So I was intrigued when I heard that a start-up company called MentalPhysics Inc. in Vienna, VA is developing a drop-box type of solution to the residential delivery problem.

The company, established last May, has acquired the patent for a physical bin that can be located at the home, enabling delivery agents to drop off and pick up packages as directed by consumers from their computers. The patent was acquired from Kansas City-based Smart Box and MentalPhysics is integrating it with an operating system that will enable online merchants to send parcels to a secure, Internet-controlled device at consumers'' homes.

The device, developed under the code name "Oscar," provides a digital signature and e-mail notification at the moment of delivery, the company says. It also serves as an outbound portal for product returns, something that would definitely spur my interest in shopping online for things like clothes.

"Oscar''s patented technology will pave the way for heralded growth in the business-to-consumer e-commerce market by solving residential delivery problems, commonly called ''the last mile'' of e-commerce," said Tim Ogilvie, MentalPhysics co-founder and president. "From the last click to the last mile, Oscar will eliminate the cost and inconvenience of repeat delivery attempts, the hassle of office delivery, and the risks of damage and theft of unattended packages."

The smart box technology is being developed in conjunction with IDEO Product Development, an industrial design firm that had a hand in shaping such products as Palm Pilot''s Palm V hand-held computer, Qualcomm''s pdQ Smartphone, and the SoftBook Press electronic book. In addition, IDEO is an equity investor in MentalPhysics and IDEO co-founder Mike Nutall serves on the MentalPhysics board of directors.

According to the company, Oscar is comprised of three elements:

1. A physical portal at the home linked by an Internet-based communications device to permit secure delivery of online orders.
2. An Internet-based agent to control access to the bin and act on the customer''s behalf when ordering goods online.
3. A Web site to provide customers, merchants and transport companies with easy access to Oscar services.

"The exciting thing about our solution," Ogilvie said, "is that we''re making the ''Jetsons'' vision of beaming products to the home a reality today."

Another company that would like to ride with the Jetsons is fastlaundry.com in Kansas City, which is taking a serious look at the idea of an Internet-based laundry service.

"Whenever MentalPhysics is ready, we could immediately provide boxes to our current home-route dry-cleaning customers," said David Porter, president of Garment Care -- for busy people.

It''s unclear who will pay for the Oscar box, but it would seem to be a natural for big e-commerce players and large ISPs with an e-commerce orientation to offer them free to consumers. If it secures all my e-commerce purchases AND handles returns, I might even be willing to pay a few pennies for it.