This paper presents a methodical design and prototyping of a passive European ultra‐high frequency (UHF) band radio frequency identification (RFID) transponder. The transponder has a 70 × 17 × 0.3 mm3 copper antenna whose design is based on the folded dipole architecture and utilizes techniques such as meandering and end loading to match a Texas Instruments (TI) UHF‐RFID chip through a T‐match feeding network. The tag's simulated and measured performances indicate good coverage of the entire UHF band with a return loss better than 10 dB. The transponder was then fabricated using inexpensive off‐the‐shelf materials and its performance was tested. The proposed tag achieved good gain, read range, and cost efficiency when compared with current folded dipole antennas and can be easily adapted for various applications such as supply chain, access or security, and vehicle identification.

Communication these days has taken a huge turn to depend extremely on the internet. Software such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and the general social media receive about a billion active users. This demonstrates how most communication has relied on the internet. However, this approach does not serve well under some conditions. Firstly, places without internet access suffer greatly from multimedia messaging. They are either unable to initiate a conversation at all or suffer a relatively slower user experience even when they message people in close proximity. Furthermore, the cost incurred in messaging people over these platforms with people nearby could be avoided should the communication be over a local area network rather than depending on the services of an Internet Service Provider. This project investigates the design and implementation of an efficient communication system for devices near each other that relies on any local area network that a particular device is connected to. Such targeted networks include mobile Wi-Fi and cable connections. This work designed and implemented a Local Area Network based Messaging Platform, capable of working on all local networks regardless of being cable or wireless. The system is extensible, allowing for a node to re-broadcast the network onto other networks it might be connected to and works without internet access, allowing the sending and sharing of text and media files.

Energy control systems have, over the years, experienced significant transformation due to technological innovations. Its importance has led to the development of a few models to realize home automation and resolve energy wastage. Wise use of electricity helps a nation become more energy-efficient, reduces the environmental impact, saves money on the electricity bills, and keeps the nation's electricity supply more reliable. This paper presents a prototype design to reduce electricity wastage in Ghanaian homes and offices. A Global System for Mobiles (GSM) module is used for receiving short message service (SMS) from the user's mobile phone that automatically enables the controller to take any further action such as to switch ON or OFF the home electrical appliances like light, air-conditioner, fan, etc. The system is activated when the user sends the SMS to the microcontroller. Upon receiving the SMS command, the microcontroller unit automatically controls the home electrical appliances by switching ON or OFF the device accordingly. A system prototype was developed and tested successfully. The system provides an effective mechanism to aid the efficient utilization of power in a developing country such as Ghana.

Supermarket shopping is an essential part of the livelihood of most people around the world. Consumers can acquire items essential for their daily activities. However, in an ever-evolving world with an increasing population and increasing crime rates, supermarket theft is becoming a prevalent problem with supermarket owners spending large sums of money on hiring security often with little effect. Organized Retail Crime (ORC) costs the retail industry approximately $30 billion each year, with 71.3% of retailers reporting an increase in ORC year-over-year. With the current global economic conditions, high labor costs are longer feasible. Consumers also face the issue of paying for items they did not select. Advanced camera systems, for some, may be an escape however, this approach is not feasible for all aspects of shopping and in underdeveloped countries that have technical constraints. The advent of digitization has helped improve the livelihood of consumers in Ghana. Currently, many large-scale retailers are oblivious to some of these advancements. The oblivion of the management of such retail services results in the loss of products, customer dissatisfaction and the mismanagement of untracked products by employees. To reduce theft and the mismanagement of products by employees, a smart antitheft system should be deployed in supermarkets; at the till and before the exit of supermarkets to ensure all products leaving the store are paid for and accounted for. The system consists of a deactivation and theft detection system. The product is deactivated by the store attendant at the till when the customer pays for the product. However, if a customer crosses the initial warning zone without paying, a warning sound is triggered and after the customer crosses the final warning zone, the alarm is triggered indicating an attempted theft by the customer. A log of products is also kept ensuring employees are not stealing products. This paper presents a smart way of detecting theft during supermarket shopping using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) readers and tags, microcontroller-based control system, a database server and an Integromat