This smart lock is powered by the sun
The Internet of Things is going green.
Brinks (a division of hardware manufacturer Hampton Products) has announced that it is taking preorders for its ARRAY Smart Deadbolt, a heavy-duty lock you can operate with your smartphone.
Unlike many smart locks, however, which require standard cylindrical batteries, ARRAY draws from a proprietary lithium polymer battery. This connects to an onboard solar panel, meaning it can be powered directly by sunlight.
Don't worry: If your lock is in a shady place, you can still charge its battery the normal way.
In designing the lock, Brinks aimed for simplicity and versatility. You can lock and unlock the deadbolt remotely with Brinks' ARRAY app, which Hampton Products Chief Marketing Officer Jim Hartung told Mashable is "incredibly intuitive to use." The lock also includes a key cylinder for those who are nostalgic for a physical key, and a touchpad for users who have moved past the traditional key, but aren't quite ready to use their phone.
"We've covered every conceivable angle of someone who might want to use a smart deadbolt," Hartung said.
The deadbolt also supports Amazon's Alexa, and integration with Google Assistant and Apple's Homekit is in the works.
Brinks has also announced ARRAY Smart Light fixtures, outdoor lights outfitted with cameras and motion sensors that will alert you when guests have arrived, and an ARRAY Chek connected lock, which can inform you whether or not your lock is properly secured.
But though Brinks continues to expand its Internet of Things ecosystem, Hartung believes the deadbolt remains the company's centerpiece. "The core of any quality home-security system is a lock," he said. "We built our connected product line around smart locks."
The ARRAY Smart Deadbolt has a suggested retail price of $249, and will ship in a few weeks. ARRAY Smart Lights and ARRAY Chek locks will be available later this year, and Brinks has not yet announced their prices.
Keen for more gadgets? Follow our complete coverage of CES 2018 here.
Monica wrote for Mashable's Tech section with a focus on retail, internet of things, and the intersections of technology and social justice. She holds a degree in creative writing from Brown University, and has previously written for Dow Jones Media, the New York Post, Yahoo Finance, and others. In her free time, she can be found attempting to cook Asian food, buying board games, and looking for new hobbies.
