Let Me In

Inspiration

Tricky dorm room locks.

What it does

Using Microsoft's Face API, recognizes faces in a snapshot taken by a USB webcam and controls an Arduino to unlock a door.

How we built it

We used 3 main components - 1) The Arduino and stepper motor 2) The call to the Face API 3) The run of the stepper motor, after the faces are identified.

Challenges we ran into

We ran into problems configuring wifi settings on our embedded computers - we tried the Raspberry Pi and BeagleBone Black Wireless, neither of which successfully connected, even with ethernet. As a result, we were unable to install important webcam packages on our devices, which prompted us to begin development on Mac in the short term. Other challenges - controlling the Arduino and camera reliably with python scripts.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Using Python to take pictures with a USB Webcam. Using Python to interact with the serial ports of Arduino. Writing a comprehensive bash script that automates the whole process.

What we learned

We learned everything needed for this project - aside from a decent understanding of the Python language and basic understanding of circuits - on the go at HackGT, thanks to amazing mentors.

What's next for Let Me In

Eventually we will want to switch out the Arduino for a Raspberry Pi 3 and some sort of NFC activation for the camera being used. We are also encouraged to look for ways that the power consumption of the stepper and the UNO can be reduced when not in use.

Also, we are looking to create a user interface/mobile application for quick and easy setup.

Built With

• arduino
• microsoft-face-api
• python