Localization of pallets in warehouses using passive RFID system

Abstract

Warehouse operation has become a critical activity in supply chain. Position information of pallets is important in warehouse management which can enhance the efficiency of pallets picking and sortation. Radio frequency identification (RFID) has been widely used in warehouse for item identifying. Meanwhile, RFID technology also has great potential for pallets localization which is underutilized in warehouse management. RFID-based checking-in and inventory systems have been applied in warehouse management by many enterprises. Localization approach is studied, which is compatible with existing RFID checking-in and inventory systems. A novel RFID localization approach is proposed for pallets checking-in. Phase variation of nearby tags was utilized to estimate the position of added pallets. A novel inventory localization approach combing angle of arrival (AOA) measurement and received signal strength (RSS) is also proposed for pallets inventory. Experiments were carried out using standard UHF passive RFID system. Experimental results show an acceptable localization accuracy which can satisfy the requirement of warehouse management.

Keywords

warehouse management / radio frequency identification (RFID) / localization / tag phase

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