Video: Lock8 promises 'smart lock' revolution with GPS tracking & built-in alarm

They’ve not announced many details yet, but new lock maker Lock8 is promising to “revolutionise bicycle security” with a “smart lock” that incorporates an alarm, GPS tracking and remote control via an iPhone app.

The project will launch properly on Kickstarter on October 29, but for now founders Franz Salzmann and Daniel Zajarias-Fainsod have outlined a few details on their website.

Here’s a video demonstrating how it will work:

The initial impetus for Lock8 came when Franz and Daniel were at university together. When they first met, they had both recently had a bike stolen. How could they improve on standard bike locks? Lock8 is their answer.

Lock8 will have a built-in 120bD alarm that will make an almighty racket if it detects an attack. At the same time it will send a notification to your phone, so you can drop your cappuccino and dash out to accost a thief.

Built-in sensors detect temperature changes associated with some ways bikes loks are attacked, motion and damage.

It seems that Franz and Daniel quickly realised this would be useless if the lock could be easily smashed and removed from the bike. That’s been the weakness of past alarm-equipped locks, which could be disabled with a good whack from a hammer, or removed and left beeping plaintively to themselves on the floor.

Lock8 will be bolted to the bike. Franz and Daniel say that as they developed the idea, “the LOCK8 bike lock design soon turned its focus towards a frame mounted bracket, effectively making the bike and the bike lock one complete part.”