A Framework to Determine Secure Distances for Either Drones or Robots Based Inventory Management Systems

Budi Rahmadya,Kenichi Kagoshima,Masahiro Umehira,Ran Sun,Shigeki Takeda

doi:10.1109/access.2020.3024963

Abstract

We propose a framework to determine a secure distance between a drone with an ultrahigh-frequency band radio frequency identification (UHF band RFID) reader and metallic objects affixed with RFID tags. The secure distance avoids order changes in received signal strength indicator (RSSI) values among the identified RFID tags in the field of view of the RFID reader. This distance enables a drone operator to securely operate the drone while identifying the RFID tag on the front of an object based on the measurements of RSSI values. An RFID tag located on the front of an object provides the maximum RSSI value. However, multipath propagation alters the RSSI values. Therefore, a framework is needed to determine a secure distance considering the multipath effects. Although inventory management systems based on drones and RFID systems have been proposed to date, this article establishes a framework to determine the secure distance. In the proposed framework, RFID tag and reader radiation patterns and multipath propagation effects were considered. The proposed framework was evaluated theoretically and experimentally. To evaluate and demonstrate the secure distance, we measured the RSSI values of two RFID tags attached to a metallic balcony. The height from the ground and spacing of the two RFID tags were 1.5 m and 1.3 m, respectively. In this environment, the secure distance was 3.8 m. The experimentally obtained distance that avoids order changes in RSSI values corresponded well with that obtained by this framework. The proposed secure distance is crucial when either drones or robots are introduced to inventory management systems.

Highlights

Mobile devices such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones are increasingly gaining popularity because they can be operated with remote controls
In this article, a framework is proposed to obtain a secure distance between a drone and an RFID-tag-affixed metallic object in automated warehouse inventory management systems
The secure distance is defined to avoid order changes in received signal strength indicator (RSSI) values among the identified RFID tags presented in the field of view of the RFID reader

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Mobile devices such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones are increasingly gaining popularity because they can be operated with remote controls. B. Rahmadya et al.: Framework to Determine Secure Distances for Either Drones or Robots Based Inventory Management Systems management systems, compact RFID reader antennas are in demand because the drone needs to carry the RFID reader. Many compact RFID reader antennas have been proposed in [31]–[34], and they are effective in drone-based inventory management systems because compact and lightweight RFID readers are required, as mentioned above. Dual-band RFID integrated circuit (IC) and card-type antennas have been developed in [35] and [36] Because these RFID tags can communicate with both UHF RFID and near-field communication (NFC) readers, the use of these thin and compact RFID tags is effective in inventory management systems. Many inventory management systems based on drones and RFID systems have been proposed to date, this article establishes the framework to determine the secure distance. The RFID tag and reader radiation patterns and multipath propagation effects were considered

APPLICATION EXAMPLES

EXPERIMENTAL VALIDATION OF THE PROPOSED FRAMEWORK

CONCLUSION