Shipment tracking and cold-chain monitoring
A unit placed inside the shipment that sends its location and temperature, and detects shocks and box opening, providing a record that settles responsibility when damage occurs.
The problem
The sender loses control of a shipment from dispatch to delivery, and if it arrives damaged nobody knows where or when it happened, so responsibility turns into competing claims. With refrigerated goods the damage isn't even visible. Tracking turns the trip from an unknown path into a documented record showing delays, temperature rises, and shocks.
How it works
- PositioningThe GPS module sends the shipment's coordinates at regular intervals.
- Condition monitoringSensors monitor temperature and humidity inside the box.
- Shock monitoringThe accelerometer records any shock or tipping of the box.
- Opening detectionA light or magnetic sensor detects the box being opened outside the scheduled time.
- SendingData is sent over the cellular network since the shipment is moving.
- FollowingA map shows the full route with markers for every abnormal event.
Project features
- The log settles responsibility when damage occurs — direct commercial value.
- It combines tracking, cold-chain monitoring, and tamper detection in one unit.
- Box-opening detection is a security feature that simple trackers don't have.
- An easy demo: move and shake the box and watch the events appear.
- It has a real market: shipping, pharmaceutical, and food companies.
Parts
All the parts you need in one place. Remove what you already have, and swap parts to fit your budget. Parts with a photo are available in our store at their current price.
Prices are estimates and may change. Parts marked “other supplier” are ordered outside our main store.
Expected challenges
These are the main obstacles to expect during the build, laid out clearly so you know them before you start.
- Matching battery life to trip duration is the project's most important constraint.
- Cellular coverage drops in desert areas and on mountain roads.
- The GPS signal weakens inside closed metal trucks.
- Telling a real shock from normal road vibration.
- The unit's size and weight must suit placing it inside the shipment.
The consultation gives you a solution for each one.
Expected committee questions
Prepare your answers in advance: these questions come up often in defenses of similar projects.
- How long does the battery last during the shipment's trip, and how was its power use reduced?
- How is data sent from a place without coverage?
- How is box opening detected, and is there a way to get around it?
- How does the log settle responsibility between the parties when damage occurs?
Students' experiences
Add a comment on the idea: +2 points. Or share your experience with photos of your build: +10 points. Every 50 points become a JD 5 discount voucher on parts orders.
Need solutions to the challenges and a complete technical path?
In the consultation we give you a solution for each challenge above, plus a practical build plan from the first step to the last: technologies, libraries, wiring diagram, timeline, and tips for the defense.
- Consultation session
- PDF with solutions and a plan
- 20 د.أ فقط