Last year I visited the “Smart Homes” exhibition at the NECBirmingham (UK).  I found it quiteinteresting and noticed a couple of exhibitors selling biometric  (fingerprint) door locks.  I thought this would be quite a coolidea and have been quietly contemplating the idea for my front door since.  I had decided that this was the wayforward, no searching in pockets for keys, never locked out etc.

Last weekend I visited the “Smart Homes” exhibition again tophysically try some of these locks to decide which I like the look and the functionalityof before I purchase one.

I could not find one exhibitor selling them! Plan foiled!

So, my question is this, has anyone had experience of thistype of lock.  Do you have any goodor bad feedback about day-to-day use of them or do you know of a lock that is particularlygood looking or works very well?

Can anyone recommend a supplier of this type of lock  (I have noticed some on ebay). Finallyand possibly most importantly, I am not looking to spend a vast fortune on thisproject.

Any advice or input would be most greatly appreciated

Many thanks in advance

Peter G.

There's a system like this installed in the building where I work. I don't know why (I've only been working there for two months now) but the system is disconnected. If I can find the time tomorrow I will look into this matter and report my findings...

Hi Peter

I am a dealer for EIB (european installation bus) now known as KNX which is a truly open standard building mangement system. One of the companies that makes products for KNX is Gira & they make a finger print reader door/gate entry system here http://www.knxshop.co.uk/catalog/default.asp?id=010-020-1102-GIR260720.

They also do keyless transponders remotes etc, drop me a line and see if I can help

Simon

Simon,

Thank you for your kind offer but it would seem that the company that you work in partnership with supply commercial / industrial properties.  I am looking to retro-fit a lock to my existing home, wooden front door.  This is just one of the styles I have found so far:

Ebay

 Item number: 280218099611

This is just the general type of lock I am looking for, easy to install and easy to use for  the family.

Thanks

Peter

Hi:

 I don't know how true this is. However, I have heard that some of the early locks you could "fool" by getting a print of the correct finger put onto a piece of sticky tape. Perhaps not the most secure system at the moment?

 

Like I said tihs could be rubbish.

Back on the situation in the building where I work. The system was installed two years back and never worked properly. Sometimes the doors wouldn't unlock even if you should have access to the building. It turned out to be a software related problem, but it couldn't be fixed because the firm who supplied the system went bust.

I'm not sure that biometric locks are ready for the consumer market yet. The ones that are available are kind of crap, and don't work very well. If you want keyless entry, I'd go for a coded lock. Tried and tested technology.

Related to this, has anyone any experience with home installations of proximity card sensors to control door locks?  They use them all the time in the hospital but there is a large variation in the quality and aesthetics of the system.

See, one of the things I tend to do during the day when I really ought to be working hard is dream up the ultimate games/TV room which would be laden with B&O, PCs, and consoles, and protected with multiple layers of security including retinal scanning, fingerprint locks and prox cards.  That way only I will be able to access my den and the kids wont be able to get in and mess up the choice set up!

You can achieve almost the same with a digital code lock... type in a number and the door opens. You don't need to carry you keys, etc...

I was thinking of doing the same. I work in a college which has a setup based on card readers and electro-magnetic locks.

 The setup in principle is simple:

 

Elecro magnetic lock

Card reader/scanner

PC with software

Card

 

However, the last I heard there was only one company that offers such a solution and it is very expensive - they own the rights over the software and that is how they make their money. Unless there are any third parties that make software to "talk" to this equipment you maybe paying a lot to achieve this.

I think the company is dynalock although I maybe wrong.

 

When I checked last (a year or so ago) this was the case. However, it may have all changed now.

Alternative company:

 

http://www.egoo.co.uk/catalog/adel-la93-heavyduty-digital-fingerprint-lock-p-99.html?gclid=CIaV3u-Ax5MCFQ2L1QodkWK-CA

here is a door lock project that looks like fun!

colors

Previous post - Funny door lock - works if one isn't red/green color blind.

Other issue with the locks would be power failure at the home. For commercial use, there might be a battery backup, but if the power goes out for a prolonged period of time, you might have use the master crowbar lock bypass system for residential use.

I am thinking of getting a safe with biometrics.

 

 

wow it's very expensive for a lock door did you see this website?

http://www.serrures-biometriques.com/ 

 

All the systems mentioned are available in many different forms and levels, from gimmick type of residential focused locks/readers to high end commercial (professional) products.

 Some things to consider other that price!

Does your insurance company require/specify deadlocks on doors? Most will not satisfy this without an elaborate expensive setup.

If choosing a code pad, if entering the secured area with another person, a code is easy to see and remember by others. Could be your kids friend. Do you want this. In a commercial application that is able to be audited a code is useless as there is no way of knowing if the code that was allocated to and individual was actually used by this individual.

Just a few things to consider, hope this helps.