IoT-Based Inventory Monitoring System for a Science Laboratory Store-Room in a Nigerian Tertiary Institution Using ESP32 and RFID

International audience Accurate inventory management remains a persistent challenge in small warehouses, due to reliance on manual or semi-manual processes that are prone to errors, delays, and inefficiencies. Although there are automated systems of inventory, they are too expensive and complicated to implement by small-scale operations. This research was centred on designing and implementing an affordable Internet of Things (IoT)-driven inventory tracking system. Using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology and a microcontroller, a tracking system was developed. Experimental optimization of RFID detection was used to maximize system efficiency, while Taguchi’s Design of Experiment approach was used to improve system reliability. Control variables were identified and tested with L9 orthogonal array. Detection rate was chosen as a continuous response variable and tested with the Larger-the-Better signal-to-noise ratio. The system comprised of an RFID reader (RC522), ESP32 IoT gateway, and a web dashboard, which displayed in real-time, synchronized database, and generated alerts. Reader-tag distance and tag orientation were identified as control variables. Experimental findings established that the reader-tag distance is the most important condition that affects the reliability of detection, it adds more than 83 percent of the variability found, and that tag orientation plays a secondary role. It was also found that the best setup was when the reader and the tag were at the same distance of 1 cm and the tag was in its 0 degree position. The results support the claim that the low-cost HF RFID systems when systematically optimized can provide a reliable inventory tracking in small warehouse facilities.