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Forum Viewer Challenge - Mail/UPS Monitor Box
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Viewer Challenge - Mail/UPS Monitor Box

e14 Contributor
e14 Contributor over 15 years ago

Hi, I got this idea when watching the hand sanitizer episode. How many people have eagerly awaited a package from the mail/UPS man, just to leave an hour before they show up and someone jacks your package? Sadly enough that has happened quite often to me. My idea - Have a metal or Thick plastic box with a lid that latches shut. What would make this better than your average box found at a dollar star would be that it would have a camera that snaps a picture of the person opening it (Multiple pics maybe) This would allow the owner to track who messes with there mail/packages, when, and if anything was taken. Also, have a voice prompt to close the box after opening it. Preferably make the box water proof. Another nifty feature may be the inclusion of a notification system. By this i mean have a bluetooth connection to some sort of display (LCD, 3 LED lights, or possibly a computer, phone) inside the house (possibly by the door?) that would inform you when mail has arrived with either a visual or audio prompt. the three LEDs could be Box Open, Box Closed, Box Closed (With package). This would mean that a weight sensor could be included so the owner knows if the Stealth Mailman has loaded you up with Spam mail and snuck away or if the UPS man delivered a long awaited package. Lastly, have a UPS/USPS logo on it saying to put mail there =D

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  • ckraft
    ckraft over 15 years ago

    Interesting idea. I know they've tried to sell different solutions for this problem. One I was interested in was a box that had a coded door that you could remotely open for the UPS guy. I myself was thinking some kind of door that rotated so that once you put something inside it would not allow you to access the box again, kind of like the way mail boxes work.

     

    Around here UPS can't use USPS boxes so that may be an issue.

     

    My personal solution is to use a security camera with motion tracking software so I can tell when someone comes to the door. The zoneminder software lets you create zones to alert you if something moves in them. Pretty neat stuff.

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  • e14 Contributor
    e14 Contributor over 15 years ago in reply to ckraft

    While I like the coded door idea, around here they would rather just throw my package on the ground then deal with that. So lazy lol. And the ratating door would work...except thatwould make the box much larger wouldnt it? I dont want i full sized mail box. i was hoping for something a bit more compact. You brought up a good point on the UPS not using USPS boxes, so maybe have it separated into 2 boxes/sections, one for each? With the security camera thing, it wouldnt work for me because i live in a duplex and the would constanly trigger it. With my idea it would on snap photos when the box was screwed with.

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  • e14 Contributor
    e14 Contributor over 15 years ago

    Something like this?

     

    http://hackaday.com/2011/04/15/push-notifications-for-snail-mail-on-an-iphone/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+hackaday%2FLgoM+%28Hack+a+Day%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher

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  • e14 Contributor
    e14 Contributor over 15 years ago in reply to e14 Contributor

    Yeah that could work for the notifacations, albeit i dont have an iphone....T~T i have a nearly dead Tmobile Tap lol. So they would have to figure out the whole messaging part of it.

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