Engineers at Deakin University have developed a new smart generation schoolbag that will end the days when students end up forgetting their homework, particularly since the smart schoolbag is capable of completing its own morning checklist.
The Smart Schoolbag
According to a recent press release, the smart schoolbag comes with built-in hardware and software that works to ensure it is packed correctly for each day’s timetable, including lunch and sports gear.
Designed by School of Engineering researchers, it has the capability to send content alerts by smartphone to students, parents and even teachers.
Additionally, the schoolbag can tell when items are not required and should be left at home. This guarantees that the bag is not heavier than it needs to be.
The new smart school bag uses radio frequency identification (RFID) tags in order to detect items in the bag.
It also utilises the Internet of Things (IOT) technology to check its contents against the daily school plan.
Background of the project
As explained by one of the researchers, they know how difficult it is to pack the school bag each morning, particularly for younger kids, because the timetable changes daily.
Therefore, there is a need to pack different things on a daily basis.
A mobile application developed in this project will allow the parents to see the items in the bag and automatically checks them off against the timetable.
Furthermore, it will be able to identify what is missing and notify the parents if anything else needs to be packed.
There is a plethora of benefits that the smart schoolbag brings. One of which is saving a lot of time and stress that occurs when homework, hats or lunches are left home by mistake.
This removes the need for parents to quickly race home in order to retrieve the missing item.
Another benefit is the being able to minimise the weight of the bag, which in turn will reduce the discomfort that the children may experience by carrying a heavy load on their backs and shoulders.
With a smart schoolbag, children will not need to leave everything in their bag every day. The system helps them pack only what is needed that day and not worry about forgetting something the next day.
While the system can be fitted to any school bag, the team have designed a prototype smart schoolbag that includes the smart phone application.
This could retail for between AU$ 125 and AU$ 150, which makes it an affordable option for many families.
The project is currently at the demonstration stage and looking for commercial partners who are interested to take this project to the next level.
