Our Projects

🏊 Pool Automation

CuePay - Smart Pool Table Management System

An IoT-powered pool table automation system that enables remote monitoring, M-PESA payment integration, real-time revenue tracking, and cloud-based dashboard management for bar and entertainment venue owners.

🎯 The Problem

Bar and entertainment venue owners struggle with:

• Manual coin/cash collection - Time-consuming and prone to theft
• No real-time visibility - Owners can't monitor table usage remotely
• Revenue leakage - Staff may under-report games played
• No payment integration - Customers must carry cash
• Maintenance issues - No alerts when tables need service

💡 Our Solution

Ardthon Solutions developed CuePay - a complete hardware + software solution:

• ESP32-based controller with servo mechanism for automatic ball release
• GSM module for M-PESA payment detection via SMS parsing
• WiFi connectivity for cloud synchronization every 15 seconds
• 16x2 LCD display showing games available, price, and battery status
• Cloud dashboard with real-time analytics, revenue reports, and remote commands
• Multi-device management - One dashboard for all tables across locations

🔧 Technologies Used

✅ Key Benefits

• 100% Cashless - Customers pay via M-PESA, funds go directly to owner
• Real-time Monitoring - View games, revenue, and battery from anywhere
• Fraud Prevention - Every transaction logged with unique IDs
• Revenue Analytics - Daily, weekly, monthly reports with peak hour detection
• Remote Control - Change game price, add games from your phone
• Low Maintenance - Battery monitoring and offline alerts
• Scalable - Manage 1 or 100 tables from one dashboard

Access CuePay Dashboard

🛒 Smart Retail IoT

Smart Trolley - RFID-Based Automated Shopping System

An intelligent shopping trolley system featuring RFID product scanning, automatic billing, M-PESA/card payment integration, loyalty program, and digital receipt generation - transforming the retail shopping experience.

🎯 The Problem

Traditional supermarket shopping faces these challenges:

• Long checkout queues - Customers waste time waiting at tills
• Manual barcode scanning - Cashiers must scan each item individually
• Pricing confusion - Customers unsure of running total while shopping
• Loyalty management - Paper cards easily lost or forgotten
• Receipt management - Paper receipts are wasteful and easily lost
• Theft prevention - Items can be removed without scanning

💡 Our Solution

Ardthon Solutions engineered the Smart Trolley - a complete in-trolley shopping system:

• RFID-based product scanning - Items auto-detected when placed in trolley (MFRC522 reader)
• 3.5" TFT touchscreen - Real-time cart display with quantity adjustment (MCUFRIEND_kbv)
• Automatic billing - Running subtotal, promotional discounts, and total calculation
• Multi-payment support - M-PESA via GSM, card payment via RFID, and cash options
• Loyalty program - RFID loyalty cards with points accumulation and redemption
• Digital receipts - SMS receipts sent directly to customer's phone via GSM
• Inventory database - 12 product categories stored in program memory (PROGMEM)
• Promotional engine - Automatic 10% discount on promotional items
• Battery monitoring - Real-time battery level display

🔧 Technologies Used

📊 System Architecture

The Smart Trolley operates through a state machine architecture:

• SPLASH → HOME → CART_VIEW → PAYMENT_METHOD
• Payment flows: MPESA_WAIT (SMS confirmation) | CARD_PAYMENT (RFID tap) | CASH (instant)
• LOYALTY_SCAN - Points redemption before payment
• SUCCESS → RECEIPT - Digital receipt via SMS
• HELP & SETTINGS - Customer support screens

✅ Key Benefits

• Queue-Free Shopping - Pay at the trolley, skip checkout lines entirely
• Real-Time Cart View - See running total, adjust quantities, remove items
• Multiple Payment Options - M-PESA, card, or cash at the trolley
• Automatic Discounts - Promotional items get 10% off automatically
• Loyalty Rewards - Earn and redeem points with RFID loyalty cards
• Eco-Friendly - Digital receipts eliminate paper waste
• Anti-Theft - Items tracked from scan to payment
• Customer Independence - Self-service shopping experience

📱 User Interface

The 3.5" TFT touchscreen provides an intuitive interface:

• Home Screen: Cart button, Pay button, Help, Settings, Clear Cart
• Cart View: Item list with + / - quantity and X remove buttons
• Payment Screen: M-PESA, Card, Cash, and Loyalty options
• M-PESA Wait: Animated waiting screen with SMS auto-detection
• Digital Receipt: Phone number input via on-screen keypad
• Success Screen: Animated confirmation with receipt option