Long-Range RFID Indoor Positioning System for an Autonomous Wheelchair

A new Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) indoor positioning system (IPS) has been developed to operate in environments where the Global Positioning System (GPS) is unavailable. Traditional RFID tracking systems, such as anti-theft systems in clothing stores, typically work within close proximity to exit doors. This paper presents a novel RFID IPS capable of locating and tracking passive RFID tags over a larger area with greater precision. These tags, costing approximately EUR 0.10 each, are in the form of small stickers that can be attached to any item requiring tracking. The proposed system is designed for an autonomous wheelchair, built from scratch, which will be identified and monitored using passive RFID tags. Our new RFID IPS, with a 12 m range, is implemented in this "smart" wheelchair.