Bitlock replaces your bike key with your phone

by mehrdad • 13 years ago

34 97 13 years ago

oldgregg• 13 years ago

I've been waiting for something like this-- with the right implementation it could be a huge success-- but there's lots of room to get it not-quite-right.

mehrdad23• 13 years ago

We have been working on this for about a year.

Basically, the biggest technical and design challenge was the battery life.

We wanted to make the lock in a way that the user does not have to charge the lock/battery nor has to worry about replacing the battery at least for a couple of years.

To accomplish that, we had to look across all of the components that consume power. On the radio side, bluetooth LE solved that problem for us. Since we are sending data in bursts and the amount of data transferred is so little, the radio power consumption is almost negligible. We also use an ultra low power micro-controller with intelligent power management to low power consumption when the lock is not in use. The biggest power sucker was the mechanical actuation system. So that became more of a mechanical design and engineering problem. Using a solenoid was our of equation. There are extremely inefficient. We design the lock so that the actuator movement is minimal and is driven by a very low power motor. However there was one last issue. Most of the off-the-shelf batteries leak energy and deplete even if you are not using them after a 1-2 years. We are now using an advance lithium battery technology that has a very high energy density as well as very low leakage rate (This technology is commonly used to power sensors in remote sensing and telemetry application)

Eventually when the battery level drops low after a few years, you can notification on your phone and you can then replace the battery.

slash-dot• 13 years ago

Since the lock will probably be in motion when not not in use, couldn't you just use some kind of kinetic charging mechanism to charge the battery? Is kinetic charging not enough powerful? Or is the circuitry too complex?

nickstinemates• 13 years ago

That sounds really useful.

ISL• 13 years ago

If mechanical motion is minimal, how do you protect against banging/tapping/jostling the lock while pressing the "open" button?

twic2• 13 years ago

As a cyclist and mobile phone user, i find this idea entirely unattractive. I'm therefore interested to hear that you feel differently. Could you perhaps explain what it is you like about this? What problems does it solve for you?

slater• 13 years ago

Is there anything more to the site than a sign-up form? :(

mehrdad23• 13 years ago

We are launching on Kickstarter soon. Please stay tuned. Meanwhile feel free to shoot me an email with any question you have! m.majzoobi@gmail.com

grogenaut3• 13 years ago

Just what I need, for my phone to be dead at the end of the night and not only can't I call a friend to get a ride home, can't unlock my apartment, and now I can't unlock my bike either.

mehrdad23• 13 years ago

The battery life issue of smart phone is coming to an end. Basically battery life will be the prime feature of competition for smartphone makers from now on. Wireless charging, better battery technologies, and etc means the probability of your phone dying on you is going to decrease considerably over the next few years.

EStudley• 13 years ago

Yet this product exists now. It could be possible that there's a way to unlock from a laptop, but grogenaut's argument is pretty logical as of whenever Bitlock would launch..

edit: Didn't notice you were OP. If I were to use this product and my phone were to die, what could I do?

grogenaut3• 13 years ago

Take your argument back to 2005, it still holds. And it didn't happen. Doesn't mean the bar I'm at has a charger or that I'm going to remember to charge my phone when I'm out and about doing whatever I do (movies, golf, bar, board gaming, lan party).

The failure case is still terrible and consists of me with a hacksaw at 3am on the side of the road "Stealing" my own bike.

nextstep• 13 years ago

Maybe this lock will have a physical key as well for just this scenario? Lockitron has that fallback option in the event that the electronics aren't working.

Miyamoto3• 13 years ago

What's the point then? Honest question.

My U-Lock key is on my key chain, which is in my pocket. It takes more effort to take out my phone, unlock it, and open the BitLock app.

stretchwithme2• 13 years ago

There really should be a combination lock for backup. Or a physical key.

I think it would be cool if you could program all these locks to take the same physical kay and then just have to carry one key around. That way, you could lose it all at onc...oh wait, flaw discovered.

twic2• 13 years ago

Exactly. This product seems like it was invented by someone who has never used a bicycle or a mobile phone.

evanlivingston2• 13 years ago

What's the advantage over a traditional lock?

arthulia• 13 years ago

One less key to carry, I imagine. Practically speaking, I wouldn't really mind having my wallet and keys integrated with my smartphone. It is the security implications that make me uneasy.

evanlivingston2• 13 years ago

Sure. It seems like this is taking a problem space (physical security) and adding complexity by introducing another problem space (digital security), while further increasing my dependence on my phone.

Miyamoto3• 13 years ago

Is one less key that big of a deal? I have about a dozen keys on my key chain, but can easily identify my U-Lock's key because it is very distinct and bright green.

mehrdad23• 13 years ago

one less thing to carry. no more lost keys or searches to find them. Ease of use. With the bluetooth 4 ease of connectivity, interaction between your smart phone and locks will be invisible. sharing access: something you can't do with physical keys.

jessaustin3• 13 years ago

sharing access: something you can't do with physical keys.

Except by, you know, sharing the physical key, or having more than one copy, or using more than one lock linked together, etc.

beat• 13 years ago

My first thought is security. But is the lock opening a security flaw in existing quality bike locks, or are they vulnerable primarily from some other angle (like leverage)?

mehrdad23• 13 years ago

There are two sides when it comes to the lock security. First is the structural security.

Comparing to the locks in the market in terms of structural security we are well above average. We can't beat Kryptonite New Yorker but we are as good as other Kryptonite U-Locks. Note that every lock in the market can be easily compromised with an angle grinder. The amount of extra (structural) security you get per dollar has a diminishing return. For example, a $60 lock is probably six times more secure than a $10 lock, but $100 lock maybe hardly twice as secure as a $60 lock.

In terms of electronic key security (or keying security), there is no way to hack the lock. Everything is encrypted using 128-AES (access control industry standard). Plus we make sure our keys have are completely random and have maximum entropy. On a side note, I have a PhD on embedded system security, so you can probably on this one. We are also going to send BitLocks to a group of hackers in Germany and challenge them to compromise the security of the locks.

A final note, encryption even the lousy ones are way more secure that the mechanical keying systems. Most locks can be picked by professional lock pickers.

stekoz• 13 years ago

Is lock/unlock going to use some kind of OTP, or would the same communication happen over BT everytime? Just thinking about how easily this could be cracked by malicious people near you and your bike.

davorb2• 13 years ago

If you were the kind of person that would want to steal a bike, would you:

A. Spend $2 on a bolt cutter.

B. Spend hundreds of dollars on technical equipment in order to potentially be able to unlock a very unusual type of lock that you could have gotten to with option A anyway.

79522• 13 years ago

Or C. Download an app that will unlock high end bikes with no visible breaking in at all.

C would be a popular option if this type of lock was common and had vulnerabilities.

fleitz2• 13 years ago

If Eve wants to steal Bob's bike Eve is going to buy a pair of bolt cutters before fucking around trying to find Alice and Bob's shared secret.

Even though Bruce Schneier could probably break that lock just by looking at it, he's probably not going to become a bike thief.

http://xkcd.com/538/

mehrdad23• 13 years ago

No we are not use a one time password. The key changes every time interact with the lock to stop man-in-the-middle attacks. We use AES-128 encryption that is the access control industry standard (and we think it is enough).

As a side note, I have PhD in embedded system security, although most of these things are crypto 101.

pimpl2• 13 years ago

1. Is it more hackable than classic lock? 2. What if my battery dies? No biking for me then? :D

mehrdad23• 13 years ago

1 - Compared to picking a lock, hacking AES-128 is lot more difficult :D 2 - The battery last up to 5 years on average usage (lock&unlock 5 times a day) + you get a notification on your phone when it is time to replace the battery.

BrainInAJar• 13 years ago

Like breaking most other encryption schemes, the algorithm isn't usually the weakness, it's the implementation. In this case, an angle grinder "breaks the crypto" in about 30 seconds, assuming they use top-quality locks as a base (which I doubt)

shabble• 13 years ago

The physical security (especially the release mechanism) is what I'm curious about. Elsewhere you mention the constraints low-power places on you, and it strikes me that the less energy required to trigger the release, the easier that might be to fake with bumping or vibratory attacks.

There were a couple of interesting DEFCON videos I've seen on electronic safes, which are a similar niche, and quite a lot of them were utterly trivial to open.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIJFQO4DIxw is one, trying to find the other, which I vaguely recall was from Barnaby Jack.

pimpl2• 13 years ago

1. Right :) 2. I was talking about my phone battery, not the device to be honest. We all know they are quite problematic in every smartphone.

highace• 13 years ago

Could the screenshot on that iPhone look any more imposed?

mehrdad23• 13 years ago

original poster here: please wait till the kickstarter launch. it's happening very soon. all that information will be on our kickstarter page.

unsigner• 13 years ago

Cute, but seems like a solution looking for a problem, and finding the wrong one.

The major problem with bike locks IMHO is their laughable resistance to brute force physical attacks, e.g. $100 hydraulic cutters. I don't think anyone around here bothers with picking the actual lock.

jessaustin3• 13 years ago

I don't think anyone around here bothers with picking the actual lock.

True in general, but for a time one could pick Kryptonites with a Bic pen.

emhart2• 13 years ago

And similarly efficient attacks for current gen disc detainer based bike locks are on the horizon.

g8oz• 13 years ago

I like the Abus Bordo Combo. No key required (but don't forget the combo). Don't know if it can resist the hydraulic cutters, but it looks like it can to my untrained eye.

redact207• 13 years ago

Try chaining your bike up using a coil of razor wire. It might not be resistant to hydraulic cutters, but at least you can follow the trail of blood to find your bike.

vertr073• 13 years ago

Did these guys think about the bike lock market at all when they created this? Why reinvent the wheel? For bike locks people value security and convenience. This offers neither over standard key locks.

I'm a cyclist. Why would I want to mess with an electro lock when all I want to do is get on my bike and ride? This seems a symptom of 'an app for everything' syndrome.

mehrdad23• 13 years ago

As a consumer product, BitLock is targeting a niche market (like any other keyless locks). It is way more convenient than a regular lock. You don't have to carry a key with you plus the interaction is seamless. Also we never have to deal with lost bike keys. However an important side application for this lock is bike sharing. For example, You can setup a bike share system among your friends on college campus. This you can't do with regular locks.

vertr073• 13 years ago

I really don't see that happening on a campus. If I'm going to setup a bike share, I'm not going to leave the bikes outside locked in a public place.

Second, keys are pretty fucking convenient. What exactly is the downside of keys?

Finally, you should disclose that this is your project when commenting on it.

meritt• 13 years ago

If you ever forget your key just hide in the bushes and wait for a thief to unlock it for you.

calbear81• 13 years ago

I'm a cyclist too and although I like the idea of not taking out my key to unlock it, it's the LEAST painful interaction I have with locks. I almost never carry a lock (and most other weekend road bikers don't either) because:

1) The good ones are heavy and bulky. 2) They're hard to transport. We're wearing spandex, a lock does not fit in our back pouches and all available mounts on the frame are being used for water bottles or emergency pumps.

This basically means restaurants and coffee shops that have seating outside or allow bikes inside get a ton of business from the bikers in the Bay Area.

Santa Cruz has bike lockers but I think you have to put in a quarter and carry around change. I would love short term storage in the city that can use an app or credit card to unlock and you can choose to extend it with the app. Anyone know of anything like this?

vertr073• 13 years ago

I agree, locks are a pain. I would be more excited about bike storage co-ops in the city than this too. I only commute by bike when I can keep it in the building. My bikes are never locked outside unless its for a short duration or very close.

dvdhsu• 13 years ago

I've thought about this problem a lot, and was thinking about building something similar. This idea is essentially Lockitron, except it's more mobile (both w.r.t the door/bike, and to w.r.t. its physical location). That mucks with two things: a) the lock isn't attached to the bike, like a Lockitron is attached to its door, and b) the lock doesn't have 24/7 data access, unlike most Lockitrons.

a) makes it far less convenient to unlock. Sure, the lock might unlock itself when I'm near it, but then what happens? Does the lock just fall to the ground? Do I still have to remove the lock from my bike? If so, how is this better than a combination lock?

b) makes it impossible to unlock remotely. Sure, it's great that I can tell my friends the exact location of my bike, but what's the purpose of that if I can't unlock it for them from afar? They still need my phone (effectively physical presence) before they can unlock and use my bike. If I had a combination lock, I could just tell them my passcode and they would be off. Why not just a combination lock?

These two problems make it unappetizing for customers. There seem to be a few main reasons why you have a Lockitron: 1) to go through the door without fishing your keys out or fudging with the lock, 2) so you can let other people in when you're not there, and 3) to know when people entered your house. In fact, these are pretty much the exact reasons Lockitron touts on its website: https://lockitron.com/preorder.

If a) and b) are true, most of the above three points have been not been addressed. 1) is a direct result of assumption a), and 2) and 3) are direct results of assumption b).

These problems aren't insurmountable, though. For a), some locks are physically attached to the bike. Here's an example of one: http://lovelybike.blogspot.com/2011/02/is-wheel-lock-useful-.... That way, when you walk up to the bike, it unlocks itself, and when you walk away, it locks itself. There's no need for any physical interaction between you and the lock. For b), you could include a cellular modem [1], which would allow you to remotely unlock your bike. Even more important, however, would be the added benefit of being able to track your bike if it were to be stolen (since with a "cafe lock" like the one I linked above, somebody could very well just carry it off).

1. The problem is trying to find a suitable data plan. The ideal one would be pay per kilobyte, with the SIM lasting forever. Since unlock and location requests take up very little bandwidth, you could pay a small amount, like $10, for a few megabytes. That should be enough for quite a few requests.

mehrdad23• 13 years ago

a) The lock does not fall off. It basically grants you the permission to lock and unlock directly from the lock. Imagine replacing the keyhole on your lock with a button and everything is the same. You don’t even have to touch your phone. Leave it in your pocket. b) You CAN share access with other remotely. But both people must have internet access on their smart phones (most people do)

Wheel locks are great don’t work everywhere. People don’t consider them safe. The other problem is that they may not be compatible or fit with all kinds of bikes. You don’t to pay for data plan on BitLock. You just need to have internet on your phone.

ewang1• 13 years ago

No data plan is needed. You can implement something similar to two factor auth tokens. Then the phones only need to know the correct token to present to the lock.

cratib• 13 years ago

Or public key crypto. You sign a message that grants your friends phone access; the lock verifies it.

79522• 13 years ago

It would be good if this was available as a permanent fixture at bike racks. Because it would be static you could use higher strength heavier materials that would stand up to an angle grinder. The big problem for a lot of cyclists is hauling heavy locks around. A keyless static lock would solve this.

ssalenik2• 13 years ago

Interesting idea, but I wouldn't expect it to work out well for long. It would probably require a lot of regular maintenance, and if one breaks down while your bike is on it, you would be screwed until a tech with the master mechanical key comes to rescue you... which might then also make them liable if you locked a stolen bike there...

ssalenik2• 13 years ago

What sort of locking mechanism will be used? I live in Canada and ride my bike all year round, in the rain, snow, sleet, below freezing temperatures, etc. Sometimes I have to leave my bike outside during the winter. I've had trouble opening my key operated lock before when it froze in the middle of the night... luckily I was able to get it open with rubbing alcohol and chain lube after about 20 minutes.

I'd be worried that this thing won't handle the weather, especially if its only battery operated (no key).

mehrdad23• 13 years ago

original poster here: all of the internal electronic components are water proofed and the battery operates under extended temperatures (currently the same batteries are used in north pole for remote sensing)

But if the water freezes inside and prevents the actuator from moving, then the lock won't work. the same can happen to the mechanical locks...if the water gets into the key hole and freezes there or freezes up the locking mechansim

jpalomaki• 13 years ago

This could also easily enable a small scale bike sharing scheme (among trusted people). In order to keep track of where each bike is, the phone app could update the position to shared map when the lock is activated.

mehrdad23• 13 years ago

original poster: exactly! that's the main point. This is designed to enable for small scaled bike share systems. you can share the location and access of bikes with a (close or open) group of people. As the owner of the lock, you set the terms. you can also assign people as admins so they can also manage permissions.

dictum• 13 years ago

And now they will steal your bike and your bike lock.

mehrdad23• 13 years ago

If someone manages to steal your bike, they probably damage the lock to get it. In case someone steals your lock or you lose your lock, you can disable it remotely.

th0br02• 13 years ago

But am I notified when that happens?

1945• 13 years ago

Just don't forget to charge your phone or you'll be walking home..

reneherse• 13 years ago

Interesting to read this juxtaposed with the article on increased smartphone theft in what also happen to be cities with high populations of cyclists.

In my personal infrastructure and gear, I like redundancies that create soft modes of failure. The more we make the smartphone into a security hub (or a payment hub), the greater the cost & inconvenience of theft, loss, or damage of the device. Spreading these functions between phone, wallet, and keychain is a healthy "division of labor" that spreads failure risk.

E.G., you can steal my wallet, and you can steal my phone, but I'm still safely biking home from the bar because you didn't steal my keys.

However, yes please to more convenient bike locks. Just not increasing/concentrating device dependency and risk.

Justsignedup• 13 years ago

I kind of want to build a boobietrap into this. You steal my bike, the bikelock detects it and triggers a timer, the person starts riding the bike and BOOM his ass explodes. Then I can program my stolen phone to point to my bike so the boobietrap can be sprung. Oh it will be awful and awesome.

codex• 13 years ago

Lose your phone? Phone out of juice? There goes your ride. Someone steal your phone? Now they have your bike. Combo locks are the best locks.

emhart2• 13 years ago

I'm wondering if successful attacks on this lock (should it get popular enough to warrant it) will lead to successful attacks on similar technology on homes.

There is an impressive amount of innovation when it comes to stealing bikes as they are low-risk, decent-value targets compared to cars or houses. In the past, attacks that originated with or were popularized on bike locks have paved the way for attacks on other locks that protected cars & electronics.

rednovember2• 13 years ago

Hmm interesting idea, but you are definitely not the first mover, and probably someone else already has a patent on it, when did you file? There has been others doing the same for a while. I have been waiting for someone to properly execute this but everybody that tries ends up showing a video and 3d printed mockups. Just to give you an idea:

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/haamlock-a-smarter-bike-lo... http://www.smartbikelock.com/ http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/social-lock-developers-kit...

carlos_danger• 13 years ago

I was at a y combinator hardware hackathon in march and a Stanford team was doing something similar as well. Probably they have a patent on it.

rednovember2• 13 years ago

So was I. I think that team was from Berkeley though.

Bitlock replaces your bike key with your phone

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