A Lock that Interacts with Bluetooth

• By Ginger Hill
• Apr 12, 2013

I never knew that residential locks could be so fascinating, until I met with Kwikset at ISC West 2013, a lock company that has a residential focus to the connected home space with the goal of enhancing value to consumers. Kwikset locks utilize Z-Wave, a wireless mesh ecosystem that allows home electronics to communicate with each other, and to the owner, via remote control, or ZigBee, a suite of communication protocols that use low-power, digital radio technology to transmit data, both of which present plug-and-play devices that seamlessly integrate.

Not on the market as of yet, and without a proper name, Kwikset introduced their Bluetooth-enabled residential lock to me. This lock resembles a regular deadbolt locking system; however, it provides a functional convenience that adds lifestyle benefits. No longer will you have to have a regular, metal key to unlock and lock your home, nor will you have to spend time fumbling at your door with full hands, searching for keys that are lost in your bag. This solution allows your Bluetooth device and the radio-powered lock to be synced and communicate.

So, what exactly does this mean for you? Well, you can literally lock and unlock your home with one touch. With your smartphone in proximity to the Bluetooth-enabled lock, in a pocket or a bag, simply touch the metal casing once to lock and once again to unlock your door.

This product is scheduled to come to market during the second quarter. It will retail at approximately $200 and will include:

• The stand-alone lock;
• A free app that allows you to send an electronic key to another person's smart phone, allowing immediate entry into your home by touch;
• A Bluetooth fob that unlocks your door; and
• Two electronic keys.

The Bluetooth-enabled lock offers simplistic, one-to-one, total access control that will incorporate Z-Wave technology at a later date.