The keys have many disadvantages, it must be admitted. We can lose them , break them, we often look for them, we can hardly lend them… Let’s stop with all this and move on to the connected padlock !! This is precisely the purpose of the TEO project currently seeking funding on the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter.
For some time now, we have been thinking about this problem in the automobile. In some cars it is now possible to start without inserting the keys or to unlock the car without touching your famous keys. The keys are therefore a social problem, let’s say it!
TEO – Explanation of the concept
TEO arrives to save us with a solution that will seduce you. It is a padlock that can be locked or unlocked from your smartphone and the TEO application. We connect to the padlock in bluetooth and if you have the rights on this padlock you can unlock it. Here my question is about the use of bluetooth. Wouldn’t it have been easier to add NFC? Surely less energy-consuming and just as secure. They still used Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE)therefore consumption is lower. I would still have seen NFC. Anyway, there must be a reason, let’s move on. On the video below we can see an example of use where someone locks and unlocks TEO.
The possibilities of this connected padlock are numerous, we can for example choose the people who have access to a padlock and for how long. This can be useful on a daily basis but also as explained in the video presentation below, it can become essential in large companies where we could then control who has access to what and easily share access rights.
TEO – A slight black point
Your smartphone contains your keys. Isn’t life beautiful ?! Well, right there is a little catch in this beautiful story. Not everything is rosy. Indeed as I told you above, TEO uses bluetooth, and to use bluetooth you need a power source. A battery is therefore integrated into the padlock. Worse, this battery is not replaceable in the current state of the prototype. They announce however a lifespan of approximately one year depending on the frequency of use. So I come back to my initial idea, I would have put NFC !!! The team is working on being able to change the battery once it has run out.
TEO – Price and availability
TEO will not be available until the end of 2014. Its price should be around $ 80 (€ 58). However for the moment all the funds necessary for the good progress of the project are not collected so share this article if you want to see this superb innovation arrive quickly;)
