Intelligent System Luggage Lock Using NFC and NiMH Battery Supply

One of the major problems during trips, especially by plane, is the security of our luggage. Classic locks deteriorate quickly due to their handling process on the conveyor belt and when loading and unloading them in and out of the plane. Since people travel increasingly by plane, they want to use their luggage for as long as possible, on as many flights as possible. For this reason, new solutions are being sought for the classic solutions of luggage locks. In this work submitted, we presented the design and implementation of a new concept for luggage locks based on modern electronics and mechanics elements. Thus, for this system, we use a lock that activates the zipper closing on the luggage inside so that the mechanical impact on it will be non-existent. The lock is controlled with NFC card access, which the luggage manufacturer uniquely gives. In our system, we introduced two NFC cards. To ensure increased security of access to the locks, we developed a mobile application called “SafeTravel”, which also allows the control of the lock through Bluetooth communication in case we don't have NFC cards with us. To use the application, the user must enter the unique PIN from the luggage manufacturer. Once the PIN is entered, the application switches to query mode with the lock, which allows access to the lock only after manually entering the ID of one of the two NFC cards. To power the system, we opted for NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) batteries, which, although they have a lower energy storage capacity compared to lithium-based batteries (LiPo, Li-ion), are on the list of batteries accepted for both carry-on luggage and checked bags by the bodies TSA (Transportation Security Administration) and FAA (Federal Aviation Administration). We have designed the power supply of these batteries to be possible both from a standard DC 5V source, such as phone chargers or USB outputs from laptops as well as from a solar panel in case access to a standard source is not possible it is possible.