13 Apr 2018

Padlocks have long been used to secure valuable items but remembering the combination or where the key is can be a hassle. Fingerprints have replaced passwords for electronic devices and are now replacing combinations and keys. The Tapplock one is the world’s first smart fingerprint padlock. It can unlock in 0.8 seconds with no effort compared to a traditional combination lock that can take up to 15 seconds, or several minutes if the combination is forgotten, to open. The Tapplock one has an adaptive algorithm that allows the lock to become faster and more accurate with each use

Fingerprint sensor

Everyone has had the frustrating experience of spinning the dial of a lock in an endless circle, blocked from changing out of gym clothes or accessing garden tools in a shed. Featuring a state-of-the-art capacitive fingerprint sensor, the Tapplock one has an adaptive algorithm that allows the lock to become faster and more accurate with each use. It can store up to 500 fingerprints to allow multiple users to access the lock. And, lock owners can use the Tapplock app to track who opened the lock and when, or to grant mobile access via a remote unlock feature.

Smart padlock Tapplock one’s battery lasts up to a year off a single two-hour charge

The rugged Tapplock one is crafted from Zamak 3 zinc alloy metal and features a cut-resistant 7mm reinforced stainless steel shackle, strengthened by double-layered lock design with anti-shim and anti-pry technologies. The smart padlock is rated IP66, meaning it is water resistant when the lock is closed and is fully functional between 14 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, which is perfect for locking up gates, sheds, boat lockers and bikes. Tapplock one’s battery lasts up to a year off a single two-hour charge, which equates to around 3,000 unlocks per charge and users can check the remaining power using the Tapplock app.

The idea for Tapplock came to David Tao, the founder, while he was using a standard combination lock for his gym locker in college. “The traditional padlock was very difficult to operate, and I forgot the combination if I didn’t go to the gym every day. I thought about how fingerprints are used to gain access to smartphones and how that technology would solve the problem of remembering a combination or key to a lock. Plus, using your fingerprint gives you quicker access to your belongings.