native speakers and visually impaired shoppers alike. In addition to navigation, the trolley provides location-based assistance that displays relevant information based on the shopper's proximity to different store sections. As customers move through various areas, the system can show helpful details such as aisle descriptions, sectionspecific. This integration of automated product tracking, multilingual guidance, precise positioning, and real-time promotions makes the Smart Assistive Trolley a versatile and intuitive assistant, significantly improving the in-store experience for a wide range of customers.

Specification

DESCRIPTION
This project presents a Smart Shopping Trolley system that leverages the STM32F
microcontroller to enhance in-store shopping with advanced automation, user accessibility,
and dynamic navigation. Key features include RFID-based product scanning for seamless
item recognition, obstacle detection through ultrasonic and infrared sensors for safe mobility,
and a I inc-following mechanism that keeps the trolley on designated store paths. Additionally,
an Indoor Positioning System (IPS) powered by Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) or UltraWideband
(UWB) beacons precisely locates the trolley within the store, allowing efficient,
section-specific navigation. To improve usability, the trolley integrates a Multi-Language
Voice Assistance system, guiding customers to specific sections and products with real-time
instructions and recalculated routes if they deviate. These features, create a smart, accessible,
nnd intuitive shopping assistant, enhancing the overall shopping experience.
BACKGROUND ART
In recent years, technological advancements have profoundly infiuenced the retail
sector, reshaping customer expectations and in-store experiences. Traditional shopping often
involves challenges like locating products in large stores, handling unwieldy shopping carts,
and navigating crowded aisles. With the rise of loT and automation, retailers seek innovative
solutions to streamline the shopping journey, improving accessibility and engagement for
diverse users, including non-native speakers and visually impaired customers. This project
addresses these needs by developing a Smart Assistive Trolley that combines RFID scanning,
obstacle detection, line-following technology, and Indoor Positioning Systems with a Multi-
Language Voice Assistant. This cutting-edge trolley transforms the shopping experience,
guiding users effortlessly through stores, ensuring product accessibility, and enabling a more
personalized, user-centered approach to in-store retail.
NOVEL SYSTEM AND METHOD:
This Smart Assistive Trolley introduces a novel method to transform in-store
shopping with integrated automation, real-time positioning, and multilingual assistance for
an accessible, efficient, and intuitive experience. The system uses RFID-based product
scanning to detect and register items as they are placed in the trolley, automatically updating
the virtual cart and eliminating the need for barcode scanning. To ensure safe mobility in
crowded store environments, obstacle detection via ultrasonic and infrared sensors allows
the trolley to detect obstacles, adjusting speed or stopping when necessary, and alerting
customers to prevent collisions. A line-following navigation mechanism enables the trolley
to autonomously follow store-designated paths, allowing customers to navigate easily
through different sections. For precise (UWB) beacons to triangulate its location within the store, enabling real-time navigation
updates and efficient section-specific guidance. Integrated with a Multi-Language Voice
Assistance system, the trolley provides turn-by-turn audio instructions in the user's preferred
language, guiding them to desired store sections and products. Users can interact with the system through a mobile app, requesting directions or product locations, with the IPS and
voice assistant recalculating and adjusting guidance if deviations occur. This seamless
integration of guidance and promotions enhances user engagement and potentially boosts
sales for store managers. The system's intelligent navigation also includes route recalculation
in case of temporary aisle closures, ensuring an uninterrupted shopping experience. By
offering support for visually impaired and non-native speakers, the trolley promotes
accessibility for a wide range of users. Through this combination of automation, real-time
interaction, and personalized assistance, the Smart Assistive Trolley serves as an adaptable,
user-friendly solution, transforming the retail environment into an interactive and efficient
shopping ecosystem
We claim,
I. A system for automatic product recognition m a shopping trolley usmg RFID
scanning to update a virtual cart in real time.
2. A smart trolley with obstacle detection using ultrasonic and infrared sensors,
3. An Indoor Positioning System (IPS) with BLE or UWB beacons to provide real-time,
section-specific trolley navigation with route recalculations.
4. A multilingual voice assistance feature in a shopping trolley that offers turn-by-turn
novigation to enhance accessibility.
5. A method for providing context-aware information to shoppers based on their realtime
location within the store, such as nearby product categories or store sections.

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