A US lab has developed a new key-less, solar-powered lock that alerts the owner in case someone tries to steal their bike.
San Francisco-based Velo Labs has unveiled Skylock, a Bluetooth-equipped lock that syncs to a users smartphone and sends out alerts if it detects anything suspicious.
The lock with an estimated cost of USD 249 also alerts the owner of the vehicle in case someone is messing with their bike's lock for an extended period of time, Industry Leaders magazine reported.
The lock paired with a smartphone application offers remote access, monitoring as well as emergency reporting features to increase bikers' safety and their prized possession's security, its developers said.
The smart device automatically unlocks when you walk up to your bike, saving a user valuable time that goes into looking through a bag or pockets for keys.
The Skylock consists of an embedded accelerometer, that alerts in case of an accident by pairing with the owner's phone using Bluetooth Low Energy and WiFi.
The solar panels embedded on the bike need only an hour of sunlight to last through a month of usage. Skylock does not rely on batteries.
Velo Labs was founded by Jack Al-Kahwati and Gerardo Barroeta, both former Boeing engineers, the report said.
