Card, mobile credential, payment and security
Smart lockers are finding their way onto campus in areas from libraries and res halls to science labs and dining facilities. With the advent of new service capabilities like order ahead and mobile ordering, a growing number of universities are implementing smart locker technology to bring the pick-up phase of the ordering process up to speed. HID Global’s card and credential solutions can help universities deploy smart lockers in a seamless fashion using its existing transaction environment.
Use cases for smart lockers have only grown in recent years. The technology is cementing itself as an effective and efficient way to support a wide range of business operations.
“Smart lockers are great for any sort of personal storage or exchange of goods,” says Mohit Khoda, Senior Manger Product Marketing, Extended Access Technologies, HID Global. “We’ve seen applications for library, retail, food pick up, temporary use and day-use lockers in gyms, and more.”
“Smart lockers are great for any sort of personal storage or exchange of goods. Instead of regular keys and padlocks, you’re using RFID badges, the campus card, or a mobile credential."
“Instead of regular keys and padlocks, you’re using RFID badges, and in the university space, they’re ideally using their campus card, or its virtual representation on the phone” adds Khoda.
“Smart lockers are a great fit on any campus, but universities need to be able to justify their investment in the technology,” says Helmut Dansachmüller, Vice President Product Marketing and Innovation, Extended Access Technologies, HID Global. “Universities will need to ask 'where and when will I have my return on investment?'”
“It depends on the use case of the lockers, the operating cost, and installation – the total cost of ownership needs to justify the investment,” says Dansachmüller. He says smart lockers will save money in the mid to long term.
"If universities can virtualize the issuance of keys and don’t have to provide services for replacement of locks or lost keys, then the cost savings is evident."
“I believe universities are very well positioned as customers for smart lockers. They have high turnover with students leaving or joining every semester,” says Dansachmüller. “And if universities can virtualize the issuance of keys and don’t have to provide services for replacement of locks or lost keys, then the cost savings is evident.”
Smart lockers can be a great complement in campus ID environments that are built to leverage smart credentials, explains Dansachmüller.
There are, however, some workarounds for universities that don’t have contactless cards or mobile credentials and still want to leverage smart lockers on campus. For things like food order pickup, campuses can choose to leverage anything that can be securely provisioned over the air.
“Whether a QR code, OTP (one time password), etc. -- anything that doesn’t require the student to be in front of a service desk to interact with the locker system -- will be an effective means for locker access,” says Dansachmüller. “The drawback to something like OTP is that it requires the student to have an active interaction with the locker – inputting their code. So for user experience and simplicity, we believe that RFID is the most convenient means to access the locker.”
HID’s role in the smart locker equation is the vital, backend support. The company provides locker manufacturers with the means to integrate with a university’s campus card system to make locker access as convenient as possible.
“The credential system for the door comes first,” says Dansachmüller. “We provide the locker company a seamless integration between the same credentials the university uses for access control and use them to access the lockers.”
"HID provides locker companies with a seamless integration between the same credentials the university uses for access control and use them to access smart lockers.”
“The only thing the university needs is the locker hardware, the RFID lock enabled for RFID, and an SDK integrated into the locker management software,” says Dansachmüller.
HID can directly provide the SDK and locks and then work with trusted integration partners with it comes to smart locker management.
“Each locker management provider has its own software, so we are providing the tool to integrate RFID intelligence into their systems,” says Dansachmüller. “We work with our integrators to enable them to leverage our technology.”
As for transaction technology, the full range of HID credentials – HID Prox, iCLASS, MIFARE, DESFire, Seos – are all supported. “We of course prefer Seos so that you also have the option for mobile credential use,” adds Dansachmüller.
One of the best examples of HID technology underpinning a smart locker deployment on campus can be found at Wake Forest University.
Wake’s Z. Smith Reynolds Library (ZSR), serves more than 8,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The library had a system for fulfilling reference material requests, but it required significant human contact and movement. The library would deliver books and materials to faculty offices across campus, and students would come to the circulation desk, to interact with a staff member and retrieve their items.
When COVID hit, the library initially utilized a bank of day-use lockers with pin pad locks for equipment and paper bag delivery for requested materials. Library staff quickly realized those solutions wouldn’t work in the long run.
They turned to smart lockers from MetraModo, installing the locker bank in the library’s 24/7 accessible foyer.
“When COVID happened, one of the libraries thought to use smart lockers to support book and academic materials pickup in a contactless fashion,” says Khoda. “MetraModo is our hardware partner at Wake Forest, and they are using HID technology to underpin the smart locker deployment.”
The smart lockers use Wake’s contactless campus cards to create a means for students, faculty, and staff to retrieve their ordered materials on their own time.
Other highlights of the Wake Forest smart locker deployment:
• Locker management. All smart lockers in one building or multiple buildings can be remotely managed from a single point of access.
• Contactless experience. Access to the smart lockers is supported by a campus card or via a smart phone app, creating a touchless experience.
• Reporting and data. Reporting can be granular, looking at access to all transaction data, locker utilization data, and capacity by location or by individual locker.
• On-the-fly changes. Changes to the locker configuration can be made at any time.
Once the requested item is placed in a locker to be picked up, the locker system sends an email to the student or faculty member. Wake’s card system is integrated with the smart locker system, so it communicates to the locker system who is coming to pick up the materials. When the student or faculty member approaches the locker bank, they scan their card at the built-in monitor at the locker bank, and the door with their reserved items pops open.
The smart lockers have also created the possibility of a more flexible schedule as the library starts to open for broader use.
For more on smart lockers and how HID Global can provide solutions for your campus, visit HIDGlobal.com.
Ohio Northern University launched robot delivery on campus this week with the arrival of Kiwibot on the Ada, OH campus. The robot delivery program at Ohio Northern is being supported by a partnership between Kiwibot and food service provider, Sodexo.
According to an official university release, Ohio Northern students will place mobile orders through the Everyday app. Once an order is placed, one of ONU's fleet of 15 Kiwibots will pick up the food and deliver it to the selected drop-off location on campus.
The partnership between Kiwibot and Sodexo has led to a number of new campus deployments of late, ranging from campuses large to small.
“This is a new opportunity to further enhance student dining while promoting Sodexo's standards for a quality meal experience,” says Teresa Beachler, Sodexo general manager at Ohio Northern University.
After placing their order, students will receive a unique link to track the order, follow the robot's location in real-time, and open the lid when the robot arrives. Students can place robot delivery orders between 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily.
“I am very excited by this new state of the art opportunity that will further enhance student dining at Ohio Northern University,” says Jason Broge, vice president for financial affairs at ONU. “Kiwibots will bring an innovative and fun delivery experience for our students.”
Kiwibots are semi-autonomous, relying on on-board sensors to help navigate sidewalks, streets and obstacles. Kiwibot also staffs human supervisors who will monitor the fleet in case any additional assistance or support is needed.
The University of Houston-Clear Lake has launched a new campus safety app to its campus security platform this fall. The university's new SafeZone app is a safety communications service, that focuses on rapid responses to assistance calls across campus facilities.
According to an official university release, the SafeZone app was launched in time for the start of this fall semester, and will help the university to deliver more rapid response to calls for assistance across all campus facilities. The app include strict privacy safeguards on an opt-in basis. Optional services include real-time location sharing that are shared only if the student elects to activate an app-based alert or chooses to use the app's “check in” feature.
“We are always exploring ways to make UHCL even safer for our students, faculty and staff,” says Russell Miller, executive director of public safety and chief of police at UHCL. “With technology, I prefer looking into the future rather than settling for the past. SafeZone is the future of campus public safety.”
With the app, anyone in the UHCL campus community can request assistance at the push of a button on their smartphone. The app is expected to add a layer of safety in cases of an emergency, a medical issue or when alone on campus after hours.
CriticalArc -- the company behind the SafeZone app -- says that in an emergency, individuals can call 911, but on a college campus, it’s often challenging for responders to find an individual’s exact location.
“If students call for help with the SafeZone’s easy to use app, first responders will know who called for assistance, where they are, and the nature of aid required,” says Darren Chalmers-Stevens, Chief Operating Officer at CriticalArc.
In these often time-sensitive moments, effective incident response isn't just about understanding exactly who needs help and where, but also knowing what resources are available and where they are relative to the incident so they can be quickly deployed for optimal outcomes. The SafeZone app hopes to better solve for some those variables by streamlining communications between first responders and those who request help.
UHCL Police hope that as SafeZone gains traction across the UHCL campus, users will find that it is a tool for positive engagement while promoting a “safety everywhere” culture.
Franklin and Marshall College has added robot delivery from Kiwibot. The addition of robot delivery is being provided by a partnership between the tech startup and Franklin and Marshall's food-service provider, Sodexo.
Through Sodexo’s new mobile application, Everyday, students can place an order with their chosen restaurant and a Kiwibot will pick up the food and deliver it to the selected drop-off location on campus. Franklin and Marshall have deployed a fleet of 15 robots.
Users receive a unique link to track the order, follow the robot's location in real-time, and to open the lid and retrieve their meal. Robot delivery hours at Franklin and Marshall are from 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily.
“Franklin and Marshall is extremely excited to launch Kiwibot on our campus," says Michael Baker, AVP for Auxiliary Services at Franklin and Marshall College. "It is a value-added service that offers an innovative and state-of-the-art food service option for our faculty, staff, and students."
"Additionally, it will allow dining to expand its food offerings with customizable and fully-branded concepts that will resonate with our campus community," adds Baker. "Overall, Kiwibot will further enhance the dining experience at F&M."
By using this new service, students will be able to enjoy their food delivery with zero carbon emissions, helping them reduce their carbon footprints and encouraging delivery services to be as sustainable as possible.
Kiwibot has made noticeable inroads on college campuses recently in part due to its ongoing relationship with Sodexo, a food service and facilities management company.
“The dining experience for college students is such a large part of the experience. We take it very seriously knowing that," says Drew Nieman, Sodexo Dining Services General Manager. "Each year we try to offer new and exciting things and trends to our offerings on campus.
"This year, Kiwibot has already created quite a buzz and we are excited to not only get the offering up and running, but figuring out how to utilize the offering in creative ways over the next few years," adds Nieman.
Kiwibot operates on a semi-autonomous driving system. The robots create a virtual visualization of the world in real-time using on board sensors, reflective flags, night lights, and a range LiDAR. An on-site Kiwibot team will also be available to participate in campus events or to provide additional assistance or immediate support if needed.
Campus auxiliary service expert, Robert Holden discusses the technology that is shaping university dining and retail services. Listen along as Holden talks about his time at the University of Georgia and how mobile ordering with Grubhub evolved dining service on campus.
Robert Holden has devoted a 40-year career to university auxiliary services, and has nearly seen it all. His career spans time at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the University of California San Diego, and most recently the University of Georgia where he served as the Associate Vice President of Auxiliary Services.
It was during his time at Georgia that Holden was one of the pioneering auxiliary service professionals to trial and launch the then fledgling technology of mobile ordering. Listen in as Holden describes his experience taking mobile ordering from its early iteration to what we know it as today, and hear what Holden believes will shape dining over the coming decade.
Campus credential and commerce solution provider, TouchNet has expanded its OneCard Campus ID for Apple Wallet into Canada. Sheridan College is the first Canadian college to launch student ID for Apple Wallet using TouchNet’s OneCard solution.
Full-time Sheridan students will be able to conveniently and securely add their Sheridan onecard to Apple Wallet, easily connecting their student ID to campus services. The Sheridan onecard can be added to Apple Wallet through TouchNet’s 360u app, and once a student ID card is added to Apple Wallet, it serves as their official student ID.
Founded in 1967, Sheridan is one of Ontario's leading post-secondary institutions, educating approximately 43,000 full- and part-time students.
Sheridan students will be able to tap their iPhone or Apple Watch to complete any action that would have previously required a physical student ID card, including accessing classrooms, utilizing dining services and meal plans, and making purchases at bookstores and other campus locations.
“Sheridan is proud to be the first Canadian college to collaborate with Apple, TouchNet, and HID to bring this technology to students," says Wayne Steffler, Sheridan’s Vice President of Finance and Administration. "The launch of student ID in Apple Wallet is part of our ongoing mission to match people-centric technology to our forward-thinking strategic vision, as well as part of our commitment to deliver a standard-setting, higher education experience for students."
“With the launch of the Sheridan onecard in Apple Wallet, students will be able to interact with our campuses and services seamlessly and securely, and with greater convenience," adds Steffler.
Beyond Sheridan, colleges and universities leveraging TouchNet’s mobile ID solution may opt to use their existing campus app to launch and provision OneCard Campus ID for Apple Wallet. OneCard Campus ID offers a frictionless experience for students, providing secure transactions, better on-campus security through improved access management, as well as operational insights to help create a more efficient campus.
“We are thrilled to bring this innovative technology to Sheridan College and other Canadian institutions in the future,” says Adam McDonald, President of TouchNet. “Mobile-first solutions help meet student expectations for a frictionless campus experience, as well as deliver greater flexibility and insights to help campus leaders and administrators run a smoother, safer, and more effective campus.”
The mobile Sheridan onecard will be rolled out to employees in Winter 2023, and to all mobile device users later next year.
San Diego State University has launched a new campus safety app that will help promote student safety both on and off campus. The SDSU Safe app is a joint effort with AppArmor, the university’s vendor for mass emergency notifications.
According to an official university release, the campus safety app will be available for both the flagship SDSU campus and SDSU Imperial Valley. The app is available for free download for all students, faculty and staff.
“The safety and security of our community and campus are paramount,” says SDSU President Adela de la Torre. “In addition to enhancing safety-related workshops, training sessions and events over the recent years – including improved policies related to student conduct – we have improved our mechanisms for communicating campus emergencies and resources to students, faculty, staff and our parents and families."
SDSU Safe leverages mobile and GPS technologies, with features that can send campus safety alerts as well as provide instant access to a range of university safety resources and reporting tools. SDSU Safe also includes a number of alert features, including:
All students, employees, parents and families and other community members are encouraged to update their contact information on file with SDSU to better enhance the app's ability to send important information and alerts. “In a public safety event it is critical that we quickly and simply communicate to our students, faculty, and staff ‘where they live,’ which is on their mobile devices,” says Jerry Sheehan, Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer at SDSU. “AppArmor provides us with a leading-edge app to help provide easy access to critical campus alerts and new tools, like friend walk, to help assure the safety of our students.”
Jacksonville State University has added robot delivery to its dining operations this fall through a partnership with Kiwibot and food-service provider, Sodexo. Jacksonville State joins a roster of campuses to deploy robot delivery from Kiwibot that includes New Mexico State University, Loyola Marymount University, Gonzaga University, and more.
According to an official university release, JSU is the first institution in the state of Alabama to deploy Kiwibot on campus. Partnering with the university's food service vendor, Sodexo, Kiwibot will deliver food from most on-campus dining facilities at JSU to 20 designated drop-off locations on campus.
Delivery service at JSU officially began Aug. 24, the first day of the fall semester. Orders can be placed for robot delivery Monday-Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
To get started, students must first download the Everyday App from the App Store or the Play Store.
Using Sodexo’s mobile application, Everyday, students can place an order with a participating restaurant and a Kiwibot will pick up the food and deliver it to a selected campus drop-off spot. Users will receive a unique link to track their order, enabling them to follow the robot’s progress along its route in real-time.
The Kiwibot delivery fee is $2 per order, though subscriptions are available. Users can purchase a subscription plan directly from the Everyday app, and choose from one of three options:
"Kiwibots will bring joy to everyone on campus," says John Tarin, head of global operations at Kiwibot. "This service allows students, faculty and staff to not only invest their time more productively, but also to merge into robotics. It is an exciting endeavor for Kiwibot to be part of the JSU community and to help students get closer to the world of technology, robotics and entrepreneurship."
To ensure safe operations, Kiwibot uses a semi-autonomous driving system to guide the robots. The robots create a virtual visualization of the world in real-time, using on-board sensors, reflective flags, night lights, and laser imaging, detection, and ranging (LiDAR).
Human supervisors are also on watch if a robot needs additional assistance, and an on-site team will be ready for immediate support.
"JSU Dining Services is proud to be the first Sodexo unit in Alabama to host Kiwibot," says Scott Williams, general manager for JSU Dining Services. “We look forward to growing our partnership and serving the 'Friendliest Campus in the South.'"
Middle Tennessee State Athletics has launched a new mobile app that will enable fans load tickets into Apple Wallet or Google Play, as well as stay connected and current with updates on the university's 17 athletics programs.
According to an official university release, the new Blue Raiders mobile app is built on a platform designed by SIDEARM Sports. In addition to digital ticketing, the app can send custom push notifications, provide access to live and archived video and audio, live statistics and more. The app is free to download on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
The Blue Raiders app also includes a loyalty program that will enable general fans to accumulate points for attending or watching MTSU events, while a separate student rewards program will also be housed within app. Points can be redeemed for prizes throughout the year.
Students and fans can utilize the app to access tickets for every MTSU home football, basketball and baseball events directly on their smartphone. Tickets can be saved to Apple Wallet and Google Pay to be used for contactless entry into all MTSU athletic venues.
SIDEARM Sports is now partnering with some 300 NCAA Division I programs and 57 "Power Five" athletic departments. It operates within the Learfield IMG College structure.
The University of New Mexico has installed new turnstiles in its campus libraries that now enable tap access via the student ID card. The new turnstile systems have been added to all the entrances at all central campus libraries.
According to an official university release, the idea behind the the turnstile system is to support a safe and secure environment for the campus community, as well as improve protection for library collections. The library access project is part of a larger effort to improve safety on UNM's campus.
The library entry process is similar to other facilities on campus. Students, staff, faculty and others carrying a valid UNM LoboCard with proximity privileges will be able to tap in to gain access to the spaces.
“We pride ourselves on providing resources and services to the community while ensuring all visitors and employees are safe,” says Leo Lo, dean of College of University Libraries and Learning Sciences. “With the new turnstile system, we aim to improve the safety in our spaces while continuing to welcome community members.
"The turnstiles are one of many space renovations we are implementing to improve our facilities for the campus and Albuquerque community,” he adds.
LoboCards must have proximity access in order to enter in the turnstile system. LoboCards without 5 or more digits located on the back-right corner of the card, must be replaced with a new proximity card. The UNM LoboCard Office replaces old student credentials at no cost, provided the cardholder can turn in their old credential. Lost card replacements carry a fee.
UNM community members without a LoboCard must check in with library staff at the desk located near the turnstiles and provide a government-issued photo ID or a student photo ID for entry.
“The wellbeing of our library patrons and employees is our highest priority,” says Mark Emmons, associate dean for education and engagement in the College of University Libraries and Learning Sciences. “We have seen an increasing number of security incidents in the years leading up to the pandemic and we believe that the addition of the turnstiles in our buildings will promote safety.”
The new turnstiles include ADA-compliant swing gates and can also allow group access for campus tours. In the event of an emergency, the turnstiles are connected with the fire alarm systems and permit safe and immediate exit from the library.
