ECE.10R – Security Mat: a smart system to keep your devices safe

• Krystall Alvarado
• Rachael Merlos
• Ayushi Tripathi
• Resa Wynd

Personal security, especially on campus, is a highly relevant issue for every college student. Oftentimes, a student needs to step away from their workspace and has to rely on strangers to ensure that their items remain secure, risking their items becoming compromised. Our goal was to develop a personal security system to ensure that students have a quicker response time to the security of their devices. Current devices on the market only track the whereabouts of the user’s belongings, and the existing options for locking away and securing personal belongings tend to be large and bulky. These alternatives also don’t have any alert system in place for the user. We designed a flexible mat with pressure sensors that calibrate the security system to the weight of the user’s device. If the device is moved from the mat, an alert system with flashing LEDs and a buzzer will draw attention to the issue, while a notification is sent to the user’s phone that the status of their device has potentially become at risk. The pressure sensors are strategically placed to accommodate personal devices of various sizes, such as tablets and laptops. When set off, the system activates the visual and auditory alert, reducing the likelihood of any potential threat to the device being carried out. Our system is built to ensure the protection of the user’s devices and increase the security of personal belongings on campus. With an attention-drawing alarm and instant-response notification system, any potential thefts are strongly deterred, and this can help curb the overall day-to-day risks of owning and using expensive personal devices for college students.