Design, Implementation and Evaluation of IR-Based Tagging System for RTLS

Real time location system (RTLS) technologies are being widely used to automatically identify and track the location of objects or people. Such technologies such as UWB tags, passive/active RFID tags, IR tags and WiFi tags are helpful in improving the accuracy and reducing the inspection time to automate the inventory control process. Since most of RTLS technologies make use of already crowded radio or microwave spectrum it is imperative to explore the use of infrared tags for such applications. IR tags offer many advantages like using simple technology, reducing false-positives due to their inherent room confinement features and electromagnetic interference free wide spectrum. In this paper a novel, effective and low cost real time location system utilizing IR tags for the application of inventory control is presented. The system is designed, tested and analysed keeping range, field angle, ambient light interference, time consumption and accuracy as performance metrics.