This Booby-Trapped Box Is a Present Peeker’s Worst Nightmare

When you spend weeks racking your brain to come up with the perfect gift for someone, the last thing you want is for the surprise to be spoiled before Christmas rolls around. So you take care to secretly purchase the gift, intercept the mail if it was ordered online, hide it in a secret location, and wrap it up so that no prying eyes can see the package’s contents.

However, all of this preparation can be for naught if the recipient can’t wait for the big day and peeks inside the package. Matthew Jones (AKA Makerinator) was concerned about that happening, so he did what hackers do and built a trap to catch Christmas present peekers. When this special “gift” is opened it records a video of the peeker and sends it not only to Jones, but also to Santa. That will get them on the naughty list for sure!

To make this trap work, an ESP32-CAM was installed in a wrapped box. To enhance the image quality for clear evidence of the misdeed, an upgraded OV5640 image sensor was attached to the board. This works in conjunction with a Seeeduino Nano that is wired to a photoresistor and a piezo buzzer. The hardware is powered by a USB battery bank.

When the package is opened it is flooded with light, which the photoresistor detects. This sounds an alarm with the buzzer, while also triggering the ESP32-CAM to record a 10-second video to an SD card. The video is then uploaded to Google Firebase storage via Wi-Fi, and notifications are sent to Jones and the North Pole.

You better think twice if you are considering peeking at presents this year. Santa has technology on his side now!