Throughout the 20th century, postal mail was one of the main forms of communication. Little by little, the telephone replaced the sending of letters between individuals and mailboxes remained witnesses of business communication, from advertising to newsletters from banks, government agencies, etc. The Internet has just added the finishing touch, especially in countries like Europe, which have an extensive fiber optic network and one of the best mobile coverages in the world.
The problem is that more and more of these communications are digital. checking the mailbox has become something that is done every week, hopefully, if not more ofteninstead of something that was done daily. It doesn’t help that most of the submissions are unsolicited advertising.
The problem is that this can cause us to miss a doctor’s appointment.since many health systems in Europe still use postal mail as the only means of communication. To prevent this from happening, it is advisable that the mailbox notifies us when we receive a letter.
To do this we will need a very common type of sensor, the motion sensor. The idea is to put it in the mailbox, so that when someone puts a letter or any other piece of paper, the cell phone alerts us. These types of sensors are used in alarm systems to control spaces where we do not want to install cameras.
If we have an alarm system such as Ring or eufy, among others, it is possible to buy a motion sensor and connect it to this system, so that it alerts us with a notification when it detects movement. However, it is also possible to buy one from another brand and use it through Google Home, the home automation application that everyone has installed as standard on their mobile.
To do this, you have to look for models that connect via Wifi, which do not need a Hub or Bridge. In addition, it is preferable that they connect to applications such as Smart Life or Tuya, since they increase compatibility with Google Home or Alexa. A good example is this model that costs less than 13 dollars on Amazon. This other one is reduced to almost half the price, and costs less than 11 dollars.
Once configured simply You need to create a routine in Alexa or Google Assistant that sends a notification to your cell phone or speaks through the speakers when the sensor detects movement, a sign that a letter has been left. It will also jump when we open the mailbox and delete the mail, but in this case we already know it was us.