1st International Conference on Advances in Science, Engineering and Robotics Technology 2019 (ICASERT 2019)

A Prototype of Automated Vault Locker Solution

for Industrial Application
Shafayet Hossain Mazid Ishtique Ahmed Md. Niaz Mostakim
Dept.of Electrical and Electronic Dept.of Electrical and Electronic Dept.of Electrical and Electronic
Engineering Engineering Engineering
Atish Dipankar University of Science Atish Dipankar University of Science Atish Dipankar University of Science
and technology and technology and technology
Dhaka, Bangladesh Dhaka, Bangladesh Dhaka, Bangladesh
shafayethossain774@gmail.com mazid.i.ahmed@ieee.org niazmostakim@ieee.org

Abstract— In this paper, an enhanced security solution is
proposed for industry grade safety vault system. Electronic
security and safety have been offering robust mechanism for
implementation in ensuring proper shelter of key documents
and goods in offices, banks, institutions, libraries,
laboratories etc. Development of various sensors have
enabled systems to have preventive and corrective measures
in this regard significantly. In order to deliver a concrete
security solution for critically important and confidential
documents and goods, we proposed an Automated Safety
Vault with Double Layered Defense Mechanism. The
solution comprised of an Electronic Lock driven by password
verification and a Biometric authentication for users using a
Fingerprint scanning and sensing tool. Both of these two
layers ensured the authenticity of the user by preventing any
unauthorized access to the Vault. Moreover, actions of PIR
and LDR sensors would also safeguard the vault from any
breakout access other than the double layered defenses by
being positioned within the periphery of the vault. The system
was then implemented in a prototype scope for testing and
validation of the proposals. The implemented system and
testing data showed that the Automated Safety Vault with all
its security features had successful operation. The
specification of the whole system as well as the results are
documented in this paper.
Keywords—vault, locker, arduino, pir, ldr, safety, fingerprint,
biometric, numeric
I. INTRODUCTION
Security is of primary concern and in this busy, competitive
world, human being cannot find ways to provide security to
his confidential belongings manually. Instead, he finds an
alternative which can provide a full-fledged security as well
as atomized. In the ubiquitous network society, where
individuals can easily access their information anytime and
anywhere, people are also faced with the risk that others can
easily access the same information anytime and anywhere.
Because of this risk, personal identification technology,
which can distinguish between registered legitimate users and
imposters, is now generating interest. Various attempts are
made for providing security for all domiciles. Up to date,
complete security is not discovered but continuous
enforcement of modern day technologies can always
contribute to add the next level.
In automatic security systems generally passwords,
identification cards and PIN verification techniques are being
used but the disadvantage is that the passwords could be
hacked and a card may be stolen or lost. The most secured
system is fingerprint recognition because a fingerprint of one
person never matches the other. Biometrics studies
commonly include fingerprint, face, iris, voice, signature, and
hand geometry recognition and verification. Many other
modalities are in various stages of development and
assessment. Among these available biometric traits
fingerprint proves to be one of the best traits providing good
mismatch ratio, high accurate in terms of security and also
reliable. That’s why we are motivated to do this project.
Many researchers have implemented security system and
continuously they are working to develop them. Crystalynne
D. Cortez et.al designed a microcontroller based biometric
locker system with short message service. This proposed
system has implemented on finger print sensor and GSM
module. Finger print sensor is used to scan finger after
matching it with the saved pattern and unlock the locker.
GSM module sends a text message consist of an information
when an unrecognized fingerprint was encountered [1].
Another finger print-based security system has implemented
which is finger print-based door locking system. If the
fingerprint matches, the door will be opened automatically
otherwise the buzzer connected to an audio amplifier will be
activated so that the people near the surroundings will get an
alert. This system has proposed by A. Aditya Shankar et.al
[2]. Sheikh Izzal Azid et al. have proposed a low cost home
security system [3]. In this system, different sensors have
used to secure home. They have used motion sensor, smoke
sensor, humidity and light sensors. Home security based on
ZigBee technology and GSM/GPRS network has
implemented by J. Tan, Q. Wang et.al. They implemented
this system form real time surveillance and remote
monitoring of the home [4]. Another wireless module based
security system has been implemented by Mohd Adib B.
Sarijari et al. In this system ZigBee IEEE, 802.15.4 standard
has used to develop smart home environment [5].
M.K.Hossain et al have implemented a three-layer security
[6]. In this security system, they have used NFC tag; fixed
password and motion .To open the door these three
requirements have to provide. Arduino and GSM based
advanced security system has been implemented by C.
Malarvizhi et al. In his system chloroform sprayer is used to
unconscious the thief inside the home [7]. Another security

978-1-7281-3445-1/19/$31.00 ©2019 IEEE

system based on Arduino had been implemented by Saurabh
Kul et al [8]. This system has implemented by using Keypad,
fingerprint, motion and PIR sensor and they implemented
their system in five separate parts.
Therefore, the study of all these approaches intent to solve
the dire problem of security to critical systems of an
institution with proper authorization. Such systems are only
accessible by the designated users and not by the mass.
Moreover, the solution must ensure the obstruction of all
possible ways of violation of security within the periphery of
the secured area. It is also expected to regulate the access to
certain users divided in different using capacity groups.
II. THE PROPOSED SOLUTION OF DOUBLE LAYERED DEFENSE
MECHANISM
The key objective of the proposed solution is to obtain the
result of collective decision making based on the data
provided by multiple sensors. To attain this performance, a
controller is employed to analyze the sensor data and to
generate desired controlled variables in order to ensure the
security of the vault. Arduino UNO platform, is a modern day
phenomenon for achieving prototypes of such controlling tool
with various peripherals.
Fig. 1. Block diagram of proposed system.
As shown in fig 1, the controllers played the key role of
decision making populated with the biometric and the physical
motion detecting sensors and generated the controlled
response or regulated to drive the servo motor of the vault door
or buzzing the alarm due to unauthorized entry. However, the
proposed solution does not only ensure vault security, but also
provides certain degree of assistance in designing other
similar prototypes involving biometric as well as physical
sensing.
In addition to these conditions, the objectives were to
develop a prototype featuring:
 Automated vault locking mechanism driven by
actuated servo motor controlled and directed by
ensuring double layers of safety.
 Allowance of access by verifying securely stored
pre-registered password by the user which could
confirm the primary layer of safety to the vault in
terms of unauthorized entry.
 Pattern recognition of biometric data of user’s
fingerprint which would be pre-enrolled by scanning
the fingerprints of the thumb and index fingers. The
patterns were stored in the system database. It
ensures the secondary layer safety to the secured
vault after successful adherence to the primary layer
of password protection.
 Motion detection in case of extreme violation of both
layers of protective measures using PIR motion
sensor and LDR light dependent sensor to assist
physical intervention of security in charge from the
law-enforcement agencies.
III. COMPONENTS OF THE PROTOTYPE IMPLEMENTATION
The implementation of the prototype was based on the
combination of the individial blocks of fig. 1. A brief detail
of the components which were used to build each block to
enable the system to behave to obtain the expected results are
as following –
A. Power Supply: 5V DC power supply was prepared
using simple bridge rectifier with ripple filters.
B. Keypad: A numeric keypad of 4x4 structures was
used as the input method of password entry. Only
the numeric spaces of the keypad were used for
password generation and verification of the
password at the time of operation.
C. Fingerprint Scanner: A biometric fingerprint
scanner manufactured by Shenzen CAMA, China
was used.
D. PIR Sensor: Used for motion detection within the
vault premise.
E. LDR: Used for detection of any unnecessary lights
within the vault.
F. Servo-motor: A 10 gram Servo motor with No load
speed indicated as 0.12 seconds/60 at a rotary angle
of 180 degrees. The operating voltage is with 4.8 –
6 Volts.
G. Buzzer: A locally sourced buzzer used outside the
vault premise to alert the security enforcement
personnel about any unauthorized entry into the
vault.
H. LEDs: Used as Status Indicator LEDs (SIL), placed
above the vault door for indication of modes of
operations as mentioned in table III.
I. Controller: Two Arduino Uno hardware solution
packs were used as the controlling unit of the
proposed solution which initiated all the processes
indicated in fig. 2, 3 and 4.
IV. WORKING PRINCIPLE OF THE PROPOSED SOLUTION
As already mentioned in section II, the controller served
as the brain of the proposed system which being specified
with the sensors’ data, set the system trajectory to follow
security compliances. Moreover, the components as use of the vault and safeguard the content or elements to be
mentioned in section III, were arranged in such a manner that kept protected.
the controller was driven to follow three separate yet inter-
connected algorithms each gathering the sensed variables Apart from the mentioned causes of safety violation, a
which are listed in table I. All the sensors delivering the rather emergency case of infringement could still occur due
deciding factors to operate and ensure security of the vault to forceful break in. If a breach in to the system occurred in
are segregated in three layers as well. such a manner bypassing the layers of password and
fingerprint affirmation, a motion detector sensor (PIR sensor)
TABLE I. SENSOR DETAILS was placed within the perimeter of the vault which is only
active while the procedure of the Layer 1 and 2 would be
Sensed Variables
missing from the controller. Similarly, a Light detection
Sensors Reference Sensor (LDR sensor) was also stationed along side the PIR
Variable Values/status &
Output type sensor to assist the controller to decide any unauthorized
access existance of a person/object within the secured
PIR Motion_detect 1
peripherry of the vault. While any of these sensors were
LDR Light_detect Logic, LOW
delivering any sensed data to the controller, the locking
procedure would behave as it used to the situation of safety
Keypad (initial
enforcement of Layer 1 and Layer 2. This layer of guranting
Prestored_password CHAR, ARRAY the vault safety was termed as the Violation Status layer and
configuration)
its working principle is shown in fig. 4.
Keypad (user
operation)
User_password CHAR, ARRAY Along with the conditions to switch on or off the buzzer
to monitor the security of the vault, a LCD display was also
Biometric (initial scan attached adjacent to the door of the vault, in the right side and
Prestrored_finger_print IMAGE, BIN
of fingerprint) the numeric keypad as well as the fingerprint scanner was
situated in the opposite side at the same elevation. On the
Biometric other hand, three LEDs were placed at the top of the locking
User_finger_print IMAGE, BIN
(user operation)
door which indicated the operational modes of the vault and
are termed as Status Indicator LEDs (SIL) in this report which
TABLE II. LAYER DETAILS are detailed in table III.
Layers Layer Sensors Leading to -
TABLE III. MODES OF OPERATION
Violation Status PIR, LDR Layer 1 or Vault Status
Modes SIL Operational Status
Layer 1 Keypad Layer 2
V-111 GREEN Vault “SECURED”
Biometric Vault Operation or Vault
Layer 2 V-A BLUE Vault “UNDER USE”
Fingerprint Scanner Status
V-0 RED Vault “SECURITY BREACH”
The vault was considered to be a square shaped structure
and naturally, in safe and normal operation there would be no
presence of any light. Electric lighting system would still be V-111 indicated that all the layers and violation status
disbaled when the vault was in the locked state and the procedures are active and the vault was secured. In contray of
controller would only lit up the space of the vault when it was that, V-0 indicated that some kind of violation of any of the
securely accessed through Layer 1 and Layer 2 approach. security feature of the vault had occurred and would update
the ooperational status. However, V-A would mean that the
The first layer was responsible for primary authentication vault was being used by a user following both layers of access
of a user. The verification in this cased was based on the and it would remain so till the user had completed the
comparison of a prestored password and a password input requirements of accessing. The switch from V-A to V-111
from the same user through a numeric keypad. The operation occurred after the user came out of the vault by mechanically
of Layer 1 was followed as per the flow chart shown in fig. opening the door from the inside and securing it again till the
2. The authentication followed a procedure of password SIL was updated as per the status of V-111. In any case of
verification with a trial limit of three input from the user. delayed update between V-111 and V-A after mechanical
Failure to provide the correct password within that limit of lock was initiated, the system would again move to V-0 and
attempting to access the system would result in system lock follow the operation of breach as per vault violation rules
down and buzzing the alarm. After successful initalizing of shown in fig. 4.
Layer 1, the next layer of authentication using fingerprint
scanner would be presented to the user for scanning his\her V. OBSERVATIONS FROM THE IMPLEMENTATION
fingerprint. Upon the complete match with the prestored The proposed model was implemented as a prototype for
fingerprint would activate the servo motor attached to lock of validation of the working criteria to ensure the safety of a vault
the door of the secured vault to be opened as depicted in fig. using double layers of security. The model was built as per the
3. However, the vault again would move to locked state block diagram outlined in fig. 1. The controller was
ending with the triggering off the alarm. Thus the Double programmed according to the algorithms presented in fig. 2, 3
Layer security would be ensured for the safe and legitimate and 4. The door of the vault operated as per the modes of
operation already discussed in earlier sections, following table
III. The vault security was tested by instigating forced
breaking in as well as inputting false biometric and numeric
authentication parameters. In all those scenarios, the buzzer of
the system was set off and operational status got reconditioned
through the SIL. For the proper and natural operation of the
vault security, user verification tools of password protection
and biometric sensing were investigated which assured that
the prototype was functioning with all its attributes and
protocols of double layer security being commissioned.
In fig. 5(a), the implemented prototype can be seen with
all the peripheral components and the vault door being
energized by the servo motor. The SIL are indicating the states
of operation as per the categories mentioned in table III. Rest
of the components, including the control unit as well as the
motion and light detectors for the detection of security breach
were placed within the premise of the vault of this prototype.
All the states of operation indicated by the SIL as well as
the texts of LCD display were shown in fig. 5(b), fig. 5(c) and
fig. 5(d) respectively.

Fig. 4. Flowchart of continuous violation status verification.

The vault door can be noted to be in operation with SIL

indicating the BLUE light being after successful entry of
numeric password and verification of biometric data through
fingerprint scanner as the system prepared itself to be in V-A
mode of operation. A forced break-in was performed to test
the V-0 state which was also properly working due to the
adequate detection of motion and illumination by the PIR and
LDR modules respectively. During the user’s access of the
vault, the door was kept open at an angle of 900. After the
secured access, the user is required to lock the vault door
using the keypad by pressing the “*” key. To initiate the
access, the system needed to be enabled by pressing “#” key
of the keypad.

In fig. 6, the control unit components can be found

Fig. 2. Flowchart of primary layer (Layer 1) of vault security.
installed within the vault premise of the prototype including
the PIR sensor and LDR module.

All the components were used and configured according

to manufacturer’s specification. It can also be added that the
prototype was implemented in a very reasonable budget. The
cost of implementation can be found in table IV which can be
scaled for commercial manufacturing.

TABLE IV. COST OF IMPLEMENTATION

Components Manufacturer Cost (in BDT) Cost (in USD)

Fingerprint Shenzen
2100 25.07
Scanner CAMA
LCD Display Shenzen
150 1.8
16*2 Shanhai
Ningbo Best
PIR 90 1.07
Group
Fut-electronic
LDR Module 120 1.43
Tech. Co.
Sparkfun
Arduino Uno
Industries & 800 9.55
(2 units)
Adafruit
Keypad,
Locally
Cables and 350 4.18
sourced
accesories
Total: 3610 43.10
Fig. 3. Flowchart of secondary layer of vault security.
 Fig. 5(c). The vault, in “UNDER USE” state

Fig. 5(a). Implementation of the prototype.

Fig. 5(d). The vault “SECURITY BREACH” state

Fig. 5(b). The vault, in “SECURED” state


Fig. 6. Components of the prototype within the vault premise.
VI. CONCLUSION
Secured vaults are a basic requirement in various
industrial scopes of financial, educational, management
institutes and many more. In This paper, the design and
implementation of a prototype of an automated vault door
locking system is presented which warrants double layer of
security. It ensures the proper user of the vault by securing the
door with numeric password and biometric authentication. It
monitors the conditions of operation of the vault from both the
inside and the outside by employing several sensors which are
continuously feeding information to the controller of the
proposed system to confirm the robustness in terms of rightful
access and security of the contents within the vault. The entire
system can be easily managed with all the status updates being
reeled by the controller to the administrators eliminating the
unforced reasons of human errors. Implementation at a
reasonable budget can also be mentioned as another beneficial
aspect of the system. The observations of its operation are very
encouraging to provide an easy solution to a sophisticated and
unavoidable problem faced by various institutions which is
quite user friendly. Furthermore, accessing the sensor data for
remote monitoring, administering and handling the breach
circumstances are being considered for future implementation
using the vast dimensions added by IoT and cyber-physical
system models. In that spectrum with enormous amount of
capacity to process and store big data, an enhanced state-of-
art vault door locking system is being researched and
developed by the authors.
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