Smartphones replace keys in smart door locks

Gabriel Bestard-Ribas got tired of his house keys scratching his smartphone in his pocket, so he combined them.

The result was a Goji lock, which senses when a resident’s smartphone is near and not only unlocks a door but greets the resident by name.

It’s just one of the trend of “smart locks” on display at the Consumer Electronics Show that ended in Las Vegas on Friday.

“My keys were always scratching my phone, so I thought why not build them in,” said Bestard-Ribas, founder and chief executive of San Francisco startup Goji.

His creation fuses mobile Internet technology with centuries old lock mechanics. A free Goji application installed in smartphones uses Bluetooth connectivity to let the lock know a person is near and, if it is a resident or someone given a “digital key,” a personalized welcome message displays and the path is opened.

A camera built into the lock takes a picture of whoever is arriving. Images of visitors as well as alerts regarding entry are relayed to residents’ smartphones through home wireless Internet connections.

“It is about allowing you to feel confidence and control over your home access,” Bestard-Ribas told AFP. “We have all lost keys or given them to someone who left our sight; we don’t know if copies were made.”

Temporary digital keys, restricting use to specified time periods, can be emailed to house cleaners, dog walkers, or others who may need to visit homes. The locks were available for order online at gojiaccess.com at a price of $299 each, and will begin shipping in March.

Veteran lock makers Kwikset and Schlage were also showing off smart locks at CES.

A Kwikset Kevo lock senses when a resident’s smartphone is near and then opens when the person touches what appears to be an ordinary deadbolt in a door.