SUGISAKAMASANORI

Journal of Advances in Artificial Life Robotics
Vol. 4(1); June (2023), pp. 59–62
ON LINE ISSN 2435-8061; ISSN-L 2435-8061
https://alife-robotics.org/jallr.html

Research Article

Key finder based on IoT
Sayanth Sudheer1, Heshalini Rajagopal2, Azam Mohammed Al-Qussari1, Norrima Mokhtar3
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Manipal International University, Malaysia
Institute of Computer Science and Digital Innovation, UCSI University, 56000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, Malaysia

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ARTICLE INFO
Article HistoryReceived 06 August 2022
Accepted 08 September 2023
Keywords
Key finderInternet of things (IoT)
NodeMCU
Google chrom

ABSTRACTWe realize we've misplaced our keys and are frustrated by a massive search of the house. Thispaper develops a simple IoT-based key discovery method that uses a NodeMCU, a buzzer, and abattery. The method involved creating a key management method designed for key installationand developing a website to assist with key location. With her Google Chrome browser on theuser's mobile phone, she can pinpoint the location of the lost key. When the website presses thekey search button, it will play an IoT key-related beep and save time by streamlining the process.
If you misplace your keys, you may search all over the house, but in the end, you may not be able
to find them. This paper is extremely important in that it has developed a method for quickly
finding keys using the method described above.

© 2022 The Author. Published by Sugisaka Masanori at ALife Robotics Corporation Ltd.
This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).

According to a survey conducted by Pebblebee.com, aBluetooth tracking startup, one in five individuals in theUnited States misplaces personal items on a weekly basis[2].
Among these items, car keys are at the top of the list ofitems that are often left behind. 28% of respondents
thought it was lost forever and gave up trying to find it
within a week. This is because personal items are often
misplaced and keys have become a serious concern. Thiscase is also the most important one, as searching for lostkeys requires a great deal of time and effort. Furthermore,
if a misplaced key falls into the wrong hands, it is unsafe
and undesirable in terms of crime prevention. The
novelty of this paper is to solve the problem by inventing
a key finder based on IoT, so that when a user misplaces
a key and a sound is heard, the user can quickly find andretrieve the lost key. We have developed an innovativetechnology that can do this.

1. Introduction
In today's society, if you misplace your keys, you end up
scurrying around the house looking for them. The stressof losing your key becomes extremely high when you
don't have a spare. Fortunately, society now has solutions
for quickly finding misplaced keys. Some devices makeloud noises within range. Other devices use GPS andBluetooth to display location on a smartphone, but
integrating GPS and Bluetooth makes the device larger
and heavier [1]This paper is about creating a key finder based on IoT
using NodeMCU, buzzer, and battery. The plan is on akey chain that easily attaches to your keys. This includes
the development of his web page dedicated to keytracking accessible in Google Chrome on mobile phones.
An IoT keychain is a device that uses a web page to makea sound when a lost key is found.

2. Literature Review
Several research studies have explored the application ofIoT-based detection and tracking systems, with examples
Corresponding author’s E-mail: heshalini@ucsiuniversity.edu.my, norrimamokhtar@um.edu.my URL: www.ucsiuniversity.edu.my59

including IoT-based fire alarm systems. In a study byAsma Mahgoub, Abdullah al-Ali, and Nourhan Tarrad(2019), an IoT-based wireless fire alarm system wasdesigned. This system was designed for easy installation
and utilized an ESP8266 microcontroller connected tovarious sensors (temperature, smoke, humidity) alongwith a buzzer for user alerts. Programming for the
microcontroller was done using an Arduino. The
ESP8266 was programmed to send SMS notifications toboth the fire department and the user, make phone calls
to the user, and activate an alarm when a fire was detected.
The author also developed a mobile app for user
communication. The study successfully achieved its
primary goal, which was to create an IoT-based fire alarmsystem capable of detecting fires and notifying therelevant parties [3]. One limitation of this system is thatit relies on a power supply instead of a rechargeable
battery source.

Furthermore, IoT technology has been employed in
automated irrigation through an Android application. The
irrigation robot used in this system was equipped witheight wheels to facilitate its movement and two ultrasonicsensors for obstacle detection. When obstacles weredetected, the robot would lift up before proceeding. Soil
moisture and DHT22 sensors were placed in the soil tomeasure moisture, humidity, and temperature. These
readings were sent to users via SMS every minute, andusers could also access the data through an Android app.
The robot followed a precise seeding and irrigation
process, including automatic seed dispensing at fixedintervals [6], [7].
3. Methodology
The IoT-based key finder system, as presented in thispaper, takes the shape of a keychain that can beconveniently attached to keys. Additionally, the project'sobjective encompasses the creation of a dedicated webpage for locating misplaced keys. Users can utilize theGoogle Chrome web page on their mobile phones tolocate their missing keys. For visual representations of
the proposed system's structure and operation, pleaserefer to Figs. 1 and 2 which depict the block diagram andflowchart, respectively.

IoT technology has also been applied to Human Activity
Recognition (HAC) for remote monitoring of vital signs.
Diego Castro, William Coral, and Camila Rodriguez(2017) designed a wearable-based human activity
recognition system using IoT devices. This system
employed an ESP8266 microcontroller programmed tocollect data from sensors measuring parameters like heartrate, respiration rate, and skin temperature. An
application was developed to record and store sensor data,
which could be reviewed daily by medical professionals.
In cases where the patient was at a distance from medical
assistance, the system could automatically send SMS
messages or make calls to a hospital if any vital signs
indicated a problem. The primary objective of this system
was to create an IoT-based device for monitoring andrecording vital signs, as well as alerting medicalprofessionals if necessary [4]. One potential
improvement for this system could be a more compact
design that can be worn on the arm rather than the waist.
IoT technology has also been applied to child safety andtracking devices, offering parents a means to locate andmonitor their children. M Nandini Priyanka, S Murugan,
K N H Srinivas, T D S Sarveswararao, and E Kusuma
Kumari (2019) developed such a system using a LinkIt
One board interfaced with sensors (temperature,heartbeat, touch) as well as GPS, GSM, and a digital
camera module. This system would automatically send
SMS alerts to parents when immediate attention wasrequired for a child during an emergency. Parameters liketouch, temperature, and heartbeat were analyzed andrecorded using a dedicated application created by theauthors. The primary aim of this system was to create anIoT-based device for child safety and tracking [5].
However, it's important to note that there may be
associated charges for SMS services.

Fig.1. Block Diagram of the system

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Fig. 3. Hardware of IoT based key finder
4.2. Google Chrome Webpage
We have created a dedicated web page designed forlocating misplaced keys. Users can employ the Google
Chrome web page on their mobile phones to track down
their missing keys, as illustrated in Fig.4.

Fig.2. Flowchart of the system
Fig. 4. GUI of the Webpage

4. Findings
4.1. Hardware of IoT based Key Finder

To initiate the process, the user must establish aconnection between their device and the NodeMCU byconnecting to the device's hotspot. In the subsequent step,
the user should input their Wi-Fi credentials, including
the router's username and password, to specify the Wi-Fi
network to which the NodeMCU should connect. Afterestablishing the connection, the user can access thedevice's webpage by entering the IP address(192.168.1.2) into their browser, as depicted in Fig. 4.
This webpage has been constructed using HTML code,
which has been programmed into the NodeMCU.
In the event of a missing key, the user can activate thebuzzer by clicking the 'click me' icon on the webpage.
Once the key is located, the user can deactivate the buzzer
by clicking the 'click me' icon again. The system'seffectiveness has been verified at various detection
distances, with the key's detection range from the mobile
device spanning from 1 meter to 15 meters. The buzzer
emits a sound at a frequency of 6 kHz, which remains
audible to the user within a 15-meter range.

The hardware of the IoT based key finder assembled on
PCB is shown in Fig. 3. The key finder has been
meticulously crafted to offer a compact and lightweight
design. Weighing a mere 20 grams and measuring just 9cm by 6 cm, it is exceptionally portable and can easily
accompany you wherever you go.

615.

Conclusion

Authors Introduction

In this paper, we designed an IoT-based key detector
using various parts such as the ESP8266-01, buzzer, andbattery. This collection of elements takes the form of asmall key chain that can be easily attached to a key.
Additionally, a dedicated web page has been created tohelp find misplaced keys. It can be used from the Google
Chrome browser on your mobile phone. When activated
via a web page, the IoT-based key chain emits a unique
beep, allowing users to search for lost keys.
This plan has several enhancements that can beimplemented. Integrating her GPS component into aquick key chain finder allows users to precisely track thelocation of their keys. Additionally, data and informationexchange can be incorporated to notify the user when alost key is found. This paper also provides a moreversatile solution for users to choose an Android app for
key tracking, and develops a new technology.

Mr. Sayanth Sudheer
He received his Diploma from theDepartment of Electrical andElectronic Engineering, Manipal
International University, Malaysia in
2022. Currently, he is an Intern inSplatz Zone Sdn Bhd, Malaysia.

Dr. Heshalini Rajagopal
She received her PhD and Master's
degree from the Department ofElectrical Engineering, University ofMalaya, Malaysia in 2021 and 2016,respectively. She received the B.E(Electrical) in 2013 Currently, she isan Assistant Professor in UCSI
University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Her research interest includes image
processing, artificial intelligence and machine learning.

References
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International Journal of Innovative Technology andExploring Engineering, 2019, 8(8): 1791–1795.
Kumar A, Rajagopal H. Automated Seeding andIrrigation System using Arduino[J]. Journal ofRobotics, Networking and Artificial Life, 2022, 8(4):259–262.
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Mr. Azam Mohammed Al-Qussari
He received his Diploma from theDepartmentofElectricalandElectronic Engineering, Manipal
International University, Malaysia in2022.

Dr. Norrima Mokhtar
She received the B.Eng. degree from
University of Malaya, the M.Eng. andthe Ph.D. degree from Oita Univerity,
Japan. She is currently a SeniorLecturer in the Department ofElectrical Engineering, University ofMalaya. Her research interests are
signal processing and human machineinterface.

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