IoT-Based Smart Universal Finder: An Intelligent BLE and Cloud-Enabled Multi-Object Tracking System for Everyday Belongings

Abstract

The rapid growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) has transformed conventional devices into intelligent interconnected systems, creating new opportunities for solving everyday challenges through smart technologies. One common problem faced by individuals is the frequent misplacement of personal belongings such as car keys, television remotes, wallets, books, pens, bags, laptops, and other valuable items, resulting in wasted time and reduced productivity. This paper proposes an IoT-Based Smart Universal Finder, an intelligent, low-cost, and energy-efficient object tracking framework that integrates Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), cloud computing, mobile application technology, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to provide reliable real-time object localization. The proposed system employs compact BLE-enabled smart tags attached to personal belongings, where each tag possesses a unique identification number and communicates securely with a smartphone application. When an object is misplaced, the user selects the corresponding registered device within the mobile application, which transmits a BLE command to activate the smart tag's buzzer, LED indicator, or vibration motor, thereby enabling rapid object identification. In addition to basic object tracking, the proposed framework incorporates intelligent features such as last known location storage, battery health monitoring, geofencing alerts, anti-theft notifications, family sharing, cloud synchronization, and AI-based prediction of frequently misplaced objects using historical usage patterns. A prototype-based performance evaluation demonstrates an object detection accuracy of approximately 97.2%, an average response time of 1.6 seconds, and an estimated battery life of 11 months under normal operating conditions. Comparative analysis with existing commercial solutions, including Apple AirTag, Samsung SmartTag, and Tile Tracker, indicates that the proposed Smart Universal Finder provides enhanced functionality, greater flexibility, lower implementation cost, and improved scalability. The proposed framework offers a practical solution for smart homes, educational institutions, offices, healthcare facilities, libraries, and industrial environments, while contributing to the advancement of intelligent IoT-based asset management systems and future smart-city applications. Keywords: cloud computing; artificial intelligence; Object Tracking; Mobile Application; Keywords: Internet of Things (IoT); Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE); Smart Tag; Asset Management