The Application of RFID Smart Tags in Vending Machines
The application of RFID smart tags in vending machines primarily enables automatic payment and inventory management through contactless identification technology, with the following core functions and advantages:
1. Technical Implementation Principle
Label Embedding and Recognition
Each product is embedded with a UHF RFID tag (storing a unique ID and product information). When customers place the items in the checkout area, the reader activates the tags via electromagnetic waves and reads the data in batches, enabling the identification of over 100 items within one second
Smart Access Control and Contactless Payment
When customers leave the store, the smart access control system triggers the RFID reader to automatically scan the items. The system calculates the purchased goods by tracking the reduced number of tags and completes the deduction process without any manual intervention
II. Core Advantages
Efficiency Improvement: Recognition rate exceeds 99.9%, with cashier speed increasing 4 times compared to traditional scanning (e.g., a supermarket's transaction rate rises from 3 orders per minute to 12 orders)
Cost Optimization: Labor costs reduced by 45%, repeat purchase rate increased to 58%
Experience Upgrade: Supports simultaneous checkout for multiple items, reducing customer wait time by 80%
III. Typical Application Scenarios
Unmanned retail kiosk
The UHF antennas installed on all four sides of the cabinet read product tags in real time, enabling "instant purchase upon opening and automatic charging upon closing."
Smart Replenishment and Inventory Management
RFID tags enable real-time inventory monitoring, automatically triggering replenishment requests to reduce stockouts or overstocking issues.
IV. Challenges and Improvement Directions
Label Cost: Further reduction in the price per label is necessary for widespread adoption
Privacy Protection: It is necessary to enhance data encryption technology to prevent the leakage of customer consumption information
RFID technology is driving unmanned retail toward an intelligent direction characterized by "precise identification + seamless payment + data closed-loop."