Opening doors next job for the mighty mobile

9 April 2007 - Ruben Schwarz The Dominion Post

 

The mundane hassle of digging into your pocket or handbag to fish out your front door and car keys could be a thing of the past if an Auckland start-up gets its way.

[ECKey] technology lets people open their car, house or garage doors using a Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone, headset or other device.
The wireless system will automatically unlock a door when a registered Bluetooth device is in range, typically between four and 10 metres away, and lock the door again when it is out of range.

"You can leave your phone in your pocket or in your bag," says founder Nick Willis. "Mobiles are doing more and more things these days, why can't they open your doors?"

Each door unit will cost $200-$300, including installation, when it goes on sale later this year. People don't need to install any software to use it. The units are mains-powered or powered by a car battery, so a regular key is still a good idea in case power goes out. A version that runs off AA batteries is planned for sale next year.

With Bluetooth phones becoming more common, Dr Willis says he will pitch the device as an affordable home automation tool for the mass market. He says the lock is secure and can't be detected by people scanning for any available Bluetooth device. Unlocking devices can only be registered by pressing a button on the inside of the car or house, so crooks would have to break into the house first to crack the Bluetooth lock.

Resonance will sell the device in the United States through a car security firm. It is also talking to lock and garage door companies.

Resonance Systems received a cash injection of several hundred thousand dollars, from Auckland angel investment firm Sparkbox, which is backed by the Government's Venture Investment Fund. Each took 21 per cent of the company.

Dr Willis founded Resonance in 2005. He studied quantum field theory at Cambridge University before moving into telecommunications.