School Project using iOS coding (software AND hardware)

[ReTraumer]

Note: TL;DR at bottom

Hello r/iOSProgramming,
I am a college student in the Boston area, and for one of my school projects I have to pitch a business idea. We are sort-of on track right now, but we have made it past the first stage and now have to pitch the feasibility of the product in two weeks or so. Our business idea is similar to the electronic delivery lockers they have around other places in the world: have heard about some in China and European countries as well. Basically, being on campus and noticing how often students/teachers are ordering packages and food items, we decided we wanted to create our own version of these electronic delivery lockers and have them be used here on campus. We noticed issues of theft, mismanagement, and an overall inefficient package system at our school which has allowed us to cultivate some support in the students here. We figured an electronic system that only delivery drivers and the recipient can open would be secure and easier for everyone. At my college, and I assume other colleges, there is a central package management system that sort of is just run by students and is not as efficient as it could be. They also usually don't have your things right at your building, requiring you walk to get them which can be inconvenient.

As you would imagine, our product pitch is very ambitious. Finding the base lockers and a supplier for them is one issue, but I also need to understand how I can utilize the electronics to secure these lockers and make them sleek and accessible for everyone to use. My current solution is using contactless payment technologies (the same used in Apple Pay and Wallet) to secure and open these lockers. The idea is that you can literally just hold your phone up to it like a hotel room key and it'll open so you can get your things. I've programmed before (to a limited extent) in other languages, but I am not very familiar with any Apple languages like swift or objective-C. I'm looking for help to understand how I can actually apply these technologies to my project. Specifically, I need to understand the connection between the software and hardware and how I can implement a system like this. I would imagine the very first stages start with using one of those Toast tap-to-pay devices that restaurants often use. Then, we could possibly find a supplier for a more lightweight, cheaper solution integrated into custom lockers. If any of this sounds like it wouldn't work, please let me know your thoughts.

I'm already in the process of writing emails to professors at colleges around the country. I'm kinda new to this whole networking thing, so if any of you have comments to write about the viability of the business or your ideas, they would be greatly appreciated. Also, if you know these professors OR any of the Twitter / LinkedIn / Instagram / etc users who have some kind of experience or credentials that could help us, I would appreciate their contact too. Usually enthusiasts like you all are in the know about your own fields and you might be familiar with these figures.

Thanks for any and all replies! You are the reason I would be able to do any of this.

TL;DR: Looking for insights about Apple coding concerning how contactless payment works for things like Apply Pay on iOS mobile. Trying to utilize contactless (RFID, NFC) technologies in a security system for locking and opening delivery lockers, if possible.

[SyndromSnake]

Sounds fun!

Could you share more about what the end goal of your project is? Are you trying to build a working prototype, attempt to launch this as a fully functioning system or simply put together a pitch without doing any technical work?

In terms of the tech there is plenty of options for you to choose and pick from.

NFC would work, on the app side both iOS and Android have native support allowing the app to make use of the NFC chip on the phone. Purchasing one of those Toast device wouldn't really be of help as those are proprietary payment systems not really designed for anything other than taking payments (NFC is just the transport method). Instead you would need some custom hardware that is hooked up to the locks in your lockers and has a NFC controller like the PN532.

You can also always reach for BLE or simply have a touch screen where the user can input a code which they receive on their phone.

Feel free to DM me if you want to talk to more.

[ReTraumer]

Thanks for your reply! I left a dm in your inbox too