When most people think of smart lockers, parcel delivery comes to mind. But at Bluebits, we’ve always believed that
The locker is simply a platform,
and what it enables is only limited by the problem you’re trying to solve.
That belief was put to the test when a co-living building reached out with an unconventional request: they wanted to offer shared items as a building amenity, but needed a frictionless, scalable way to manage the logistics. No front-desk check-outs. No storage headaches.
The result was a fully custom NFC-powered item-sharing locker system, built entirely in-house.
The Challenge: Shared Items Without the Chaos
Co-living buildings are designed around efficiency and community. Residents typically occupy smaller individual units, with the expectation that shared spaces and amenities make up the difference.
This model works for gyms, lounges, and co-working areas, but shared items like air fryers, stand mixers, or portable vacuums present a unique operational challenge.
The building management team identified three core problems they needed to solve:
- Storage: Where do you keep items when they’re not in use, in a way that’s organised, secure, and accessible around the clock?
- Accountability: How do you track who has which item and ensure timely returns without relying on manual processes or staff intervention?
- Ease of use: How do you make the experience intuitive enough that tenants actually use the system and enjoy it?
The Solution: A Smart Locker System Powered by NFC
We designed and built a custom smart locker system from the ground up, integrating NFC (Near Field Communication) technology directly into the item-sharing workflow. The hardware and software were developed entirely in-house, giving us complete control over every detail of the user experience.
Here’s how the system works:
Borrowing an Item
- Walk up to the locker station or plan ahead by reserving an item online to avoid any disappointment.
- At the locker, select the desired item, enter the unit number, and receive a unique pickup code.
- Enter the code, and the correct compartment will unlock automatically
- Retrieve the item, close the compartment door, and you’re all set!
Returning an Item
This is where NFC technology truly shines. Each item is tagged with an NFC chip. To return an item:
- Simply tap the item’s NFC tag against the locker panel.
- The system instantly identifies the item, locates the correct compartment, and unlocks it automatically.
- Place the item inside, close the compartment door, and it’s ready for the next tenant!
No guessing which compartment to use. No reference number. No waiting for staff assistance. The system just knows!
Results
The system now manages over 17 shared items for over 300 residents, allowing tenants to borrow everything from kitchen appliances to sports equipment without staff involvement.
Why NFC? The Technology Behind the Experience
NFC technology was the natural choice for this application for several reasons:
- Item-level Identification: Unlike barcodes or QR codes, NFC tags can store unique identifiers that are read instantly with a single tap, with no line-of-sight required.
- Durability: NFC tags are compact, passive (no battery required), and resilient enough to be attached to items that will be handled daily.
- Intuitive UX: Tapping is universally understood. Tenants don’t need training or a manual. The action mirrors what people already do with contactless payments every day.
- Scalability: Adding new items to the system is as simple as tagging them and registering them in the software. No hardware changes required.
The Bigger Picture: Custom Smart Lockers for Any Use Case
This project is a strong example of our broader capability: we don’t just manufacture standard parcel lockers. Since we build both the hardware and software in-house, we can customize any aspect of a locker system to meet a building’s operational needs.
For multifamily, apartment, and co-living buildings, smart locker systems can be configured for a wide range of amenity use cases, including:
🧰 Tool and equipment lending libraries
🎾 Sports and recreational gear sharing
🔑 Secure key handoff and access management
📦 Parcel and mail delivery
🥡 Food and grocery delivery
The common thread is always the same: replacing manual, staff-dependent processes with automated, tenant-empowering technology.
What This Means for Building Operators and Developers 🌱
For property managers and developers, the value extends well beyond convenience. Smart, well-designed amenities are one of the deciding factors for tenants in today’s competitive rental market.
An appliance-sharing program also helps buildings meet sustainability goals by reducing the number of items tenants need to purchase and store. Fewer deliveries and less packaging mean less waste, while automated management of shared resources saves building operators time and effort.
Have a Creative Challenge? Let’s Build It.
Whether you manage a residential building, a coworking space, a university campus, or any other environment where shared resources need smart management, we’d love to hear about your specific challenge.
Our team specializes in turning what if questions into working, deployed systems. If you can imagine it, there’s a good chance we can build it!
Get in touch today 👉 marketing@bluebits.ca