SafeNest – a Smart Infant Security System for Hospitals

🎯 Introduction

With rising cases of infant trafficking, baby swaps, and delayed hospital response times, especially in rural or overcrowded hospitals, infant safety is no longer just a priority — it’s an urgent necessity.

SafeNest is our answer to this challenge — a real-time, scalable IoT-based infant monitoring and alert system designed to provide hospitals with peace of mind, security, and smart automation. Built using RFID, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), and Firebase, this project secured 2nd place 🥈 at Techno India University's “Technothon” innovation challenge.

In this Instructable, we’ll walk you through:

1. The real-world problem we tackled
2. How we designed and built SafeNest
3. Our technical stack and components
4. Working demos and future improvements

Problem Statement

Infant abductions and mismatches between mothers and newborns continue to happen due to a lack of automated, real-time, and tamper-proof hospital monitoring systems. Manual processes and CCTV cameras aren't fast or reliable enough when it comes to safeguarding babies. Small hospitals, in particular, are often under-equipped, leaving newborns vulnerable.

Our goal: Design a real-time BLE-based tracking system with RFID verification and emergency alerts, all integrated into a central monitoring hub and dashboard.

What Is SafeNest?

SafeNest is a smart infant monitoring and alert system. It includes:

1. BLE-enabled wearable band for the baby
2. ‍‍RFID card for guardian identity verification
3. ESP32-based hub that constantly tracks BLE signals
4. Live web dashboard with SMS alert support
5. Buzzer + LED indicators for instant on-site alarms

✨ Key Features

1. ✅ Real-time BLE distance monitoring
2. ✅ RFID-based guardian authentication
3. ✅ Tamper detection on baby band
4. ✅ Live dashboard with role-based access
5. ✅ SMS alerts via Twilio
6. ✅ Multi-hub scalability (1 hub → 10 bands)

Tools & Materials Used

Hardware

Component - Function

ESP32-WROOM-32D - Central hub controller

Seeed XIAO ESP32-C3 - BLE-based wearable for baby

RC522 RFID Module - Parent authentication at exits

3.7V 500mAh LiPo Battery - Powers the wearable band

RGB LED & Buzzer - Visual and sound alerts on the hub

Push Button - Hub reset functionality

System Workflow

ScenarioSystem Behavior

Baby in Safe Zone :

BLE is detected, RFID is scanned — LED turns green, system is normal.

Baby Near Exit :

BLE signal weakens — system checks RFID.

Baby Out of Range :

No BLE signal — LED turns red, buzzer sounds, SMS alert sent.

Band Tampered :

Wire loop broken — triggers alert like above.

Manual Reset (Nurse):

RFID card resets hub session when baby is safely returned.

Real-World Impact

With over 23 million births annually in India, the demand for reliable baby monitoring systems is growing rapidly. SafeNest directly addresses:

1. Theft Prevention
2. Audit Trail via Logs
3. ‍Lower staff burden
4. Peace of mind for parents

Future Plans

1. Add temperature, heart-rate, and SpO₂ sensors to baby bands
2. Add GPS + LoRaWAN for outdoor tracking
3. Create mobile app alerts for remote monitoring
4. Expand use cases to psychiatric wards and daycare centers

References

1. PubMed: Infant Security in Hospitals (2009)
2. The Guardian: My Newborn Was Kidnapped from a Hospital
3. Reuters: Hospital Staff Arrested in Baby Trafficking
4. SafeNest Dashboard Demo
5. BLE Range Simulator

1. Use a small BLE-enabled microcontroller (like Seeed XIAO ESP32-C3).
2. Power it using a 3.7V LiPo battery and a JST connector.
3. Attach two GPIO pins with a jumper wire to act as a tamper loop — if it's cut, it will trigger an alert.
4. Program the microcontroller to continuously broadcast a BLE signal with a unique name (e.g., "BabyBand").
5. Mount everything securely in a soft, baby-safe strap — comfortable and safe to wear.

BAND WORKING :

The Baby Tracking Band is a wearable safety device built using an ESP32-C3 microcontroller and powered by a LiPo battery connected via a JST connector. It uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to continuously broadcast a signal. A central hub receives this BLE signal and constantly monitors its presence. If the signal weakens or disconnects, the hub triggers an alert, indicating the baby is out of range or the band has been removed. The system uses low-power BLE for extended battery life. The device is enclosed in a soft, secure strap worn by the baby. This setup helps prevent theft or separation by providing real-time alerts through the hub.

✅ Goal: The band constantly sends its signal. If it’s tampered with or disconnected, the system detects it.

1. Use an ESP32-WROOM-32D as the central controller.
2. Connect:
3. RFID Reader (MFRC522) for guardian verification
4. RGB LEDs for status (Red = alert, Green = safe, Yellow = standby)
5. Buzzer for sound alerts
6. Push Button to reset the system manually
7. Program it to:
8. Scan BLE signals from the baby band
9. Authenticate guardians via RFID
10. Trigger alerts (LED + buzzer) when the band goes out of range or is tampered

HUB WORKING :

The Baby Tracking Band is a wearable safety device built using an ESP32-C3 microcontroller and powered by a LiPo battery connected via a JST connector. It uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to continuously broadcast a signal. A central hub receives this BLE signal and constantly monitors its presence. If the signal weakens or disconnects, the hub triggers an alert, indicating the baby is out of range or the band has been removed. The system uses low-power BLE for extended battery life. The device is enclosed in a soft, secure strap worn by the baby. This setup helps prevent theft or separation by providing real-time alerts through the hub.

✅ Goal: Monitor infant location + verify guardian before allowing the infant to leave.

1. Use React.js and Tailwind CSS to create a clean UI.
2. Connect it with Firebase Realtime Database for live updates.
3. Show:
4. Active babies and their band status
5. Hub connections
6. Guardian registration data
7. Alerts in real time
8. Integrate Twilio API to send SMS alerts to parents/staff instantly on emergency.
9. 
   

LIVE DEMO : SafeNest Dashboard Demo

✅ Goal: Provide staff with real-time monitoring and alert control in one place.

In the Baby Tracking System, the distance between the baby band and the central hub can be estimated using Bluetooth RSSI values.

The formula is:

d = 10 ^ ((TxPower - RSSI) / (10n))

1. d: Estimated distance in meters between the baby band and hub
2. TxPower: Signal strength at 1 meter (reference value for the band)
3. RSSI: Received signal strength at the hub (in dBm)
4. n: Path-loss exponent (≈2 for open spaces, 2–4 for indoor environments)

Example:

If TxPower = -70 dBm, RSSI = -90 dBm, and n = 3 → distance ≈ 4.64 meters.

Accuracy Considerations in the Baby Tracking System:

1. Environment: Walls, furniture, and people can weaken or reflect signals.
2. Device Calibration: Variations in the ESP32’s antenna may affect readings.
3. Stability: Averaging RSSI over time reduces fluctuations.
4. Testing: Custom calibration in the actual environment (hospital, daycare, home) improves reliability.

LIVE DEMO : BLE Range Simulator

✅ Goal: This provides an approximate measure of the baby’s proximity to the hub, helping ensure real-time monitoring and timely alerts.

SafeNest isn't just a prototype — it’s a step toward redefining hospital security for newborns. With smart hardware, real-time alerts, and a modern dashboard, our system proves how tech can protect what matters most.