NestGuard — Overview
What is NestGuard?
NestGuard is a biometric access control system designed for university hostels. It replaces manual sign-in registers with optical fingerprint authentication at gate terminals, providing real-time monitoring, AI-driven anomaly detection, and a permanent audit trail.
Architecture
The system consists of three layers:
- Hardware Layer — AS608 optical fingerprint sensors + Arduino microcontrollers + relay-driven solenoid locks at each gate
- Gateway Service — A Node.js service bridging serial (UART) communication from Arduino to the main server via HTTP. Supports a simulated mode for demos.
- Web Application — Next.js frontend with a Node.js/Express backend. Handles user management, access log storage, analytics, visitor management, and the real-time dashboard.
Technology Stack
| Frontend | Next.js 15, React 19, Tailwind CSS 4, TypeScript |
| Backend | Node.js, Express, Prisma ORM |
| Database | PostgreSQL |
| AI/ML | Python, scikit-learn (Isolation Forest) |
| Hardware | Arduino Uno, AS608 Sensor, Relay Module |
| Gateway | Node.js, SerialPort library |
User Roles
The system supports four roles: Admin (full system configuration), Warden (daily operations, visitor approvals), Security (monitoring and alert response), and Student (personal access history, visitor/leave requests).
Getting Started
# Clone and install
git clone https://github.com/your-org/nestguard.git
cd nestguard-frontend && npm install
npm run dev
