Cost-Effective and Low Power IoT-Based Paper Supply Monitoring System: An Application Modeling Approach

IoT designers face the dual complexity of obtaining good application-level performance and user satisfaction under constraints on computing and power resources. We introduce a new IoT device for paper roll supply management in bathrooms and kitchens, both for homes and businesses, that is extremely cost effective and battery power-efficient. The device can be installed on practically any paper roll dispenser and makes use of existing Wi-Fi infrastructure. Despite Wi-Fi’s reputation as “unsupportive for power saving,” we introduce and experimentally validate a methodology for using Wi-Fi networks with low power utilization, resulting in a system that provides very good management of paper supplies while only requiring battery charging once every 3–4 months. The new device has the potential to provide more households and businesses with real-time, data-driven automated supply chains