Hi all, Embedded Kink Industries develops a lockbox and today I pushed (with some hiccups) a new version to main so I figured I'd share the project here as well. The lockbox is designed to be cheap and easy to assemble (especially if you have a 3d printer) and every design choice has taken privacy into account. I've even used the box for self-bondage without the need for a backup solution, because the lid can break away in case of an emergency.
We're not currently selling pre-assembled units, but the design is fully open source and assembly is very easy.
More info is available on our website: https://embeddedkink.com/lockbox.html. I'm also happy to answer any questions here of course
The very best lockbox on the market
Moderators: Riddle, Shannon SteelSlave
Re: The very best lockbox on the market
Thank you for sharing your lockbox with us. The simple design and circuitry is nice. The lock and unlock sequences seem easy enough.
It seems to me like a device with a web browser is also required. Is an active internet connection also required for unlocking?
I am not familiar with Unpkg. How does this get used with your lockbox? Also, how is pico.css used? How does the ESP-web-tools function? I see that both of these are hosted on unpkg. Does this mean that both require interaction with unpkg for the box to function? If so, how can you say this is “Fully local and private.”?
I do see the following information on the bottom of the page:
Are the electrical wires secured adequately for this use case? It seems like the power wires could easily get disconnected or damaged and cause the box to fail to open. Also, is the servo and servo horn adequately protected from damage and strong enough to reliably function properly in this application? I ask because the SG90 has a plastic shaft and horn; if anything puts abnormal stress on the servo or binds the servo horn, failure is inevitable.
Between this project not being available for sale and the above questions, how accurate is this thread title?
It seems to me like a device with a web browser is also required. Is an active internet connection also required for unlocking?
I am not familiar with Unpkg. How does this get used with your lockbox? Also, how is pico.css used? How does the ESP-web-tools function? I see that both of these are hosted on unpkg. Does this mean that both require interaction with unpkg for the box to function? If so, how can you say this is “Fully local and private.”?
I do see the following information on the bottom of the page:
Does the device firmware have all of the functionality required to function? How much of the device functionality use CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)?The box is designed to work standalone and not rely on our cloud. Some elements may still ping out to outside servers. They are as follows:
- * The box uses PicoCSS. This is hosted on Unpkg. They do not know that you’re using this box.
* The web installer uses esp-web-tools. This is also hosted on Unpkg. esp-web-tools is open source but the project has not been audited by us.
* Github tracks site visitors anonymously.
Are the electrical wires secured adequately for this use case? It seems like the power wires could easily get disconnected or damaged and cause the box to fail to open. Also, is the servo and servo horn adequately protected from damage and strong enough to reliably function properly in this application? I ask because the SG90 has a plastic shaft and horn; if anything puts abnormal stress on the servo or binds the servo horn, failure is inevitable.
Between this project not being available for sale and the above questions, how accurate is this thread title?
Resident timer maker. 
Let’s make timers together!
Let’s make timers together!
Re: The very best lockbox on the market
Thanks for the good questions
A web browser is indeed required for locking and unlocking but no internet connection is required. The box hosts the webpage. Both the box and the phone or computer only need to be connected to a local network. This could also be a hotspot network.
Unpkg is simply a content delivery network (CDN). It hosts the latest version of the CSS and it hosts ESP-web-tools. The box will function just fine if the CSS cannot load, the webpage will just look ugly. So all the real functionality is self-contained in the box. We are looking into hosting the CSS on the box as well.
ESP-web-tools is a utility that makes flashing the microcontroller easier for end users. This way, you don't have to fiddle with VSCode and PlatformIO (or the Arduino IDE). You would need one of these options to update the box, but they are not necessary during actual use.
> Does the device firmware have all of the functionality required to function?
Yes.
> Are the electrical wires secured adequately for this use case?
Yes, they are adequately secured as proven by well over a year of use by myself. I will admit, the current solution is not optimal. I have boxes that use a microusb to dupont breakout and boards that use a 3d printed dupont to usb 'adapter'. Both work fine but are not very user friendly. We're open to any ideas for alternatives.
> Also, is the servo and servo horn adequately protected from damage and strong enough to reliably function properly in this application?
Excellent question, yes they are. We're toying with a design that forfeits the break-away-lid functionality for more security. For that design we will be testing the load on the servo extensively. But with the current design, the horn slides into a slot in both the box and the lid with virtually no resistance, passively blocking the lid from being taken off.
> Between this project not being available for sale and the above questions, how accurate is this thread title?
The availability is a fair point. We have offered pre-assembled units via Etsy on and off but it's been difficult to keep offering them.
We do believe that this is far and away the best lockbox for keyholding. Not just in value but in terms of security/effectiveness it outperforms any keyholding-focused alternative that we're aware of (based on reviews of said products and limited reverse engineering). Not to mention that this is the only product in this niche that we're aware of that doesn't leak your interest to who-knows-which companies.
A web browser is indeed required for locking and unlocking but no internet connection is required. The box hosts the webpage. Both the box and the phone or computer only need to be connected to a local network. This could also be a hotspot network.
Unpkg is simply a content delivery network (CDN). It hosts the latest version of the CSS and it hosts ESP-web-tools. The box will function just fine if the CSS cannot load, the webpage will just look ugly. So all the real functionality is self-contained in the box. We are looking into hosting the CSS on the box as well.
ESP-web-tools is a utility that makes flashing the microcontroller easier for end users. This way, you don't have to fiddle with VSCode and PlatformIO (or the Arduino IDE). You would need one of these options to update the box, but they are not necessary during actual use.
> Does the device firmware have all of the functionality required to function?
Yes.
> Are the electrical wires secured adequately for this use case?
Yes, they are adequately secured as proven by well over a year of use by myself. I will admit, the current solution is not optimal. I have boxes that use a microusb to dupont breakout and boards that use a 3d printed dupont to usb 'adapter'. Both work fine but are not very user friendly. We're open to any ideas for alternatives.
> Also, is the servo and servo horn adequately protected from damage and strong enough to reliably function properly in this application?
Excellent question, yes they are. We're toying with a design that forfeits the break-away-lid functionality for more security. For that design we will be testing the load on the servo extensively. But with the current design, the horn slides into a slot in both the box and the lid with virtually no resistance, passively blocking the lid from being taken off.
> Between this project not being available for sale and the above questions, how accurate is this thread title?
The availability is a fair point. We have offered pre-assembled units via Etsy on and off but it's been difficult to keep offering them.
We do believe that this is far and away the best lockbox for keyholding. Not just in value but in terms of security/effectiveness it outperforms any keyholding-focused alternative that we're aware of (based on reviews of said products and limited reverse engineering). Not to mention that this is the only product in this niche that we're aware of that doesn't leak your interest to who-knows-which companies.
Re: The very best lockbox on the market
Eki, thank you for the thorough response. Sorry for not responding earlier. I appreciate the explanation on how the 2 software modules function in relation to the internet. Getting the CSS hosted on the device itself would be nice. I now understand why you would consider your device to be the best available option; I can’t even argue against that after seeing your response. The following suggestions are simply some feedback from me on some possible improvements for you to consider. Even without any further changes, I think you have a great design and wish you the best with it.
As for the ESP-Web-Tools, that makes sense for most users. Would it be possible to also make the firmware available on something like GitHub so that users can download it and install it from their computer? This way, they can keep the lockbox isolated from the internet. Along this same line of thinking, I like the “ad-hock” network idea to make it easier to isolate the lockbox from the internet. Doing this protects the user’s privacy and protects the lockbox against any malicious activity.
As for the servo, I am not particularly experienced with using them. I have a couple of them that come with a model airplane remote control kit that I received second-hand around 2003 time frame and still have it. I only used it once (2005?) in a styrofoam airplane kit. It flew once; the landing didn’t go well and destroyed the plane. The servos and control board survived.
So, I had to do some research on the servo you use in the lockbox to see what the technical specs are for it. I was surprised to find out that the output shaft is plastic. This makes me nervous because I don’t trust plastic in critical places. Knowing that you have tested it thoroughly and it holds up well makes me feel much better about it. May I suggest mentioning that the MG90 with a metal shaft may be used in place of the SG90?
For the lockbox design, it looks like there are 2 slots for the servo horn to enter to lock the box (one on the box, one on the lid). In my mind, this would put abnormal force on the servo horn and servo shaft. I am not sure if this matters or not, but I would like to see 3 slots for the servo horn: 2 sturdy ones on the box and a weaker one on the lid that slides in between the box slots. This would ensure that the box and lid take all of the force when breaking it open and the servo shaft should not endure any pulling or bending force at all. Doing this would likely improve the lifespan of the servo and decrease the potential for damage to the servo.
For the box power input, have you considered using a bulkhead connector or doing something to secure the power cable where it enters the box to prevent any pull force from reaching the circuit board connections? I am concerned about the potential issues if the cable gets yanked somehow.
Again, thank you for sharing your lockbox project with us and thank you for putting such great work into this.
As for the ESP-Web-Tools, that makes sense for most users. Would it be possible to also make the firmware available on something like GitHub so that users can download it and install it from their computer? This way, they can keep the lockbox isolated from the internet. Along this same line of thinking, I like the “ad-hock” network idea to make it easier to isolate the lockbox from the internet. Doing this protects the user’s privacy and protects the lockbox against any malicious activity.
As for the servo, I am not particularly experienced with using them. I have a couple of them that come with a model airplane remote control kit that I received second-hand around 2003 time frame and still have it. I only used it once (2005?) in a styrofoam airplane kit. It flew once; the landing didn’t go well and destroyed the plane. The servos and control board survived.
So, I had to do some research on the servo you use in the lockbox to see what the technical specs are for it. I was surprised to find out that the output shaft is plastic. This makes me nervous because I don’t trust plastic in critical places. Knowing that you have tested it thoroughly and it holds up well makes me feel much better about it. May I suggest mentioning that the MG90 with a metal shaft may be used in place of the SG90?
For the lockbox design, it looks like there are 2 slots for the servo horn to enter to lock the box (one on the box, one on the lid). In my mind, this would put abnormal force on the servo horn and servo shaft. I am not sure if this matters or not, but I would like to see 3 slots for the servo horn: 2 sturdy ones on the box and a weaker one on the lid that slides in between the box slots. This would ensure that the box and lid take all of the force when breaking it open and the servo shaft should not endure any pulling or bending force at all. Doing this would likely improve the lifespan of the servo and decrease the potential for damage to the servo.
For the box power input, have you considered using a bulkhead connector or doing something to secure the power cable where it enters the box to prevent any pull force from reaching the circuit board connections? I am concerned about the potential issues if the cable gets yanked somehow.
Again, thank you for sharing your lockbox project with us and thank you for putting such great work into this.
Resident timer maker.
Let’s make timers together!
Let’s make timers together!
Re: The very best lockbox on the market
Hi Riddle, thanks so much for the suggestions. We've already been working on hosting the CSS locally but it's been more of a challenge than anticipated. The solution might be to offer an alternative firmware flavour.
The source code is already public and available on github here: https://github.com/embeddedkink/lockbox-firmware. We'll go and check if the pages and repos all still link enough to each other.
As for the servo and box design, that will take a little more time. Hardware development has taken a bit of a break. I do believe that the current design is adequate (pulling on the lid applies a mostly downward force on the servo/shaft) so we'll take your concerns into consideration when/if we decide to go with a different locking system in the next major revision. I would like that one to also include a microusb breakout inside the box which will improve both power cable reliability but also user friendliness.
The source code is already public and available on github here: https://github.com/embeddedkink/lockbox-firmware. We'll go and check if the pages and repos all still link enough to each other.
As for the servo and box design, that will take a little more time. Hardware development has taken a bit of a break. I do believe that the current design is adequate (pulling on the lid applies a mostly downward force on the servo/shaft) so we'll take your concerns into consideration when/if we decide to go with a different locking system in the next major revision. I would like that one to also include a microusb breakout inside the box which will improve both power cable reliability but also user friendliness.
Re: The very best lockbox on the market
Thanks for sharing, going the extra step of making it easy to use and offline.
A lot of thought has gone into this. Support for the Emla API would be the cherry on top.
In chrome i had the espwebtools error out with both the Nodemcu and Wemos. After flashing it timed out waiting for a packet but the ESP was already in station mode and i could set up the wifi with no trouble.
It seems to work on a Wemos ESP8622 module so i guess any ESP8622 having the pins D3 & D4 should be fine. The Wemos are more compact while still having the onboard regulator and serial converter.
The idea of using those micro servos is great. They need minimal electronics and are easy to adapt to various hardware.
I had some aliexpress electronic cabinet latches around where the coil went up in smoke. The mechanism is good and reliable so i kept it for such projects.
Maybe thats an alternative for having no load on the servo arm while making things more ridgid.
I gave it a few tries in freecad and the version i have right now is decent and works great. Visually it can be polished and some tolerances on the servo & lock are half a millimeter off (i had to trim the sides of the servo slightly).
The screws and latch are inaccessible when closed, it can be mounted somewhere via screws like a safe and in an emergency the thin side can be bumped with a hammer.
Right now i reused a connector i had at hand so i can easily hook up wires. Those usb breakouts or a cutoff usb wire would probably be better.
I uploaded the CAD and images here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6157346
A lot of thought has gone into this. Support for the Emla API would be the cherry on top.
In chrome i had the espwebtools error out with both the Nodemcu and Wemos. After flashing it timed out waiting for a packet but the ESP was already in station mode and i could set up the wifi with no trouble.
It seems to work on a Wemos ESP8622 module so i guess any ESP8622 having the pins D3 & D4 should be fine. The Wemos are more compact while still having the onboard regulator and serial converter.
The idea of using those micro servos is great. They need minimal electronics and are easy to adapt to various hardware.
I had some aliexpress electronic cabinet latches around where the coil went up in smoke. The mechanism is good and reliable so i kept it for such projects.
Maybe thats an alternative for having no load on the servo arm while making things more ridgid.
I gave it a few tries in freecad and the version i have right now is decent and works great. Visually it can be polished and some tolerances on the servo & lock are half a millimeter off (i had to trim the sides of the servo slightly).
The screws and latch are inaccessible when closed, it can be mounted somewhere via screws like a safe and in an emergency the thin side can be bumped with a hammer.
Right now i reused a connector i had at hand so i can easily hook up wires. Those usb breakouts or a cutoff usb wire would probably be better.
I uploaded the CAD and images here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6157346
-
Shannon SteelSlave
- Moderator
- Posts: 6621
- Joined: 03 Feb 2019, 19:49
- Location: New England, USA
Re: The very best lockbox on the market
Aloha from Bound Anna, Opros.
Send me a private message if you would like to help us on other similar projects.
Send me a private message if you would like to help us on other similar projects.
Bondage is like a foreign film without subtitles. Only through sharing and practice can we hope to understand.
A Jedi uses bondage for knowledge and defense, never for attack.
I am so smart! I am so smart! S-M-R-T!....I, I mean S-M-A-R-T!
A Jedi uses bondage for knowledge and defense, never for attack.
I am so smart! I am so smart! S-M-R-T!....I, I mean S-M-A-R-T!
Re: The very best lockbox on the market
Welcome to Bound Anna, opros.
I see you have a lot of experience, so I hope you contact Shannon.
I see you have a lot of experience, so I hope you contact Shannon.
