As for aesthetics, Mikkelsen worked directly with Torring – the regional installer on the project – to establish the visual requirements for the new lockers. “The exterior colors of the locker banks needed to be in accordance with the official colors laid out in DTU’s standards,” says Mikkelsen. “We had made two mock ups to see the difference between the two locker solutions. That mock up process made settling on the right design elements very simple.”

Reserving a contactless locker

A modern locker solution has to be robust to withstand daily wear and tear, while being easy on the eye. But above all, lockers have to be convenient for students to use and easy for the university to control.

“The system delivered to DTU is very unique and consists of both a lock administration software and a web portal,” says Jensen. “The administration software controls the lockers and gives an instant status overview of the entire installation.”

Also included in the install at DTU are history reports, alarm functions and a scheduling application that enables the administrator to plan for locker down times around maintenance, holidays, and so on.

“The web portal communicates with the student database from the university and the locker administration software. In this way, the student can log on to the portal, choose an available locker, set a rental time period, and pay,” explains Jensen.

Once payment is completed, the web portal sends a unique number to the locker administration software that instantly allows the specific locker to be unlocked with that specific student’s MIFARE card.

“When the rental period is approaching the expiration time, the student will receive an e-mail and SMS message warning them that the locker will open automatically after a certain amount of time,” says Jensen.

A new solution for an old challenge

Gantner’s contactless locker solution is a smart, network-controlled access storage system. The lockers themselves can serve an array of purposes, though they are most commonly used as student storage lockers.

The lockers act as an extension of the campus ID card, with standard features including a user management dashboard, audit trails, statistics reporting, and theft alarms.

"The lockers act as an extension of the campus ID card, with standard features including a user management dashboard, audit trails, statistics reporting, and theft alarms,” says Ciaccio. “Campuses can also integrate the Gantner system with other campus management or student portals via our JSON API.”

Gantner offers a maintenance and support program that provides both remote and onsite emergency support, says Ciaccio. “Campus administrators for the locker system can access technical support via phone or online, as well as access our online Knowledge Base for more in-depth user knowledge of the system.”

The storage of student valuables on campus is an age-old challenge, but today’s institutions have modern options. Universities are getting more creative with how students safeguard their belongings, prompting contactless lockers to be deployed in a growing number of environments on campus.

“We’re seeing our customers deploy lockers in collaborative workspaces, residential group areas, student hallways, recreation centers, student unions and cafeterias,” says Ciaccio. “But really any location that requires access-control storage for groups of students or faculty is a great fit for our lockers.”