Smart padlock opens via fingerprints, charges mobile devices

Canada tech firm Pishon Lab has recently created the TappLock and TappLock Lite smart fingerprint padlocks that can be unlocked by owners in less than a second.

The locks adopt FPC 1020 fingerprint sensors developed by Sweden-based Fingerprint Cards AB. The type of sensor is the same one used in Huawei Mate 7 smartphones.

Tapp can be opened not only by the owner’s fingerprints. During emergencies, authorized friends and family from anywhere around the world can access it via the TappLock app. The app also unlocks the padlock in case the sensors malfunction. Up to 200 fingerprints can be stored and time, location and access duration can be customized for added security. To discourage theft, Tapp has a small-profile latch that prevents any foreign object from hitting the mechanism. It can also give off an alarm.

Made of solid yet lightweight steel, TappLock runs on a 3.7V 1,200mAh lithium polymer battery that can last up to three years on one charge. TappLock Lite, meanwhile, is powered by a replaceable 2032 coin cell battery that can last up to six months.

As an added perk, TappLock can moonlight as portable charger for mobile devices when the user’s mobile phone dies out. The charging capability is only available when the TappLock is unlocked.

The locks’ crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo was very successful, surpassing 440 percent of the $40,000 target. This shows that demand for intelligent padlocks is rising. A few smart padlocks that rely on biometrics and Bluetooth, such as the iFingerLock and Noke, have been around the past year but TappLock’s app and mobile charger capabilities are proving to be interesting or “hot” features for the industry. It is very likely that many other manufacturers would like to keep up with the latest trends by adding similar or new technologies in padlocks. In Asia, for example, a few suppliers have already rolled out their own smart padlocks. One example is Kolmon Technology’s iOS/Android phone-controlled Bluetooth 4.0 padlock.