Project

# Title Team Members TA Documents Sponsor
44 Anti-Theft Portable Package Container
Conor Mueller
Ethan Fransen
Yufei Zhu
Qingyu Li design_document1.pdf
design_document2.pdf
final_paper2.pdf
proposal1.pdf
proposal2.pdf
# Anti-theft portable package container
Team members:
- Conor M (cjmullr2)
- Yufei Z (yufei6)
- Ethan F (...)

# Problem
Ordering products online is a part of daily life for many people. Everything ranging from entertainment devices to essential medications and tools sit outside peoples front entrances to their homes for hours on end while they’re out on business. Unfortunately, this leaves unguarded packages vulnerable to theft by opportunistic individuals, also known as porch pirates. Package thefts have been a common occurrence for many years now, and in one case, thieves stole a package containing a young boy’s Ryedapt prescription, a medication he depended on to treat his cancer. What makes package thieves so bold is the lack of risk and difficulty finding the culprits involved in these instances. So a reusable and cost-effective means of deterring or providing information to catch packages thieves is necessary.

# Proposed solution
A portable package safe box that detects attempted theft would work to deter thieves. Packages would be placed inside a gated and alarmed crate that could be unlocked and disarmed through a passcode entered on a phone app so the person who ordered the product could access the contents. The container would be able to detect attempts to break inside such as damaging the exterior or by trying to move the container while it is still armed. A camera would be able to see if somebody is approaching the container and emit a warning chirp to deter people from coming any closer. If the tamper detection is triggered, an alarm system inside the box would sound, startling the person trying to steal the contents and drawing attention to them. The person who ordered the package would be immediately notified of the attempted theft over the app and be given the option to call 911. In case the thief decides to take the entire container and run, a GPS tracker would allow the person on the app to know where the package thief is and inform 911 operators of their location. After the person disarms the container and retrieves their package, they could return it to the delivery service and be refunded the money they spent on the package protection service.

# Distinguishing ourselves from previous projects
A similar project exists that was created in the Spring 2021 semester–a secure delivery box that home owners could purchase to have their packages delivered to. The overlap between these two ideas is only natural given they are both inspired by the same problem–stopping package theft. While there are some fundamental parts of an anti-theft device that will be shared, the platform and execution for our project is where we distinguish ourselves from the previous project. For starters, this project is a portable safe box intended to be temporarily left at the delivery address by the delivery service with the package inside. So rather than something that's bought by a homeowner to replace a mailbox, this project will be bought by delivery companies and offered as a service to improve package security in areas where delivery lockers might not be an option. Since these delivery companies are the ones who have to pay out refunds or ship products again to their customers, they're the ones who are the most negatively affected by package theft and need a product offered to them to help solve this issue rather than rely on customers to have the security to ensure their own deliveries.

More importantly, we'll have to address the challenges that come with the container being portable, such as simply being carried off by thieves. For this, we'll have to add location services to track the container where it goes. Second, we'll have to make the container inexpensive to replace since we foresee this device possibly being a target for vandalism.

# Solution Components
## 1. External housing and lockable door
For this part of the project, we intend to build an external shell that will hold the package inside. The front of it will have a door controlled by an electronic lock that can be opened via an app. The container will need to look relatively plain to avoid being conspicuous to the public eye.

## 2. Alarm and Power Systems
We will have to design an anti-theft system that's able to detect when a theft is occurring. Something like a gyroscope will allow the container to know when it is being moved, and if armed, the alarm will sound. Additionally, attempts to bring the shell of the container using things like tools will need to be detectable. Since most tools are metal, we would design the shell in such a way that contacting the container with a piece of metal would complete a circuit to the alarm system. The internals will need to be powered by a battery pack that can be recharged.

## 3. Alarm and Camera Microcontroller
The security system of the container will need a device that monitors all of the different triggers to the alarm system and send a signal that controls the alarm. Also, we will need a front facing camera that could take photos of people conducting thefts. A microcontroller would handle all of these systems and be the means by which we communicate with the app.

## 4. App to control and disarm the device
Using stack, we will develop a phone app that can communicate with the microcontroller of the device. This will allow a delivery person to move the container while it is in its "disarmed" state. After delivering the container with the package inside, they would use the app to arm the container. Then the customer would use the app to disarm the container using a code they have sent to them and remove the contents of the container without triggering an alarm.

## 5. GPS locator
In order to track containers that have been stolen, we'll have to include a device that gives us the capability to track it using GPS services on the app. Right now, we believe something like a TinyDuino would do the trick, but our research process will likely involve finding cheaper methods of adding this system to the container. Most likely, this system and the alarm microcontroller will be combined onto one PCB board.

# Requirements for success
- Our container manages to be safely locked and unlocked using a phone app,
- The security system detects when the container is being stolen or tampered with and sounds an alarm.
- Security system can be armed and disarmed through the app.
- Can remain powered overnight with all systems functioning.
- Front facing camera takes photos and uploads them to the app.
- Packages inside the container remain secure and cannot be removed from the container while it is locked and armed.

Prosthetic Control Board

Caleb Albers, Daniel Lee

Prosthetic Control Board

Featured Project

Psyonic is a local start-up that has been working on a prosthetic arm with an impressive set of features as well as being affordable. The current iteration of the main hand board is functional, but has limitations in computational power as well as scalability. In lieu of this, Psyonic wishes to switch to a production-ready chip that is an improvement on the current micro controller by utilizing a more modern architecture. During this change a few new features would be added that would improve safety, allow for easier debugging, and fix some issues present in the current implementation. The board is also slated to communicate with several other boards found in the hand. Additionally we are looking at the possibility of improving the longevity of the product with methods such as conformal coating and potting.

Core Functionality:

Replace microcontroller, change connectors, and code software to send control signals to the motor drivers

Tier 1 functions:

Add additional communication interfaces (I2C), and add temperature sensor.

Tier 2 functions:

Setup framework for communication between other boards, and improve board longevity.

Overview of proposed changes by affected area:

Microcontroller/Architecture Change:

Teensy -> Production-ready chip (most likely ARM based, i.e. STM32 family of processors)

Board:

support new microcontroller, adding additional communication interfaces (I2C), change to more robust connector. (will need to design pcb for both main control as well as finger sensors)

Sensor:

Addition of a temperature sensor to provide temperature feedback to the microcontroller.

Software:

change from Arduino IDE to new toolchain. (ARM has various base libraries such as mbed and can be configured for use with eclipse to act as IDE) Lay out framework to allow communication from other boards found in other parts of the arm.