Functional Overwatch Loot Box Has an NFC-Triggered Lock

In the Overwatch video game, players are rewarded with a Loot Box when they complete one of a variety of different tasks. They can be earned by leveling up, by participating in special events, or by winning games under certain conditions. Or, you can pay about $1 in real-world money for one. The Loot Boxes themselves contain items that players can use to personalize their avatars, and so they’re a pretty big deal.

Redditor OodzOfNoodz wanted to make a special Christmas present for a guy she’s seeing, and so she set out to build him a real life Loot Box. The structure of the box was made from foam—a medium she’s probably experienced with from cosplaying. The four doors on top are hinged, and open to reveal an LED-lit storage compartment.

However, before it can be opened, it has to be unlocked. The locking mechanism uses three servos, which are connected to an Arduino Uno. An NFC reader is connected to the Arduino, and when it detects the NFC tag a Sketch runs that unlocks the box and turns on the interior LEDs.

OodzOfNoodz is planning on building a second version of the box. She was in a rush to get the first one done by Christmas, and didn’t get it polished quite as much as she would have liked. But, as far as we can tell, this one is already nicely done.