Unattended Equipment Loan System?

captnitro asks: "I run a small media lab for a department at a large public university. We have about 120 faculty and and equal number of graduate students who from time to time need things like digital cameras, video equipment, projectors, EyeOne units, and so on. (While there is a central location on campus for students, faculty and staff to get some of this equipment, we stock a few specialized pieces that our faculty need.) Since I'm out of the office a lot, I'm looking for a clever way of loaning out equipment that doesn't involve me being there and is secure enough that our administrators deem it "theft resistant" enough to implement. I've looked into small safes with PINs, or card readers (all faculty have IDs with magstripes), blah blah blah, but most of these are prohibitively expensive, so I'm thinking of hacking something together myself.. though I have no idea how I'd do that. Any thoughts?" Solutions could range from the clever and mixed tech (cheap locked boxes with combinations sent through encrypted e-mail), through high tech (use of the existing ID cards system) to unlock delivery boxes. If you were going to set up a system like this, how would you do it?

it can be done

[jjshoe]

Yes, find the problems with what he's asking and completely ignore the question.

Parts
1) Magstrip reader (no link) -- used to read the id of someone at the door
2) Computer (no link) -- used to tell who is at the door.
3) Electronic door strike (http://www.audioimpact.net/EDS300_EDS300_ELECTRON IC_DOOR_STRIKE.asp [audioimpact.net] -- When validated by the pc current is sent to the door strike to unlock the room
4) Webcam (no link) -- takes pictures of whoever is entering using motion sensing software

Issues -- power outage -- room remains locked. Entrance can be aqquired by using a key.

Issues -- Damanged equipment -- look at who has checked it out last by checking the mag stripe log and the webcam.

Issues -- Damaged equipment -- "Someone before me broke it", make it well aware that they should test it BEFORE they leave the room with it.

Re:Low-tech solution

[biryokumaru]

dude, as a college freshman, i can whole heartedly say that that job would kick ass, and i'd do it fer just about minimum wage!

Re:What about damage?

[jim_redwagon]

What I and a lot of others are missing from the original post. He's not looking for fool-proof. He said 'theft-resistant' for when he's not in his office.

I think you can do a lot here. I posted ealier about the lockers and the software package. After an item is returned, the poster (or to make you happy a work-study student) would go in and inspect the item, make sure it is in working condition, or track down the last user. He could then update it's status so the next person who takes it out knows they are responsible. Now, someone comes in before the item is manually inspected. The display would read something similar to "Item returned but not inspected". If someone so desperately wants to take it out, they ACKNOWLEDGE they are responsible for it, or they put a request in for the item and get an email once it has been inspected.

He wasn't looking to cure cancer here people, just to get some ideas!