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Unlocc Logo
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The initial selection page
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Form for homeowners
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Access granted!
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The August Lock
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Early mockup of our website's design
Inspiration
Last year we had to go through the hassle of retrieving a physical key from a locked box in a hidden location in order to enter our AirBnB. After seeing the August locks, we thought there must be a more convenient alternative.
We thought of other situations where you would want to grant access to your locks. In many cases where you would want to only grant temporary access, such as AirBnB, escape rooms or visitors or contractors at a business, you would want the end user to sign an agreement before being granted access, so naturally we looked into the DocuSign API.
What it does
The app has two pieces: a way for home owners to grant temporary access to their clients, and the way for the clients to access the locks.
The property owner fills out a simple form with the phone number of their client as a way to identify them, the address of the property, the end date of their stay, the details needed to access the August lock. Our server then generates a custom DocuSign Click form and waits for the client.
When the client access the server, they first have to agree to the DocuSign form, which is mostly our agreement, but includes details about the time and location of the access granted, and includes a section for the property owners to add their own details. Once they have agreed to the form, they are able to use our website to lock and unlock the August lock they are granted access to via the internet, until the period of access specified by the property owner ends.
How we built it
We set up a Flask server, and made an outline of what the website would be. Then we worked on figuring out the API calls we would need to make in local python scripts. We developed the DocuSign and August pieces separately. Once the pieces were ready, we began integrating them into the Flask server. Then we worked on debugging and polishing our product.
Challenges we ran into
Some of the API calls were complex and it was difficult figuring out which pieces of data were needed and how to format them in order to use the APIs properly. The hardest API piece to implement was programatically generating DocuSign documents. Also, debugging was difficult once we were working on the Flask server, but once we figured out how to use Flask debug mode, it became a lot easier.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We successfully implemented all the main pieces of our idea, including ensuring users signed via DocuSign, controlling the August lock, rejecting users after their access expires, and including both the property owner and client sides of the project.
We are also proud of the potential security of our system. The renter is given absolute minimal access. They are never given direct access to the lock info, removing potential security vulnerabilities. They login to our website, and both verification that they have permission to use the lock and the API calls to control the lock occur on our server.
What we learned
We learned a lot about web development including how to use cookies, forms, and URL arguments. We also gained a lot of experience in implementing 3rd party API's.
What's next for Unlocc
The next steps would be expanding the rudimentary account system with a more polished one, having a lawyer help us draft the legalese in the DocuSign documents, and contacting potential users such as AirBnB property owners or escape room companies.
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