Caution: tagged tools may begin reporting their whereabouts
*** project dossier // one shed // searchable presence ***

Smart Inventory Presence Pilot

RAIN RFID at the edge. LoRa between structures. A searchable host that answers the useful question.

TAG TOOL ✦ ENTER SHED ✦ READER SEES TAG ✦ LOCAL STATE UPDATES ✦ LORA PACKET MOVES ✦ HOST ANSWERS “WHERE IS IT?” ✦
PROJECT_BRIEF.TXT
Single-shed proof of concept // documented hardware first

Make inventory answerable.

The Smart Inventory Presence Pilot tests whether tagged tools can be reliably associated with the shed that currently contains them, without requiring conventional internet service at every structure.

Each tool receives a passive UHF RAIN RFID tag. A reader station watches the shed, a local controller converts repeated tag sightings into a stable presence state, and a LoRa link carries that state to a searchable host.

THE HONEST VERSION: This is not indoor GPS and it does not promise the exact shelf, corner, or toolbox drawer. The pilot asks a narrower and more useful question: Which shed currently contains the tool?
USEFUL_QUESTION.EXE

What the system should answer

inventory@host:~$ find "miter saw"
RESULT: Miter Saw // PRESENT // SHED-01
LAST CONFIRMED: 08:42:16
READER CONFIDENCE: stable across 7 scan cycles

inventory@host:~$ find "cordless drill"
RESULT: NOT CURRENTLY CONFIRMED IN ANY SHED
LAST KNOWN: SHED-01 // 2026-07-27 17:31

inventory@host:~$ list --shed SHED-01
RESULT: 18 tagged objects currently present_
SYSTEM_ARCHITECTURE.SYS

From tagged tool to searchable answer

01

Passive tag

A UHF RAIN RFID tag is attached to each tool or inventory object.

02

Read zone

The circularly polarized antenna illuminates the shed and receives tag responses.

03

Edge logic

The local controller filters duplicate reads and decides whether a tag is stably present.

04

LoRa packet

Presence changes and periodic summaries travel between the shed and the host.

05

Searchable host

A Raspberry Pi stores the index and answers searches by tool name, tag, or shed.

                         SMART INVENTORY PRESENCE PILOT

  +---------------------------- SHED-01 -----------------------------+
  |                                                                  |
  |   [tagged tools]  )))  [TAC-060 circular antenna]                |
  |                               |                                  |
  |                    [SparkFun M7E Hecto reader]                    |
  |                               |                                  |
  |                    [ESP32 / LILYGO T-Beam]                        |
  +-------------------------------|----------------------------------+
                                  |
                              LoRa link
                                  |
                                  v
                     +--------------------------+
                     | Raspberry Pi host        |
                     | inventory presence index |
                     | search / query layer     |
                     +--------------------------+

  Internet may be intermittent. Local presence data remains the primary job.
SELECTED_HARDWARE.CSV

Chosen stack

The project deliberately favors documented integration and repeatable testing over maximum theoretical range.

LAYER SELECTED COMPONENT ROLE IN PILOT
RFID reader SparkFun M7E Hecto UHF RAIN RFID reader Interrogates passive tags and supplies documented control access for repeatable testing.
Antenna Thinkify TAC-060 IP67 circularly polarized antenna Creates a practical read zone while reducing orientation sensitivity.
Edge controller ESP32-class controller Filters reads, maintains local presence state, and manages the reader station.
LoRa transport LILYGO T-Beam Carries shed summaries and state changes toward the host without depending on Wi-Fi coverage.
Host Raspberry Pi Stores the inventory index and exposes the human-readable search layer.
Tags Passive UHF RAIN RFID tags selected by object surface and shape Give each tool a durable machine-readable identity.
Fabrication Tough PLA, enclosure hardware, mounts, wiring, and power components Turns bench electronics into a serviceable field installation.
PILOT_SCOPE.DIR

One shed before a network of sheds

Physical test environment

One approximately 10 × 10 foot shed containing tagged tools, shelving, metal objects, changing orientations, and the ordinary clutter that makes RFID testing honest.

Initial inventory set

A representative mix of hand tools, power tools, cases, and difficult tag surfaces. The goal is diversity of object behavior, not an artificially easy demonstration.

Presence logic

Repeated reads create confidence. Missing reads create a timed decay rather than an immediate disappearance, reducing false exits caused by orientation, obstruction, or momentary RF shadow.

Communication test

LoRa carries small inventory-state packets between the shed and host. The pilot measures useful delivery, recovery after interruption, and whether the system stays understandable.

PROOF_BOUNDARIES.NFO

What success means

✓ The pilot can prove

Whether the selected reader and antenna can maintain useful presence awareness in a real shed; whether LoRa can move that information reliably; and whether a person can search by tool name and receive an understandable shed-level answer.

✕ The pilot does not claim

Exact indoor coordinates, guaranteed reads through every metal obstruction, forensic chain-of-custody, anti-theft tracking outside the read environment, or flawless identification without careful tag placement and tuning.

FIELD RULE: A narrower system that answers one real question reliably is more valuable than a spectacular demo that quietly changes the question.
TEST_PLAN.CSV

How the prototype earns confidence

  1. Bench integration. Establish reader control, tag enumeration, antenna connection, and repeatable logging.
  2. Tag selection. Compare tags across plastic, metal-adjacent, cased, curved, and handled objects.
  3. Read-zone mapping. Measure useful detection from likely antenna positions and identify persistent blind areas.
  4. Presence filtering. Tune entry confirmation, exit delay, duplicate suppression, and confidence scoring.
  5. LoRa transport. Send compact state updates, interrupt the link, restore it, and verify reconciliation.
  6. Human query test. Ask ordinary inventory questions and verify that answers are fast, clear, and operationally useful.
  7. Field endurance. Leave the pilot running long enough to expose heat, power, interference, reset, and enclosure problems.
PILOT_VALUE.TXT

Single-shed pilot value

SMART INVENTORY PRESENCE PILOT
$1,500
Pilot value includes the RFID reader, antenna, tags, controller, LoRa nodes, Raspberry Pi host, enclosure, power, wiring, fabrication materials, assembly, software integration, test planning, and pilot documentation.
COST AREA INCLUDED PILOT WORK
RFID edge Reader, antenna, passive tags, cabling, mounting, and read-zone testing.
Control and transport ESP32/LILYGO integration, LoRa state messaging, and link recovery behavior.
Host layer Raspberry Pi index, inventory records, and basic search/query interface.
Fabrication Enclosures, brackets, wiring, power distribution, and three rolls of tough PLA budgeted at $55 each.
Documentation Installation notes, test results, limitations, and recommendations for a multi-shed phase.
BUILD_STATUS.LOG

Current project state

[READER] SELECTED: SparkFun M7E Hecto chosen for documented integration and repeatable testing.

[ANTENNA] SELECTED: Thinkify TAC-060 circular antenna identified for the initial read zone.

[TRANSPORT] SELECTED: LILYGO T-Beam suitable for LoRa movement between shed and host.

[HOST] PLANNED: Raspberry Pi search layer and inventory index.

[ENCLOSURE] TO FABRICATE: serviceable housing, antenna mount, power layout, and field wiring.

[NEXT] BENCH TEST: connect reader, antenna, sample tags, and capture the first stable presence event.

curator@inventory:~$ locate --tool "miter saw" _

RETURN_PATH.URL

Return to the workbench.

The Smart Inventory Presence Pilot is one active file inside the Esoteric Workshop.

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