Team Inventory Insights:

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Published February 16, 2025

Grp_4_EepFinalProject

We help stores reduce food waste with RGB expiry tracking and shelf analytics for a better inventory plan.

ExpertProtipOver 4 days24

Things used in this project

Hardware components

M5Stack FIRE IoT Development Kit (PSRAM 2.0)

M5Stack Mini RFID Unit RC522 Module Sensor

M5Stack Time-of-Flight (ToF) VL53L0X Laser Ranging Unit (MCP4725/)

M5Stack I2C Hub 1 to 6 Expansion TCA9548A Module

Software apps and online services

M5Stack Uiflow

This served as the primary platform for developing and programming our code.

discord

We utilized Discord for collaboration, file sharing, idea exchange, and communication through calls.

EMQX MQTT Broker

This is the MQTT broker we used to transfer our information

Node-RED

MQTT client with web dashboard

Hand tools and fabrication machines

Cardboard

Scissors, Free Fall

Hot glue gun (generic)

Tape, Electrical

milk bottles

Story

Story: Tackling Food Waste

Food waste is a massive global issue, with millions of tons of perfectly edible food being discarded yearly. Supermarkets and small shops, like mama shops, contribute significantly to this problem due to expired or nearly expired products that go unnoticed until it’s too late. Shelves are often overstocked without proper tracking, leading to unsold goods being thrown away, adding to landfills and harming the environment.

Our project aims to change that by providing an efficient solution. We help stores identify expired or soon-to-expire products ahead of time, using RGB visuals to make recognition easy at a glance. Additionally, we track product sales per shelf, enabling better inventory planning to reduce unnecessary overstocking. With these tools, stores can take proactive measures, such as moving products to discount sections before expiration, bringing them to elderly centres and selling the expired items to animal farmers, ultimately cutting down waste, saving costs, and promoting sustainability.

By making food expiration visible, trackable, and manageable, we’re creating a smarter, greener future for businesses and the planet. 🌍♻️

Research & Background :

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/unsold-but-not-unwanted Last year, FairPrice stores alone generated 2, 940 tonnes of food waste. Other major chains like Sheng Siong and Dairy Farm Group, the latter of which runs Cold Storage and Giant Supermarket, declined to say how much food waste they generate yearly.
https://one5c.com/food-waste-supermarkets-136944209/ Of the 5 million tons of grocery store waste thrown every year, ReFED says about 30% of the wasted food goes straight to the landfill, causing land wastage and pollution
https://wooshi.sg/waste-not-want-not/ Supermarkets often keep their shelves well-stocked to generate excitement and interest, even if supply outweighs demand. This increases the likelihood of purchases being made, but at the end of the day, that untouched food has to be thrown away due to its perishable nature.

Block Diagram

overall block diagram

Design Implementation

Sensors and ports used

FlowChart

BlockyCode

BlockyCodeDisplay output

ProjectDemo on youtube

Main M5 Stack code

from m5stack import *
from m5ui import *
from uiflow import *
import wifiCfg
from m5mqtt import M5mqtt
from libs.json_py import *
import unit


setScreenColor(0x141414)
rfid_0 = unit.get(unit.RFID, unit.PAHUB0)
tof_2 = unit.get(unit.TOF, unit.PAHUB1)


sold = None
previousstockleft = None
stockleft = None



label0 = M5TextBox(10, 37, "Product Name:", lcd.FONT_DejaVu18, 0xb9b9b9, rotate=0)
label2 = M5TextBox(51, 59, "Text", lcd.FONT_DejaVu40, 0xFFFFFF, rotate=0)
label3 = M5TextBox(10, 103, "Expiry Date:", lcd.FONT_DejaVu18, 0xb9b9b9, rotate=0)
label4 = M5TextBox(139, 103, "Text", lcd.FONT_DejaVu18, 0xFFFFFF, rotate=0)
label5 = M5TextBox(10, 128, "Expiry Status:", lcd.FONT_DejaVu18, 0xb9b9b9, rotate=0)
label6 = M5TextBox(153, 128, "Text", lcd.FONT_DejaVu18, 0xFFFFFF, rotate=0)
label7 = M5TextBox(28, 67, "Text", lcd.FONT_DejaVu24, 0xff0000, rotate=0)
label8 = M5TextBox(165, 37, "Milk", lcd.FONT_DejaVu24, 0x009cff, rotate=0)
image0 = M5Img(104, 174, "res/milk smal.jpg", True)
image1 = M5Img(126, 174, "res/milk smal.jpg", True)
image2 = M5Img(147, 174, "res/milk smal.jpg", True)
label9 = M5TextBox(28, 184, "Stock Left:", lcd.FONT_Default, 0xFFFFFF, rotate=0)
label10 = M5TextBox(28, 217, "Total Sold:", lcd.FONT_Default, 0xFFFFFF, rotate=0)
label11 = M5TextBox(230, 217, "Text", lcd.FONT_Default, 0xFFFFFF, rotate=0)
label13 = M5TextBox(110, 217, "Text", lcd.FONT_Default, 0xFFFFFF, rotate=0)
title0 = M5Title(title="INVENTORY INSIGHTS", x=10, fgcolor=0x000000, bgcolor=0xff601c)

from numbers import Number




wifiCfg.doConnect('TP-Link A', '93800589@tt')
m5mqtt = M5mqtt('', 'broker.emqx.io', 1883, '', '', 300)
m5mqtt.start()
sold = 0
previousstockleft = 0
while True:
  if (rfid_0.readUid()) == '60f1d4f3d':
    label2.setText('$4.00')
    label4.setText('16/2/25')
    label0.show()
    label3.show()
    label5.show()
    label7.hide()
    label8.show()
    label9.show()
    label10.show()
    label11.show()
    label13.show()
    label6.setText('Far from Expiry')
    rgb.setColorAll(0x33ff33)
  elif (rfid_0.readUid()) == 'e0db1e4f6a':
    label2.setText('$3.00')
    label4.setText('10/2/25')
    label0.show()
    label3.show()
    label5.show()
    label7.hide()
    label8.show()
    label9.show()
    label10.show()
    label11.show()
    label13.show()
    label6.setText('Close to expiry')
    rgb.setColorAll(0xffff00)
  elif (rfid_0.readUid()) == '204144f7f':
    label2.setText('Not for Sale')
    label4.setText('6/2/25')
    label0.show()
    label3.show()
    label5.show()
    label7.hide()
    label0.show()
    label8.show()
    label9.show()
    label10.show()
    label11.show()
    label13.show()
    label6.setText('Expired')
    rgb.setColorAll(0xff0000)
  else:
    label7.setText('Scan Valid Product')
    label0.hide()
    label0.hide()
    label2.hide()
    label3.hide()
    label4.hide()
    label5.hide()
    label6.hide()
    label8.hide()
    rgb.setColorAll(0x000000)
  if (tof_2.distance) < 65:
    stockleft = 3
  elif (tof_2.distance) > 75 and (tof_2.distance) < 90:
    stockleft = 2
  elif (tof_2.distance) > 105 and (tof_2.distance) < 190:
    stockleft = 1
  elif (tof_2.distance) > 200:
    stockleft = 0
  if stockleft < previousstockleft:
    sold = (sold if isinstance(sold, Number) else 0) + 1
  if stockleft == 3:
    image0.show()
    image1.show()
    image2.show()
  elif stockleft == 2:
    image0.show()
    image1.show()
    image2.hide()
  elif stockleft == 1:
    image0.show()
    image1.hide()
    image2.hide()
  elif stockleft == 0:
    image0.hide()
    image1.hide()
    image2.hide()
  previousstockleft = stockleft
  label13.setText(str(sold))
  label11.setText(str(tof_2.distance))
  m5mqtt.publish(str('m5stack/test2'), str((py_2_json({'sold':sold}))), 0)
  m5mqtt.publish(str('m5stack/test2'), str((py_2_json({'id':(rfid_0.readUid())}))),0)
wait_ms(2)

Grp_4_EepFinalProject