A method to identify a nearby object using a cell phone

Question

I need to know whether it is possible to identify an object in a proximity of about 3 meters , using a cell phone , preferrably without using additional hardware on the cell phone side . if the aforementioned hardware is indispensable , still , a cheap and easy to set up hardware would be acceptable for my project . And the said object could bear a tag such as an rfid tag .preferrably A passive rfid tag as it doesnt require power . Other options such as bluetooth, etc,... could also work . But , should not require regular charging or battery replacement . I have already done a bit of research and realize that this question is a tough one ...! But , I thought maybe someone could offer a solution or a workaround . Thanks in advance .

Answer 1

There is no clear option as there is no solution which matches 100% with your requirements.

• RFID (passive UHF):

  • Pros: No battery used
  • Cons: You'll need to use additional HW as smartphones can't detect RFID tags.

• BLE Beacons:

  • Pros: No need to additional HW
  • Cons: AFAIK all Ble Beacons are active, therefore you'll need to replace the battery every 2 years approximately (depends on set "Tx Power" and packet interval).

In my opinion you should go for BLE Beacons technology but it depends on the difficulty of replacing the battery regularly.

Hope it helps!