NFC Tag Finder

A comprehensive lost-and-found solution using NFC tags to help reunite lost items with their owners.

Overview

NFC Tag Finder is a web application that allows users to:

1. Register NFC tags with their contact information
2. Find owners of lost items by scanning NFC tags
3. Securely connect finders with owners without exposing personal information

The system uses pre-authorized NFC tags that, when attached to valuable items, provide a simple way for honest finders to contact the owner when an item is lost.

How It Works

For Tag Owners

1. Purchase an authorized NFC tag from our system
2. Register the tag by scanning it with your smartphone
3. Enter your contact information (name, email, phone)
4. Attach the tag to your valuable item (keys, laptop, luggage, etc.)

For Finders

1. Scan the NFC tag on a found item using any NFC-enabled smartphone
2. Submit your contact information and a message to the owner
3. The owner will be notified and can contact you to arrange return

Features

• Secure Contact Exchange: Personal information is never publicly exposed
• No App Required: Works with any smartphone that can read NFC tags
• Pre-authorized Tags: Only authorized tags can be registered in the system
• Simple Registration: Quick and easy process for tag owners
• Responsive Design: Works on all devices and screen sizes

Technical Architecture

The application is built with:

• Flask: Python web framework for the backend
• Firebase/Firestore: For data storage and retrieval
• Bootstrap: For responsive frontend design
• NFC Technology: For tag scanning and identification

Data Collections

• authorized_tags: Pre-approved tags that can be registered
• registered_tags: Tags that have been claimed by owners
• notifications: Finder submissions when someone finds a tag

Setup and Installation

Prerequisites

• Python 3.12+
• Pipenv for dependency management
• Firebase account with Firestore database
• Firebase service account credentials

Environment Setup

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone <your-repository-url>
   cd nfc-tag-app
   

2. Install pipenv if you haven't already:

   pip install pipenv
   

3. Install dependencies:

   pipenv install
   

4. Create a .env file in the project root with the following variables:

   FLASK_APP=app.py
   FLASK_ENV=development
   FIREBASE_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_PATH=path/to/your/serviceAccountKey.json
   FIREBASE_DB_ID=your-firebase-db-id
   SECRET_KEY=your-secret-key
   

Running the Application

1. Start the Flask development server:

   pipenv run flask run
   

   Or use the provided makefile:

   make run
   

2. Access the application at http://localhost:5000

Admin Tools

The application includes admin tools for managing NFC tags:

Tag Manager

Located in admin_tools/tag_manager.py, this tool allows administrators to:

• Register new authorized tags
• List all authorized tags in the system
• Batch register tags from a file

To use the admin tools:

pipenv run python admin_tools/tag_manager.py

Deployment

The application can be deployed to any hosting service that supports Python applications:

1. Set up the required environment variables on your hosting platform
2. Configure your web server (Nginx, Apache, etc.)
3. Use a WSGI server like Gunicorn or uWSGI

Security Considerations

• All communication between the application and Firebase is secured
• User data is protected and only shared when necessary
• NFC tags are pre-authorized to prevent abuse

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Support

For support, please open an issue on this repository.