Kwikset Launches Fingerprint-based Halo Touch Smart Lock

 Internet-of-Things (IoT) is one of the most significant achievements in terms of technology. It ensured the integration of electronics with mechanical systems and smartphones. Hence, it created an enhanced digital world and infrastructure that delivered comfort for humanity with every advancement. IoT has widespread applications in all forms of life and fields. However, developers and researchers have been cautious about its usage as security. But, the developers have taken a step towards the security system using IoT technology. Kwikset, an American organization dealing in hardware and security locks, has come up with a smart lock that listens to voice commands and takes fingerprints as input to unlock doors and other things. Let’s check the working, technology used, and benefits of Kwikset Halo Touch.

External and Physical Structure

Kwikset Halo Touch has a sleek design with two materials variants – matte black or satin nickel. It comes with a curved-traditional design that is available in Venetian bronze or satin nickel. Kwikset Halo Touch is a complete lock assembling the following components:

  • Interior and exterior escutcheons
  • Deadbolt latch and strike
  • Mounting plate and mounting hardware
  • Four AA batteries
  • Pair of keys

The exterior escutcheon contains a keyway (or a keyhole), a fingerprint scanner, and an LED bar. This LED bar glows green on successful unlocking of the lock, orange to indicate that the lock is in a locked state, and red when the attempt to unlock fails. Also, the fingerprint reader is an additional facility that no other smart lock manufacturer offers. The interior escutcheon consists of a thumb turn knob, a status LED, and a removable black panel. To access removable battery caddy, setup buttons, and a programming button, the user can use the back panel.

Halo App

Kwikset Halo Touch uses a mobile app that is compatible with both Android and iOS smartphones. On launching the app, it shows the home screen where the user can see the lock’s name and the time of the last update. There is a UI-based lock icon with a circle present in the center of the screen. In the locked state, the circle fills with red color, and the lock icon displays a locked state. When unlocked, the circle gets filled with green color, and the lock shows an unlocked lock icon. Users can tap as well on the circle to lock and unlock the system. In addition to this, the app displays the current status of the battery and the people who have the access to lock and unlock. Any user granting privileges can ensure that other people get limited access or full-time access. There is also an option to create a new user with one or two fingerprints registered with it. Kwikset has also given an alternative named Secure mode, triggering which disables the fingerprint scanner.

Benefits of Halo Mobile App

  • With the History section, a user gets an idea about the unlocking and locking frequency in a day.
  • Empowers the master user to create at least 50 users to use and access the lock.
  • It enables the user to go for auto-lock mode with a configuration time between 30 seconds to 10 minutes.
  • Using voice assistance of Google and Amazon through the app, users can lock or unlock the lock system. However, for Alexa, one needs to give a spoken PIN as a voice command to unlock the security system.
  • The fingerprint scanner enhances the security as biometric systems allow restricted access and not let malicious entry. Hence, a user can use Halo Touch as a door lock or locker system. 

Major Issues

  • A user can only make one change in the settings at a time.
  • The Halo app does not support Siri-voice assistant. Hence, the Halo app is not very compatible with iPhones and iPads in terms of voice commands as input.
  • The Halo Touch system cannot work or integrate with IFTTT applets and applications.
  • The number pad is absent from the smart security lock system that could have helped enter the PIN and unlock it.

Conclusion

Kwikset has delivered a secure and smart lock for the users to store precious items and protect the house. The Halo Touch gets the power of enhanced utility with its Halo app and fingerprint scanner. Adding a biometric system as a fingerprint reader restricts and limits the access. The voice assistance commands offer protection using the speech of the user. However, CCTV-camera integration and early warning and alert generation may have helped identify the malicious intrusion.

Source :- https://v1office.com/kwikset-launches-fingerprint-based-halo-touch-smart-lock/

Daisy Martin  is a qualified IT engineer by education. After working in the IT sector for a decade, she began writing about it two years ago. She loves to write about emerging technology like office.com/setup

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