What’s better than a bike lock? How about a keyless, solar powered, smart phone connected super lock? That’s exactly what the team behind Skylock have set out to accomplish. Skylock isn’t the first lock to connect with your smart phone, but it takes the concept of the smart lock to the next level. We all know that even the best locks are no match for professional thieves with the right tools and know how. That’s why Skylock has a triaxial accelerometer that will notify you if the lock is being tampered with. The same technology allows the lock to notify your preferred contacts if you crash or are hit by a car.
Thanks to the built in solar charging panel, the Skylock will recharge itself while it’s sitting in the rack. No sun? The battery will last a month when fully charged, and can also be charged with a micro USB cable. Skylock connects to your phone using bluetooth or Wifi, which allows the bicycle equivalent of keyless entry when you get close to the bike. What if your phone dies? You can use the capacitive touch pad on the lock itself to unlock. That smart phone connectivity also opens up a new world of bike sharing based on the Skylock app.
Add in a proprietary dual locking mechanism, and you have an extremely smart lock that should also function quite well as a… well, lock. Key into more details next…
Skylock was launched in an Indiegogo campaign in early June which will run until August 9th. Already well over their goal, early bird lock specials are sold out leaving only 2, 4, or 10 packs of locks to purchase. However, with a suggested retail price of $249 per lock, buying two for $298 doesn’t seem like such a bad deal…
Expect locks to ship early 2015.
