Intelligent Electronic Password Locker Based on the Mechanoluminescence Effect for Smart Home

Conventional electronic combination lockers are usually constructed with an active password input module, which requires the necessary electrical connections. In this work, a new passive smart electronic password locker based on photoelectric signal conversion is reported. When a ZnS-based mechanoluminescent material is subjected to an external force, the mechanical stimulus is converted into light energy. According to this light-emitting property, we developed an optical signal unit as the password input module of the password locker. Benefiting from the mechanoluminescence properties of the ZnS:Cu and randomly distributable visible light sensor, the electronic password locker key has good concealment and randomness. In addition, the surface coating treatment reduces the risk of fingerprint leakage, thus further improving the security performance of the password locker. This work broadens the application path for ZnS-based mechanoluminescence materials, which provides a novel perspective for practical applications such as a smart home.