LockerSwarm: An IoT-based smart locker system with access sharing

Abstract

At any college-level institutions, students typically carry heavy belongings to the university every day. While generic lockers are available on campus, these lockers can only be used by one person at a time. In addition, information regarding locker locations and their availability are not available. This project focuses on the use of Internet of Things (IoT) and full stack software development to offer an alternative smart locker solution, called LockerSwarm. Instead of a physical key, each locker can be unlocked by scanning a Quick Response code (QR code), and its access can be shared among selected individuals. Users can search for the closest lockers, see the locations of all lockers, and check locker availability. Overall, this project sheds the new light on integrating IoT technologies to transform traditional lockers to smart lockers, which is a part of a smart campus initiative. With the prototype development and testing experience at Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, the entire LockerSwarm system is deemed to be easily replicable at any other university campuses.