Poster: An Exploration Into Tracking the Use of Consumer Goods with RFID
Gustavo Berumen, Anthony Brown, Martin Baumers, Joel E. Fischer · 2021
Smart consumer goods have the potential to positively impact consumers by providing support in areas of great concern, such as helping to reduce waste and promote healthy eating, so tracking their use is essential for the development of their enhanced versions. To explore how we could track the use of these products, we tested a prototype of a radio-frequency identification system (RFID) that detects interactions by recording obstructions to the signals of sensors attached to consumer goods. We tested the system using items associated with the preparation of a cup of tea. Our system was highly reliable in detecting interactions; however, it was imprecise in estimating their durations. We discuss how further development of the proposed RFID system, including improvements in the collection and classification of the signal, could lead to be a viable method for tracking the use of consumer goods and help incorporate a layer of ‘smartness’.