Challenge

Use biometrics at home? – Why not? Whether it is a residential complex with several parties, the own house or apartment, the use of biometrics can also be useful here. There is a common belief that if biometrics are incorporated into home security system, it will become more sophisticated, and therefore more expensive. 

Our case describes a vacation home with its garage, which belongs to a family of five. The children are all in their best teenage years. For a long time, there were only two keys to the house and the garage access was limited, too. The kids didn’t need a key for their own. But this changed when they grew up and went out for parties. They keys got lost and had to be replaced or the front door lock had to be replaced at the same time. This procedure costed time and an exorbitant amount to have a professional locksmith unlock the door and have the door lock replaced. In short, the actual key solution was not very practical for the family.

Biometric locks eliminate the need for a key and operate with the touch of a finger or with the pattern of the hand. Often referred to as a ‘keyless entry’, the door unlocks when an “approved” finger or hand is swiped across a scanner. With such solution worrying about lost keys, forgetting to lock the door or accidentally slammed house doors are history.

Approach

Biometric access control systems do not have a reputation of being particularly cheap, and this is of course mainly because they are mostly used in a professional environment and with special building security software are equipped. Together with our partner BWO Systems we developed a solution which is extremely secure, convenient and considering all benefits of biometric access in the future at an affordable price. And we make sure to maintain a high level of security and allow intuitive use. We designed a new product, that reduces the cost for biometric access system in the private market.  

In addition, the hardware had to be easy to integrate – without a big server. The result is a cost-effective, compact biometric system for private use, which can open up to four different entrances (front door, garage door, mailbox, patio door) with a single sensor. The registration of the authorized persons is carried out very simply via an app on the cell phone.

Lessons learned

Of course there is a difference whether a biometric system is used in the industrial sector, in the public sector, in companies or for private use. On the one hand, the requirements are sometimes extremely complex, on the other hand, they are rather simple, but still have to be secure and at the same time cheaper.

Biometrics in the private environment is simply something different.

Success model

In the development of a biometric system for the “home” sector, we could once again contribute our many years of practical experience. The key to our success is also our competence for practice-oriented product and solution development, including cost and market analyses. Undoubtedly, biometrics represents the cutting edge of home security technology.