You Can't Touch This

For keeping personal possessions safe, one of the go-to devices these days is the Apple AirTag. AirTags use Apple's crowdsourced Find My network of devices to wirelessly locate any AirTag (and the item it is attached to) that is within the range of Bluetooth transmissions. But while AirTags may help to recover stolen items, they do not prevent theft from happening in the first place. Wouldn’t it be nice to avoid that whole mess in the first place?

Obviously that would be a better solution, and that is exactly what a crowdfunded device called TouchNot Pro was designed for. After TouchNot Pro is attached to personal belongings, it uses sensors to monitor the item and the area around it. If suspicious activity occurs, it sounds an ear-splitting alarm that is enough to make any would-be thief think twice. The device also sends a notification via a subscription-free cloud service to alert the owner.

The TouchNot Pro is equipped with an ESP32-S3 microcontroller that is powered by a 500 mAh LiPo battery that can go up to 300 days between charges (as long as the alarm is not being triggered often). Sensing is performed by an Analog Devices ADXL345 touch/vibration sensor, and a Texas Instruments VL53l0x time-of-flight motion sensor. This combination enables the device to recognize both physical contact and nearby activity. A 30 mm buzzer and a PAM8907 buzzer driver sound the alarm when a threat is detected.

The user interface consists of nine LEDs and seven pushbuttons, and there are also Android and iOS apps available for more advanced configuration of the device. The hardware is contained within a 3D-printed case that looks like it was produced by a lower-end machine, and the artwork on the case looks a bit amateur as well. The TouchNot Pro is also fairly large at 2.76 x 2.64 x 0.79 inches, so you would probably not want to use it for protecting smaller items.

The notification feature relies on a cloud-based service, which is always concerning because if the service gets shut down in the future, the feature will stop working. But since the hardware and software are open source, you would at least be able to hack your own solution together if you are so inclined.

The TouchNot Pro is still under development, and no pricing information is available yet. However, you can sign up for updates at Crowd Supply if you would like to be notified when it is available.