Journal of Advances in Artificial Life Robotics

SUGISAKA Vol. 3(3); December (2022), pp. 139–146

MASANORI ON LINE ISSN 2435-8061; ISSN-L 2435-8061
https://alife-robotics.org/jallr.html

Research Article
Development of a Low Cost Intelligent Parcel Box with Enhanced
Security
Ahmad Luqmanulhakim bin Mohd Rusli, Wan Norsyafizan Wan Muhamad, Suzi Seroja Sarnin, Meor Mohd Azreen Meor
Hamzah, Noriza Othman
School of Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering, University Teknologi MARA, Malaysia

ABSTRACT
ARTIC LE INFO The covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the growth of online shopping and e-commerce. While
shopping and e-commerce have made it convenient for customers to purchase products, issues
Article History such as failed/delayed delivery and missing parcels need to be addressed to provide a seamless
and secure shopping experience for customers. In Malaysia, the implementation of Pos Laju Ezi
Received 20 November 2021 Box Kiosk as a delivery system still faces challenges such as upfront costs, high cost of
Accepted 23 February 2023 maintaining a management system and vulnerabilities in wireless communication. To overcome
the aforesaid problem, this paper proposes a low-cost smart parcel box system with enhanced
Keywords security. All of the designed system's processes were controlled by an Arduino Mega 2560 in this
Smart parcel box t system. The system will start when couriers message the user via applications with the tracking
Arduino mega 2560 number for the package in order to obtain the password. When the courier's message and the user-
specified message match, the password will be given for security reasons. Once the password has
Infrared sensor (IR)
been entered, couriers can insert the package into the parcel box. The system provides a
Internet of things convenient and secure solution for the delivery and retrieval of packages, reducing the risk of
theft or damage to the packages..

© 2022 The Author. Published by Sugisaka Masanori at ALife Robotics Corporation Ltd
This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).

Home delivery services have become increasingly

popular in recent years, and a smart parcel box system is the
perfect way to make sure users/customers get their parcels
1. Introduction on time. A smart parcel box system is an automated solution
that simplifies the process of receiving and delivering
Online shopping has seen a significant increase in
packages. It allows customers to manage their orders
Malaysia in recent years. The rise of e-commerce platforms
starting from tracking the item, receiving notifications when
combined with increased internet access and the
their items are delivered, and even arranging for the pick-up
convenience of online shopping has contributed to the
or return of parcels [4]. A smart parcel box system is a secure
growth of online in the country. As a result, Malaysia has
and automated system for receiving and storing packages.
become one of the fastest-growing e-commerce markets in
The system typically features a locked box with a
Southeast Asia [1]. According to data from Statista's Digital
touchscreen interface or smartphone apps for tracking and
Market Outlook survey, the percentage of Malaysians who
managing deliveries. The system uses advanced
purchase online has increased by 47% annually, with 14.43
technologies such as GPS, real-time notifications and even
million making purchases at the beginning of 2022 [2]. With
digital signatures to provide a convenient and secure way to
the growth of online purchasing, problems with attempted
receive packages at any time, without the need to be present
delivery failure and parcel theft have also emerged.
at the time of delivery [5]. This solution is especially useful
Regardless of whether the resident is home or not, the
for busy individuals or households who can’t always be
package will still be delivered to save on delivery costs [3].
available to receive packages during regular delivery hours.
There have been several types of smart parcel box
systems available in the market such as Amazon hub locker
Corresponding author’s E-mail: syafizan@uitm.edu.my
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[6] which is an amazon branded smart parcel box system that be delivered to the box may be limited, making it difficult to
allows users to receive packages from Amazon and other receive larger items. The other issue is security concerns
carriers. The other type of smart parcel box system in the about the safety of the packages stored in the box and
market is ParcelPending [7], which provides real-time vulnerability of the system to hacking or theft.
tracking and notifications. An automated locker system is With the aforementioned challenge, this project
known as InPost Parcer Lockers [8] for receiving and storing proposed a low-cost smart parcel box system with enhanced
packages with 24/7 access and real-time notifications. security which provide a reliable, safe, convenient and
In addition to ready smart parcel box systems in the energy-efficient intelligent parcel system. The proposed
market, the development of the parcel box system is an system consists of Arduino Mega 2560, Keypad, an infrared
ongoing process and researchers are constantly exploring sensor (IR sensor), Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), Global
new and innovative ways to improve the system. Moksin et System for Mobile (GSM), a weight sensor and a mobile
al developed a ParcelRestBox [9], the project development application. The system enables the person in charge of the
utilize the Mobile Application Development Life Cycle delivery to place the package inside the box after a process
(MADLC) paradigm. The recipient interacts with the of authentication. The smart parcel box system is installed
ParcelRestBox gadget using the ParcelRestBox smartphone with a keypad that is responsible for unlocking the door of
application. Every time a parcel is delivered, the the parcel box and giving the couriers access to place the
ParcelRestBox device will detect it and send a notification parcel inside. Once the user has received the tracking
to the ParcelRestBox mobile application to notify the user. number for their package from the couriers, they can then
DroParcel suggested by Alghfeli et al [10] consists of a provide the password. As part of this initiative, infrared
mobile application and an intelligent personal delivery box. sensors are also utilized to open the parcel box's door after
By scanning the QR-Code or bar code that contains the the parcel has been placed and to detect any objects at the
tracking number printed on the shipping label of the package, door. In order to alert users, the GSM module will then send
access to the smart box is made easier. This system can also a notification via SMS to the owner of the Smart Parcel Box
be used to make it easier to access several people instantly System.
by using a common QR code. Smart parcel box using IoT
and solar energy technologies were proposed by 2. Methods
Kaewsrisuphawong et al [11]. Solar energy are used in this
system to offer services to a client. One of the main 2.1. Components
functions of this system is that when mail or package
postings are dropped into the box, notifications or alerts are This system will typically be initialised when a direct
sent to the recipient using a mobile application called LINE current (DC) voltage source is applied to the system. At that
Notify. The average performance of the box was 96% after point, all systems are operational and ready for the next
50 trials using various mail envelope types and 50 trials phase. The courier sends the tracking number to the user via
using various parcel types. apps to get the exact password. Following that, the courier
Automatic Postal Parcel Collector with Pincode-based uses the password to get through the system. The parcel
Segregation was developed by Mahesh et al [12]. By first box's door will then be unlocked, showing that access has
weighing the item and then requesting the user to provide been given due to the exact password, and the person in
the pin number, the proposed approach automates the charge of delivery will be able to place the package inside.
process of item sorting and parcel delivery. Based on the pin As the package is inserted, the door will then automatically
code, the packages are divided into several boxes. The price close. In order to inform the recipient that the package has
for each box, which is determined by the distance and been delivered to their home, the GSM module will then
weight of the package, is displayed on the screen, and the send a message to user.
customer easily makes a payment.
However, there are several issues or problems with Figure 1 depicts an infrared sensor, an electronic device
current smart parcel box systems such as cost, compatibility, used to detect specific environmental physiologies. The heat
being released by an item can be measured by an infrared
size limitations, technical glitches, maintenance and repair
sensor, which can also identify infrared. Wavelengths of
and security concerns [13]. The first issue is cost; smart
infrared radiation typically range between 0.75 and 1000 m
parcel box systems can be expensive which sometimes [14]. It will serve as a sensor in this project to identify the
makes it difficult for some people to afford. The second hand of the person in charge of delivering the package. The
problem is the compatibility of the box with different Arduino Mega 2560 will receive data from it, and the system
delivery services and carriers can vary and some services will run the application.
may not be able to deliver to the parcel box at all. Technical
issues such as software/hardware malfunctions can occur,
leading to inconvenience and sometimes lost packages.
Regular maintenance and repair of the system may be
necessary, which can be time-consuming and expensive.
Size limitations, the size and weight of the package that can
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 Figure 3: Keypad
Figure 1: Infrared Sensor

The GSM module used for communication between a

An open source microcontroller known as the Arduino Mega computer and a GSM-GPRS system is seen in Figure 4. This
2560, which is depicted in Figure 2, can be effectively device can be used by attaching a SIM card to a server's
modified, eliminated, and rebuilt at any time [15]. A GPRS cover and the GSM module to the AVR [17]. When
microcontroller board called the Arduino Mega 2560 is the parcel delivery process is complete, the GSM module
based on the ATmega2560 (datasheet). It contains 16 will send an SMS to the Smart Parcel Box user as an
analogue inputs, 54 digital input/output pins, 14 of which acknowledgement. Figure 5 depicts a liquid crystal display
can be utilised as PWM outputs, and more. It comes with (LCD), an electrical device used to display programming
everything needed to support the microcontroller; to get instructions in the form of software design output [16].
started, just plug in a USB cable, an AC-to-DC adapter, or a
battery. For the purposes of this project, it will be used to
run the programme that controls the door's opening and
closed as well as the infrared sensor.

Figure 4: GSM Module

Figure 2: Arduino Mega 2560

As seen in Figure 3, a 4x4 matrix keypad is utilised to input

commands and the password to the MCU. There are 16 keys
where each key in the matrix is labelled with the operation
that it is designated for. Rows 1 through 4 are connected to
Port B of the MCU's pins RB3, RB2, RB1, and RB0,
respectively. Columns 1 through 4 are connected,
correspondingly, to Port B's pins RB4 through RB7 [16]. In Figure 5: LCD
this project, the keypad's purpose is to unlock the Smart
Parcel Box's door.
2.2. System Architecture
The system architecture of the Smart Parcel Box System
(SPBS) is depicted in Figure 6. The system will be activated
once power is supplied from either house's power supply
or from external sources, such a power bank. Before
granting permission to unlock the door of the Smart Parcel

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Box, the system requests a password from the couriers. A
password will be provided by messaging the user via
applications with the package's tracking number. The door
will then be opened once the message or tracking number
have been compared to the message that the user has
selected in the apps. When the message it is match, the
couriers will then receive the password and be able to unlock
the door. The parcel box will be inserted into the parcel box
when the door is open, and the infrared sensor will detect the
parcel at the same time. When nothing is at the door, an LCD
will show instructions on how to close it, and after a a while,
the door will be closed. Following that, the GSM module
will send the user an SMS notification informing them of the
status of their package delivery. Every information provided
by the Arduino Mega 2560, such as an incorrect password,
a door open or closed, will be displayed on the LCD.

Figure 6: System Architecture of Smart Parcel Box

2.3 Flowchart

The flowchart of the Smart Parcel Box System is shown

in Figure 7. The process begins with the courier sending the
recipient via WhatsApp Apps a message with the tracking
number of the package.

Figure 7: Flowchart of the proposed Smart Parcel Delivery

System

In order to determine whether the message is exactly the

same as the recipient entered in the application, another
programme called AutoResponder WA is utilised. The
recipient must enter the package tracking number before the
delivery procedure in this application. The courier must then
deliver the message directly to the recipient. The message is
automatically sent to the courier if the message or tracking
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number matches the recipient's message. This indicates that the owner for the password. Figure 11 illustrates it by
the courier will receive the password needed to open the showing the message a courier sends to the owner and how
Smart Parcel Box's door. Couriers can place the package the courier then obtains the password for the parcel box.
inside the parcel box if the password is accurate. If the IR Correct tracking information must be sent by the courier in
sensor did not detect anything at the door, the door will close. order for them to receive the password.
When the door is closed, the GSM module send the message
to let the recipient know that the package has already been
delivered to their house.

3. Results and Discussions

The "brain" or central processing unit of the smart parcel
box system is the Arduino Mega 2560. Figure 8 depicts the
Smart Parcel Box System prototype.

Figure 10: AutoResponder WA

Figure 8: Prototype of Smart Parcel Box System

When a direct current (DC) voltage source is connected to

the system, it will be initialised. All of the parts used in the
Smart Parcel Box will automatically switch on as soon as
the entire system is turned on. As seen in Figure 9, the LCD
displayed "Welcome, Please Input Password." Figure 11: Tracking number and password
Figure 12 demonstrates how two distinct passwords were
used to verify the parcel box's security. The first password
is the one that will allow the parcel box door to open, but the
second password is the incorrect one and cannot be used to
unlock the parcel box door. The LCD screen showed
"Access Granted, Door will open," as seen in Figure 12. It
proves that the courier used the right password to open the
package box. Figure 12's LCD, displayed "Access
Forbidden, Incorrect Password," indicates that the parcel
Figure 9: Interface at starting box's courier must have entered the incorrect password.
Because each parcel box has its own password and must first
Figure 10's AutoResponder WA programme requires the have a parcel tracking number in order to obtain the
owner to enter the purchased package tracking number and password, the method employed in this Smart Parcel Box
the parcel box password before the delivery procedure can System is highly secure.
begin. The tracking number of the package must be sent to
the owner of the parcel in order for the courier to get access
to system. After sending the message, the courier will ask
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 The door is then closed when the courier has successfully
finished his delivery attempt. A message will be sent to the
smart parcel box's owner via SMS. The box owner will
receive notification from the GSM module that the courier's
effort to deliver the package was successful. The
information the GSM module sent to the owner of the Smart
Parcel Box System is depicted in Figure 14.

Figure 12: Interface on the correct password and the wrong

password

The system then controls the door of the parcel box

operation. The door will open to receive the package after
the system grants permission to do so, as seen in Figure 13.
When the courier inserted the parcel, the LCD showed,
"Please insert the parcel." The door won't close after the
courier has placed the package inside the box. The system
also has an infrared sensor installed where the sensor will
identify the courier's package in order to ensure that the door
is always open when a delivery attempt is made. The door
will remain open as soon as the infrared sensor detects an
Figure 14: Message sent by the Smart Parcel Box System
obstruction in front of it and remain open until the delivery to the user
person leaves the package box. The system automatically
closes the door as illustrated in Figure 13 and locks to ensure
4. Conclusion
that the package is secure in the parcel box once the infrared
sensor has identified no other objects. After the package
box's door is closed, the LCD displayed "DELIVERY Home delivery user experience has emerged as a
ATTEMPT IS SUCCES", as seen in Figure 13. key component of any business' success in the e-commerce
era. By offering secure package delivery, increased tracking
and visibility, and simple parcel access, a smart parcel box
system can assist businesses in improving their home
delivery user experience. The proposed Smart Parcel Box
System offers users comfort and convenience when making
online purchases. With the proposed approach, customers no
longer worry as much about lost packages, failed deliveries,
or delivery delays. The smart parcel system, which is placed
at the customer's home, will keep everything secure. The
system also offers user-friendly apps for both parties,
allowing couriers to deliver packages by simply sending the
recipient the tracking number of the package via the app,
who will then receive the password needed to open the
package's box. In summary, the smart parcel box
system intends to make the delivery procedure easier for the
courier by removing the necessity for them to physically
knock on the recipient's door or wait for them to be present
to receive the package. As a result, the delivery procedure is
more effective and more convenient for both the courier and
the recipient.
For the recommendation and future enhancement, a
new application that is typical for the courier and the owner
Figure 13: Interface on the door operation, parcel and of the Smart Parcel Box System needs to be invented instead
delivery attempt
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of the AutoResponder WA application. Nowadays, reducing Information and Communications Technology
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thus, it is advised to utilise solar panels or other energy- [12] N. Mahesh, P. Revathi, M. I. Riswan Ahamed, S.
harvesting devices rather than direct current so that the Sowndharyan and A. Vignesh, "Development of
Automatic Postal Parcel Collecter with Pincode based
energy consumed by the Smart Parcel Box System can be
Segregation," 2022 3rd International Conference on
depends on other sources and a more efficient system can be Smart Electronics and Communication (ICOSEC),
offered. Trichy, India, pp. 805-808, 2022.
[13] Rana Jamous, Laoucine Kerbache, Adel Al Omari,
5. Acknowledgement “Bridging the parcel delivery last mile gap in Qatar:
Challenges and enhancements, IFAC-PapersOnLine,
The authors would like to thank the members School of Volume 55, Issue 10, 2022, Pages 822-829.
Electrical Engineering, College Engineering, Universiti [14] C. Alexander, “The Working Principle and Key
Teknologi MARA Shah Alam, Malaysia for the guidance Applications of Infrared Sensors,” Azo Sensors, pp. 1–6,
and support during this project. 2014.
[15] L. Louis, “Working Principle of Arduino and Using It As
a Tool for Study and Research,” Int. J. Control. Autom.
Commun. Syst. (IJCACS), Vol.1, No.2, April 2016, vol. 1,
6. References no. 2, pp. 21–29, 2016.
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Enterprise (ICSCEE), Cameron Highlands, Malaysia, [17] S. V. Prabhu Deva Kumar and S. Akashe,
2021, pp. 164-168, “Implementation of GSM Based Security System with
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[3] Heleen Buldeo Rai, Sara Verlinde, Cathy Macharis,
“Unlocking the failed delivery problem? Opportunities
and challenges for smart locks from a consumer Authors Introduction
perspective,” Research in Transportation Economics,
Volume 87, 2021. Mr. Ahmad Luqmanulhakim bin Mohd Rusli
[4] Guido Perboli, Mariangela Rosano, “Parcel delivery in
urban areas: Opportunities and threats for the mix of He received his B. Eng. Degree in
traditional and green business models,” Transportation Electrical Engineering from MARA
Research Part C: Emerging Technologies, Volume 99,
University of Technology in 2019. He is
2019, Pages 19-36.
currently a QC Engineer at Speedy Best
[5] Stanislava Turska, Lucia Madlenakova, “Concept of
Sdn. Bhd. His final year project about
Smart Postal Mailbox,” Transportation Research
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System
[6] Kim W, Wang X.C, “The adoption of alternative
delivery locations in New York City: Who and how
far?," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Dr. Wan Norsyafizan Wan Muhamad
Practice, 158, pp. 127 - 140, 2022. She received her Bachelor in Electrical
[7] Welcome to the new web experience for Quadient's Engineering from the Universiti Malaya,
smart locker solutions, February 2023. Malaysia in 2002. She completed her
[8] Find InPost Lockers nearby, February 2023 Master of Electrical Engineering from
[9] M. Mokhsin, M. Z. M. Ludin, A. I. H. Suhaimi, A. S. Universiti Malaya, Malaysia in 2009.
Zainol, M. H. Mohd Som and H. A. Halim, She obtained her Ph. D in 2017 from
"ParcelRestBox: IoT-Based Parcel Receiving Box University of Newcastle, Australia.
System Design for Smart City in Malaysia," 2021 IEEE Currently, she is a Senior Lecturer in
International Conference on Computing (ICOCO), Faculty of Electrical Engineering at
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, pp. 180-185, 2021. Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam, Malaysia. Her
[10] M. Alghfeli, M. Alnuaimi, N. Alsebaiha, S. Alnuaimi, B. current research interests are in the area of wireless
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Solar Energy," 2022 5th International Conference on

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Dr. Suzi Seroja Sarnin
She received her Ph.D. in Electrical
Engineering in 2018 from the Universiti
Teknologi MARA (UiTM). In 2001 she
joined the UiTM Her primary research
topics include wireless communication,
orthogonal frequency division
multiplexing, nternet of thing and long
range wide area network. She is the author or co-author of more
than 50 papers in international refereed journals and more than
50 conference contributions.

Mr. Meor Mohd Azreen Meor Hamzah

He received B.Eng. (Hons) degree from
the University of Portsmouth, United
Kingdom in 2001 and MSc in
Telecommunication and Information
Engineering in 2007 from Universiti
Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. He is
currently working as a lecturer at the
School of Electrical Engineering,
College of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM)
Shah Alam and member of BEM organization. His research
interests include IoT applications and Embedded System.

Noriza Othman
She received her Bachelor of Electrical
Engineering from Universiti Teknologi
MARA, Malaysia in 2001. She obtained
her M.Eng in Communications &
Computer from Universiti Kebangsaan
Malaysia in 2006. Currently, she is a
Senior Lecturer at College of
Engineering, Universiti Teknologi
MARA, Shah Alam, Malaysia. Her current research interests
include RF design, on-chip passive elements & Internet of
Things (IoT).

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