Sesame, by Candy House, Inc., recently finished up a very successful Kickstarter campaign (raising $1,428,519 with an original goal of $100,000) for their smart lock technology. Their success makes me wonder just how long it will be until the common house key is obsolete. We already have keyless cars; it only seems natural that dwellings would follow suit. Soon (or now, actually), you may be able to eliminate an item from your phone/keys/wallet check as you head out the door.
Sesame claims to be the best of the smart locks out there–with a simpler app, faster activation time, and no hard installation required (no screwdrivers or hammers needed). If you’re too lazy to take your phone out of your pocket, the Sesame app utilizes the accelerometer in your phone by letting you knock on your phone while it’s still in your pocket. That same coded knock can be used on the door itself. Sesame also comes in about six different colors, because why not?
Here’s a few other smart locks on the market that are helping to make a keyless world.
- Okidokeys has several products in the smart locks space with a range of features available. A few months ago they released a concierge app called RentEZ which allows rental property owners to share amenities with guests.
- August Smart Lock allows your to send keys to a list of family, friends, or potential robbers in seconds. You can also keep a guestbook where in addition to keys, you can send thank you notes, leave instructions, or read comments from guests. August is currently available on Amazon.
- Gogi comes with a photo alert feature that takes a picture of whoever happens to be at your door and sends it to your phone. Gogi also takes into account that these systems aren’t always flawless, so it comes with key fob and traditional key backups.
- Kevo is a bluetooth activated deadbolt. As long as you have the fob on you, you can unlock the door by simply touching the lock with your finger. Kevo also works with Nest, by letting Nest know when you come and go so that it can adjust temperature settings based on that information.
Most of these locks rely on bluetooth and wifi, so no worries about being locked out if your internet goes bye-bye. Normally, I refuse to use cliche phrases like “wave of the future,” (pretend I used something else that means the same thing) but it seems fitting for these devices.
Image Credit: Flickr/Moyan Brenn
