A Vandal-resistant and Weatherproof Smart Delivery Box with UV-C Disinfection and IoT Integration

Sun E Mates was built around a simple but pressing observation: the last mile of e-commerce — the moment a package sits unattended on a doorstep — was broken. Packages were being stolen, and no mainstream solution existed to address it at scale.

To bring this dual-purpose idea to market, the startup needed a technology partner capable of delivering both embedded hardware and cloud-connected software — fast, and within a startup budget.

Problem 1: Package Theft

Package theft from doorsteps had become a widespread and growing problem in the United States. With the explosive growth of e-commerce, millions of parcels were being left unattended at residential addresses every day, creating an easy target for thieves. One of the Sun E Mates co-founders witnessed this trend firsthand through his delivery industry experience and identified a clear market gap.

Problem 2: Contactless Delivery During COVID-19

In early 2020, as Sun E Mates was planning its product launch, the COVID-19 pandemic emerged as an urgent global health crisis. The risk of virus transmission through package surfaces and delivery interactions became a legitimate public concern.

Rather than treating this as a setback, the team saw an opportunity: address both problems with a single product. The concept was expanded to include UV-C disinfection technology, turning a security box into a health-safety device as well
In summary, the startup needed to solve two problems simultaneously:

• Physical security – prevent package theft and unauthorized access
• Biological security – reduce the risk of pathogen transmission via delivered parcels

After evaluating potential development partners, Sun E Mates selected SaM Solutions based on our proven expertise in Embedded Systems and IoT development, combined with business support tailored to early-stage startups through SaM’s dedicated Startup Initiative program.

SaM Solutions assembled a cross-functional global team of IoT/Embedded Software engineers and Mobile Application specialists to translate the product concept into a working prototype.

Development Process

The project started with a joint discovery phase in which SaM Solutions conducted business and technical analysis, defined the overall system architecture, and agreed on a delivery plan.

Hardware prototyping and software development ran in parallel. While the physical SunBox unit was being assembled and fitted with motion sensors, a UV-C module, and connectivity hardware, three software tracks progressed simultaneously: embedded firmware on the device, a cloud backend on AWS, and native mobile applications for iOS and Android.

The system follows a client-cloud architecture, with logic distributed across the device, the server, and the mobile client. Communication between the hardware unit and the mobile app is handled via VoIP/SIP/RTP protocols, enabling real-time on-demand video streaming.

The Alpha version of the full stack was delivered within the first two months of the engagement, meeting the timeline required for the planned Kickstarter campaign launch in summer 2020.

What Was Built: The SunBox

The resulting product – the SunBox – is a smart parcel delivery receptacle that combines:

• UV-C disinfection technology to sanitize delivered packages automatically upon deposit
• Motion detection to trigger alerts and activate recording when a delivery or access event occurs
• Real-time video streaming on demand, accessible remotely via mobile app
• Cloud-connected backend for data storage, event logging, and remote management
• Native mobile applications for iOS and Android to give homeowners full visibility and control

Within the first two months of engagement, SaM Solutions delivered:

• A working hardware prototype of the SunBox
• An Alpha version of the software platform — including embedded firmware, cloud backend, and mobile apps
• A real-time streaming media system based on VoIP/SIP/RTP protocols, enabling live video access on demand
• Automatic motion detection with event-triggered alerts
• Cloud backend covering both computing and storage (AWS)
• iOS and Android mobile applications for end-user control

The solution was prepared in time for a planned Kickstarter campaign launch in summer 2020, allowing Sun E Mates to bring its concept to market as a validated, investor-ready product.

Sun E Mates gained a production-ready technology foundation to build a scalable business around, backed by SaM Solutions’ 30+ years of software engineering experience.