Smart lock

[Northstrix]

Hi. I have a project that I might even turn to a product and launch to market. But I don't know if people will buy it. So, I hope you'll execuse me for addressing you that way, but I really need your opinion on this topic.
Can you please take this survey?
https://survey.zohopublic.com/zs/6tCC4d
It's only 3 question (4 if you'll count pictures)

I will be very grateful for you.
I can't launch it on Kickstarter 'cause I live in Barnaul, and Kickstarter doesn't allow to launch startups from Russia. And forums are the only places where I can at least learn if it's a viable idea.
You can also find a code, circuit, and screens of different versions of web interfaces in Github: https://github.com/Northstrix/ESP8266-based_smart_locker_with_display
This code is provided under MIT license. That means you can use it the way you want without any limitations.

[WereCatf]

11 minutes ago, Northstrix said:

I have a project that I might even turn to a product and launch to market. But I don't know if people will buy it.

Not like this, they won't.

 

First of all, your project seems to rely on the servo to act as the lock, which means even a toddler can just pull the door open. You need a proper locking-mechanism that the servo operates, you can't rely on the servo itself acting as the mechanism. Secondly, the lock becomes entirely unusable, if it can't connect to WiFi, since there's no manual mechanism for opening the lock. Thirdly, you provide no protection, whatsoever, against malicious people, on the display/LEDs - side of things: one can just pop the display off with a screwdriver and short the pins and POOF goes the ESP, permanently disabling the lock. With no manual way for opening the lock...well, that'd be a good way of pissing people off.

 

Besides which, the display seems redundant, when you already have the LEDs showing the lock's status.

[Northstrix]

8 hours ago, WereCatf said:

Not like this, they won't.

 

First of all, your project seems to rely on the servo to act as the lock, which means even a toddler can just pull the door open. You need a proper locking-mechanism that the servo operates, you can't rely on the servo itself acting as the mechanism. Secondly, the lock becomes entirely unusable, if it can't connect to WiFi, since there's no manual mechanism for opening the lock. Thirdly, you provide no protection, whatsoever, against malicious people, on the display/LEDs - side of things: one can just pop the display off with a screwdriver and short the pins and POOF goes the ESP, permanently disabling the lock. With no manual way for opening the lock...well, that'd be a good way of pissing people off.

 

Besides which, the display seems redundant, when you already have the LEDs showing the lock's status.

Thank you so much for this. I put a servo as a lock 'cause I was developing it as a lock for the locker. That's why it called smart locker in Github. I'm still thinking how to fix this problem. I actually never thought about using this lock without Wi-Fi, and I can’t thank you enough for mentioning this scenario. Now I'm like 100% sure that if I'll ever gonna launch it I'll have to find a good mechanical lock and combine it with my project to provide an opportunity to open this "fancy lock" by key and via Wi-Fi. Well, display might be abundant and at the same time a potential security breach, so I'll put two leds in epoxy instead and although glass before the LEDs might be too much I'll do my best to integrate it. I'll also try to add something like AES-256 encryption.
And again huge thank you for your reply. You just saved me from launching a raw product.
Edited: fixed some grammatical errors

Edited November 2, 2020 by Northstrix

[mariushm]

My 2 cents ... no, sorry.

Good for you for working on something but.. let's be realistic.

 

80$ is a huge amount. Such product would have to cost 10-15$ to mass produce (buying components in 500-1000pcs) and sell for 20-25$ each at most in my opinion. 80$ is dead in the water.

 

You have to be able to open whatever you have if the wireless doesn't work. Think maybe nfc reader and bundling a few cards with the device or ability to register some cards with the units. Tap card on the box to open the device.

 

Think what happens when power failure. How much backup battery will be inside, or how much super capacitor to have enough burst to open once.

 

NO on some stupid Nokia 5110 display or something produced for something else, with no guarantee you'd be able to restock and no guaranteed manufacturer. You can get proper generic 160x120 or 320x200 or 16x40 or whatever dot matrix display for cheap, or you can make your own LCD display with segments  (costs around 100-200$ for the initial sample, then you can order thousands for 1-2$ each and a lcd driver chip costs under a dollar.

Do you need RGB and Nokia 5110 level display that consumes power or you could it be done with basic lcd segment or some basic dot matrix from lcd segments?

 

A lcd segment display consumes mA's  (without backlight). 

 

NO on micro servos and crap from plastic designed for planes and stuff that will break if you punch it harder. Be realistic.

Use a solenoid, or some magnetic lock or whatever is guaranteed to keep something locked on power loss.

 

The poll shows the same picture for both horizontal and vertical.

 

F..k off with your ego, get rid of that "Developed by Maxim Bortnikov" from all the interface pictures, products ... nobody cares and it's waste of valuable real estate. I can go on freelancer.com and pay someone 100$ to write me the esp code so there's nothing to be so proud of.

 

Do you see any other application or software or solution that puts smack in the center of it the name of the programmer? You don't even see it in the about menu or other places.

 

You would want bigger fonts and maybe have a look at sans-serif fonts, or bitmap fonts or other kinds of fonts ... see https://www.dafont.com for inspiration

[Northstrix]

11 hours ago, mariushm said:

My 2 cents ... no, sorry.

Good for you for working on something but.. let's be realistic.

 

80$ is a huge amount. Such product would have to cost 10-15$ to mass produce (buying components in 500-1000pcs) and sell for 20-25$ each at most in my opinion. 80$ is dead in the water.

 

You have to be able to open whatever you have if the wireless doesn't work. Think maybe nfc reader and bundling a few cards with the device or ability to register some cards with the units. Tap card on the box to open the device.

 

Think what happens when power failure. How much backup battery will be inside, or how much super capacitor to have enough burst to open once.

 

NO on some stupid Nokia 5110 display or something produced for something else, with no guarantee you'd be able to restock and no guaranteed manufacturer. You can get proper generic 160x120 or 320x200 or 16x40 or whatever dot matrix display for cheap, or you can make your own LCD display with segments  (costs around 100-200$ for the initial sample, then you can order thousands for 1-2$ each and a lcd driver chip costs under a dollar.

Do you need RGB and Nokia 5110 level display that consumes power or you could it be done with basic lcd segment or some basic dot matrix from lcd segments?

 

A lcd segment display consumes mA's  (without backlight). 

 

NO on micro servos and crap from plastic designed for planes and stuff that will break if you punch it harder. Be realistic.

Use a solenoid, or some magnetic lock or whatever is guaranteed to keep something locked on power loss.

 

The poll shows the same picture for both horizontal and vertical.

 

F..k off with your ego, get rid of that "Developed by Maxim Bortnikov" from all the interface pictures, products ... nobody cares and it's waste of valuable real estate. I can go on freelancer.com and pay someone 100$ to write me the esp code so there's nothing to be so proud of.

 

Do you see any other application or software or solution that puts smack in the center of it the name of the programmer? You don't even see it in the about menu or other places.

 

You would want bigger fonts and maybe have a look at sans-serif fonts, or bitmap fonts or other kinds of fonts ... see https://www.dafont.com for inspiration

Thank you for your response.I'll try to make it cheaper when I'll perform all the necessary calculations. 79.99 might not be a cheap and I know it, but everything's already included in this price: free delivery, taxes, work, mechanical lock, etc.
LCD might be abundant I already realised it.
The poll shows the same picture 'cause this is the only way to put a picture in a free version of the service.

I also would like to publish the screens that I added to the pool on Github. But here's the problem. I'm trying to get investments in the region where nobody speaks English. If I'll show a Russian vers
ion of interface to investors, they just won't buy.If i'll show a English version the most probable response would be: WTF is this, Where did you get this? Found on google? And I know it probably sounds stupid, but due to enormous amount of fraud in the country the only way to make people in Russia trust you is to put your name on literally everything you're producing. In that case it will be easy to prove to investors that this is is my code "'cause look my name's on it". That's basically the way brands are working in Russia. Even a small brand that sells honey has the surname of the owner on it with the probability 99%.
And by the way thank you for the link to the fonts. Gend rimba looks cool. I'll look into it more closely when I'll have more time.