RF-based Locating of Mobile Objects

Abstract

Misplaced items in retail stores lead to inaccurate inventory assumptions, unsatisfied customers, lost sales and lower revenues of up to 10%. Real-time Locating Systems (RTLS) however, offer a solution to locate items in a defined space such as a retail store. The RTLS market offers a vast number of available solutions and technologies. Analysts forecast a strong growth of the RTLS market. Unfortunately the majority of users -- especially in retail -- are still waiting for cheaper offerings. Locating based on passive RFID is a promising low-cost approach for retail applications. This paper describes the current state-of-the-art in RTLS and shows a use-case of locating garments in retail applications.