RFID Toolbox Lock Prevents Unauthorized Prying Hands

Ryan S. lost the key for his apparently well-stocked toolbox. While in an ideal world he could just keep it open without fear of prying hands, this hasn’t happened, and people have been borrowing his tools without permission. Rather than purchasing a new key or lock cylinder — which would have been too easy — he decided to enhance it with an RFID security system.

His newly modified device implements a high-torque servo to engage the lock, under control of an Arduino Uno clone and an RFID reader. When Ryan hits the reader with a key fob, the toolbox makes an indicator chime, then switches state from locked to unlocked and vice versa.

The toolbox is powered by a 6V, 2A power cable, and if for some reason the power goes out it defaults to a locked state. So potential “borrowers” can’t just cycle the power to get at the tools inside. This of course inhibits the chest's mobility, but it’s very hard to move anyway because of its weight when loaded, making that not a problem. It’s a great idea though, and if you did have a more mobile box, upgrading things with a rechargeable battery would be a pretty trivial matter. Perhaps we’ll see more of this type of device in the future!

On a related note, if work in a shop environment at some point in the future, it’s very bad etiquite to go through someone’s toolbox without explicit permission. You’ll certainly learn this rule one way or another, so just trust me on this one.