OK ... here's Idea No.14 (those of you wondering about the previous 13 will need to trawl back through my earlier posts. Enjoy)!

Being relatively late in coming to the internet, on-line shopping and all the rest, I realised early on (a few years back now) that the crunch (the nub, the Achilles Heel) of the whole idea of shopping on line (and, up to a point, "just in time" stock transactions) was and is:- the distribution and delivery of the goods.

People don't live as they used to, and Mums tend not to stay at home these days. So what about deliveries to private addresses? And how about the many folk (myself included) who hang out in "difficult to find" addresses, in shared accommodation, high-rise buildings and all the rest (that is, places that drivers of over-sized Sprinters* prefer [or pretend] not to know about). I'm sure I'm not the only one who has had to traipse to the Sorting Office in town (limited hours) just to pick up something that, as it turned out, I may as well have bought in town anyway!

Having just witnessed a Yodel** driver attempting to drop off a package at someone's house, I was yet again reminded of the need for some sort of secure individual dropping off point, bunker, closet (or what-have-you).

I believe that in some parts of the world (eg, the United States) houses in suburban areas have what look a bit like lockable "Biffa"*** bins outside, for stuff to be dropped off at. However, I'm not sure how the driver gets access to those (maybe they are left unlocked by the owner, then latch when the lid is closed following delivery, or perhaps each vendor has their own bin (?) - someone must know)!

So ... here's the thought:- why not have a window-less closet, bunker, bin (we need to come up with a name here) that works by "key access". The owner would have the master device (hand-held, IR, Bluetooth, whatever ... technology to be decided), and be able to program time-slots, access levels etc. The lock mechanism would be a solenoid operated sliding bolt (or some such suitable arrangement). Meanwhile, the couriers would have their own devices to access the door (lid) according to the delivery code (or whatever). Therein lies the problem, of course:- the couriers would need to agree on the details of the coding!

"It's yet another opportunity for thieves", you may say. But to that I would respond:- "in Modern Britain, what isn't"?

And ... our gadgets may as well include a camera (suitable triggered) as well. After all, what is less secure than the electricity and/or gas "utility boxes" that adorn modern dwellings in Britain?

Remember folks, where you heard it first (I only want 5% for the rights to the concept, plus 1% of the value of every secure delivery)!

* Other grotesque (but usually nearly empty) large vans are available to clog up the roads and streets.
** Other (many, in fact) courier services are available.
*** Other waste collection companies are available.

Hi Geoff,

Sounds like a really great idea - shame that someone has already thought of it!

Regards,

Darn it!

I wonder why I haven't seen them around then?

(must be the down-market places I tend to mooch about in, I suppose)

However, all is not lost ... those locks don't look very "high tech" to me. And "leaving the key in the garage" is not really what I had in mind!

I'd never heard of them previously but I remember seeing something on the news earlier this week about secure drop boxes that the AA or some other similar company uses to get spare parts to their service engineers on the road.

basicaly it looks like a great big metal wardrobe (normally at service stations and the like) with various sized lockers depending on the size of the item.

The item is put into one of the lockers and is locked through an electronic system. The system then emails the recipient a PIN number. The recipient then turns up at the locker unit, enters their PIN number and the locker that it relates to unlocks and pings open (whilst the others remain securely fastened).

I can't remember the name of the company that make them now to provide a link

You could give your drop bin an IP address connected to your wifi router and get it to call you when the delivery driver arrives. You could then remotely unlock the bin for them. A project for the tech savvy?

I hope that those lockers are securely bolted down!

It's an interesting variation. We could call them Secure Drop Boxes at Third-Party Locations (ie, not necessarily, and indeed probably not, at the consignee's location). Ideal for nationwide mobile operations such as, as you say, the AA*.

My own thoughts are more about what we might call Remotely Programmable Secure Access Technology (RP-SAT ... yes, that has an appropriate ring about it)! With "my" system, the recipient (owner) would (must) have absolute overall control. I envisage the owner having a remote control for programming, plus a key-fob device for quick unlocking on-site.

De-luxe** versions could allow unlocking via mobile phone, the internet ... or what-have-you.

The deliverer would need some sort of universal hand-held toy, incorporating technology which is yet to be decided!

* Other roadside assistance operations are available!
** Now there's a word that you don't see too often these days.

Nice one, Bill. We need to draw up a spec! It should include a provision that, in the case of power failure (the internet being down, whatever), the recipient should still be able to "open the box" (h'mmm ... that takes me back a bit) - they could always hold a physical key, could they not?


Yes, Mate ... that's us!

But, as an aside, remote control technology of this type is a bit of an iffy area as it plays into the hands (minds?) of the general paranoia vis-à-vis remotely controlled "terrorist devices". So we may have to limit our imagination to folk standing within Bluetooth (or IR) range of the drop box!

Unfortunately my tech savvy is limited to electronics, never had the patience to get into programming. Might have to have another go (if I want a future in this industry). I'm sure IT programming has moved on from BASIC. Any tips on where to start?

We're really talking electronics here, Bill.

And anyway, the cheapest version could just be a door (lid, whatever) left unlocked by the householder, then locked ("flipped off the latch") later on by the delivery van driver.

The trouble with that, of course, is:- what about a second (third etc. delivery) ... they are going to encounter a bolted door!

So we're back to something like:-

1) Security code (how many digits?) gets agreed as part of purchase procedure.
2) Householder enters this code in the locking system.*
3) Van driver uses the same code to gain access.
4) Code is disabled once door is closed by driver.
5) Householder returns and gains access using their own PIN (not the access code used earlier).

* But what if the code is miss-keyed? So we could be back to some sort of clever access code arrangement that does not need the householders' input at all!

There would also need to be a fool-proof way of locating the correct drop-box (door, lid) as well. Or else we're going to see even more frustrated delivery drivers chucking stuff over the hedge (or whatever they do). Each secure point would need a unique number (of course). It could include the post code, as well.

Programming? Visual Basic would be the one I would suggest. It gives you "pretty" results without too much trouble. And (or) if you wanted something a bit different (or more "traditional", but certainly more versatile) you could try BBC BASIC for Windows, which is available on line as a cheap download. Otherwise it really depends on whether you intend to have a go at "real" stuff, or just want to have a "play".

Meanwhile I've just realised that this topic links to this one!

There was an American biomed on other forum recently complaining that his services "weren't required" during the installation of wireless IV pumps (whatever they are). He was wondering whether he needed to go on courses for Microsoft Certified this and that ...

... my advice was quite simple:- be sure to invite "IT" to fix the pumps next time they fail!

In my opinion, "IT" is just another attempt at a Closed Shop by "those in the know" (or rather, like to pretend that they know). In short, just like "medicine" it is deliberately kept "mysterious" (so as to justify careers at inflated salaries), and any half-decent biomed tech worth his (her) salt should already be more than capable of sorting out hospital IT problems.

The "clever" stuff is in software development (just as it is with equipment design and manufacturing) ... not the on-site support of computer networks, the installation and maintenance of proprietary software, the PC's themselves and peripherals etc.