Keep your parcels safe with Clem Mayer's Secure Parcel Pickup Box
Keep your parcels safe with Clem Mayer's Secure Parcel Pickup Box
Arduino Team — November 5, 2022
As part of his business, Clem Mayer of element14 Presents sells physical goods online and asks people to pick them up near him. But for those times when he can't be home, Mayer took inspiration from his post office mailboxes to create his own version that can be accessed anytime with a simple code.
Because this parcel container would be outdoors and exposed to the elements, Mayer opted for a rugged, IP66-rated, all-metal electronics cabinet. Initially, he was thinking of a system that would require users to scan a QR code on the box, go to a website, and then enter the code to access it. However, the complex nature and connectivity of the network led him to a much simpler solution: just type in the numbers on a physical keyboard. This way, only one code can be set in the Arduino Leonardo's EEPROM and then compared each time a total of six digits are selected.
The Clem-designed PCB contains a header for the Arduino, a 4x4 grid of tactile push buttons, six LEDs at the top to signal which digit is active, and a relay to unlock the case . The mechanism itself is a plug-and-play latch housing a solenoid that unlocks whenever power is applied from the 12V power source. For more information on this project, you can watch the build video below or check out Mayer's post here in the element14 community.
Arduino Team — November 5, 2022
As part of his business, Clem Mayer of element14 Presents sells physical goods online and asks people to pick them up near him. But for those times when he can't be home, Mayer took inspiration from his post office mailboxes to create his own version that can be accessed anytime with a simple code.
Because this parcel container would be outdoors and exposed to the elements, Mayer opted for a rugged, IP66-rated, all-metal electronics cabinet. Initially, he was thinking of a system that would require users to scan a QR code on the box, go to a website, and then enter the code to access it. However, the complex nature and connectivity of the network led him to a much simpler solution: just type in the numbers on a physical keyboard. This way, only one code can be set in the Arduino Leonardo's EEPROM and then compared each time a total of six digits are selected.
The Clem-designed PCB contains a header for the Arduino, a 4x4 grid of tactile push buttons, six LEDs at the top to signal which digit is active, and a relay to unlock the case . The mechanism itself is a plug-and-play latch housing a solenoid that unlocks whenever power is applied from the 12V power source. For more information on this project, you can watch the build video below or check out Mayer's post here in the element14 community.
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