SafeBox

Prototype Details
Functional Architecture
Results
Executive Summary

Inspiration

Let me start with a small story. My father and I were planning a surprise online gift for my mother on her birthday. Once we received the email that the delivery had arrived, we grabbed my mother to the porch, but once we reached, we realized the package was not there. Yes, it was stolen. This incident led me to investigate further the package thefts. Astonishingly, according to C and R research, one in seven online shoppers had one or more packages stolen in 2022. This is a whopping 14% of online shoppers. The average value of each stolen package is roughly 112$. Porch pirates are modern-day pirates who steal packages that are left at the doorstep.

Front porches and building lobbies are no longer a safe haven for the packages. This is because when someone leaves a package on your doorstep, that package is vulnerable to anyone who is waiting to steal it. Unattended packages often welcome thieves inadvertently. Online shopping is one of the most luxurious experiences that is provided by the internet, and with the rise of online shopping companies such as Amazon & eBay, nowadays, online shopping and delivery are gradually becoming the new “normal.” Each year, the number of online shoppers is increasing too. Because of an increase in online shopping and delivery, the number of stolen packages each year is increasing at an alarming rate.

The e-commerce industry is so huge that at least 44% of online shoppers receive at least one package every week. Hence, such porch pirates not only steal one package at a time, rather they ruin the growth of the entire e-commerce industry. I am designing this solution for online shoppers, who need a viable solution for the safe delivery of their packages.

What it does

SafeBox is an innovative solution to this critical problem of the e-commerce industry to deliver packages safely. SafeBox is a convenient box that customers can place in their porches or lobbies. The package carriers can simply place the packages directly inside the box, with no additional burden of a digital or manual lock. Every time a new package is placed, an email will be sent to the owner. An owner can safely pick up the packages by entering a password. If a thief steals a package, that is, a package is picked up without entering a password, Safebox will alert the owner by mail and trigger a loud sound alarm and a visible light alarm to warn the owner and the neighborhood. This way, the box will deter package theft.

A study by the University of North Carolina emphasizes that 60% of thieves avoid places with alarms or sirens. Hence SafeBox will use sound and light alarms to deter thefts. The basic algorithm of SafeBox will be to monitor the weight of the box continuously. Depending on the increase or decrease in weight, action will be triggered depending on package arrival, package pickup, or package theft attempt.

SafeBox will encompass an inherent mechanism to track packages and a fool-proof algorithm to track the packages that are being kept or taken out of it. SafeBox will be a cost-effective, simple, and easy-to-use solution. It can be fastened on porches or lobbies. Delivery vendors do not need any special key or passcode to drop the packages unlike some of the existing lockers that are available in the market. This way, the product can be used at any location regardless of the package carriers we are dealing with. Safebox will have an associated mobile application that the owner can use, to set up a password, and to view package-received alerts. It will be a weather-resistant box, bundled with a motion sensor light to light up at night when approached. Safebox can be sold through a dedicated website, through brick & mortar stores, and can be advertised on social media.

How I built it

With sound deterrents as a critical factor, I decided to build a device to use sound alarms as one of the key deterrents to theft attempts. I used the HX711 load cell weight sensor to monitor the weight. Arduino Uno to handle the sensor results and Raspberry Pi to apply the algorithm for alerts and notifications. The box will continuously monitor the weight. If the weight increases, an email will be sent. If weight decreases without a passcode, a sound alert with an email will be triggered.

Regarding the materials, I was looking for a stable weight sensor that could reliably measure the weight. I found a digital load cell weight sensor with an HX711 digital convertor that fits the use case. For handling the sensor results, I decided to use the micro-controller board, Arduino Uno. Finally, to execute the notification algorithm, I decided to use a tiny computer interface called Raspberry Pi. Though the Raspberry Pi itself could have handled the sensor readings, I preferred to use the Arduino Uno along with the Raspberry Pi because the Arduino Uno would provide me with real-time data processing and a stable interface to read digital sensor values. This way, I can get the benefits of both Arduino Uno’s sensor capabilities and Raspberry Pi’s computational capabilities. In addition, I used documentation from Raspberry Pi and Arduino sites to familiarize myself with the technology.

Challenges I ran into

False alarms due to very minor variation of the weight sensor values though there's no real change in weight. 🡪 I added an “average-out” algorithm to determine the weight after receiving a constant value at least five continuous times.

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

I have finished developing a prototype using Raspberry Pi, Arduino Uno, and an HX711 load sensor. I did two levels of testing, such as the weight sensor analysis and time sensor analysis. In the weight sensor analysis, I added multiple packages with different weights to the SafeBox to analyze the precision to which the weight was being sensed. This provided a range of object weights that could be placed in the SafeBox. The box was able to measure all weights up to 5 KG. In the time sensor analysis, I measured the average seconds the box took to sound the alarm. This provided a glimpse of reaction time when a theft happens. The box was able to sound the alarm in 0.7 seconds. In all the above scenarios, I ensured that the emails were received whenever the packages were placed, whenever the packages were picked up with a password, and also whenever the packages were picked up without a password (thefts). With the testing, I concluded that SafeBox can be used for packages whose total weight is less than 5 KG and it can alert the sound alarm within a second during thefts. The 5 KG limit is due to the HX711 load sensor that I used. If I need to support more than 5 KG, I can manufacture a product with an alternative load sensor accordingly.

To understand the competitive advantage of SafeBox, I did a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats). Strength lies in its simplicity, affordability, and real-time solution. Based on recent research, 60% of thieves avoid places with alarms. SafeBox uses a sound alarm to deter thefts. SafeBox continuously monitors the package arrivals using their weight and users are notified accordingly by email when new packages are received. SafeBox can identify package theft if a package is removed without entering a valid password, during which, it will alarm the users and the surroundings. My product's weakness is its lack of additional functionalities such as weatherproofing and video-tapping, which can be added later. My opportunities are huge with package thefts becoming a common ground when online shopping is the new norm. Regarding the threats, I analyzed my competitors, and my product has key advantages over them. Fully-featured delivery boxes with digital locks need customers to share their digital keys with vendors. Security cameras and other security devices record the thefts but do not prevent them. Public lockers such as amazon lockers need manual package pickups that defeat the purpose of home deliveries. SafeBox can work with or without WiFi, with no pre-configuration needed with any vendors, and is affordable. Hence customers would be very interested to buy SafeBox.

What I learned

I learned how to effectively utilize minicomputers, microcontrollers, and sensors, specifically the Raspberry Pi, Arduino Uno, and the HX711 Load Cell Weight Sensor. By connecting the same to Wi-Fi, I was able to create more opportunities to build more projects for my personal enrichment and for benefitting the community. Additionally, I deepened my electrical and software skills through the prototyping of SafeBox. Since this product has many business capabilities, I was able to formulate business plans and continue my future improvements to make this a commercially successful product in the future.

What's next for SafeBox

My intended goal for SafeBox is to track packages up to a total of 5 KG. The alarm should get turned ON if there is any theft, within 1-3 seconds of package loss, which is triggered through reduction of weight. User notification should be sent to the consumer within 1-3 seconds of new packages that are received and existing packages that are lost. By the end of the year, I would like to apply for a patent as I could not find any similar product that has been patented so far. There are patents related to package lockers, but they are primarily about keeping the lockers in a common location or sharing a lock code with all the delivery vendors, which is not an easy option for consumers. Hence, my product would be applicable to apply for the patent. In the future, I plan to add a mobile application for phone alarm and user configuration; a battery source to power up the device; a fingerprint scanner to replace passcodes, and lighting options to illuminate the area during the theft. I also want to enhance further the weight sensor that is both economical and can handle more weight than the one that we have with a 5 KG limit.

My product's business banks on the growing demand for online shopping. Creating customer value, marketing, and selling are integral parts of my business plan. The customer value proposition can be achieved by providing a highly relevant solution for the package theft problems the customers face, adding great benefits for the money they pay, and providing a unique solution that is simple, easy to use, and that can help take action real-time during the package theft. I would market my product using several marketing strategies such as a pre-launch giveaway contest, a comprehensive website, a customer referral program, solid customer service, email marketing, and social media marketing. I intend to sell SafeBox via my own website, on online sites such as Amazon, and eBay, and also by partnering with other brick-and-mortar stores. My business would surface from the production model, a.k.a. transactional revenue model, where the product sales generate the revenue. Being an economic solution, SafeBox would help consumers in saving money instead of other comprehensive, expensive, work-intensive, and over-complicated solutions. Post-pandemic scenario, in conjunction with the expanding digital trend, would keep my business thriving.