Billed as the first consumer smart lock with facial recognition, the Visage was introduced in CES earlier this year and is expected to launch in mid-2024.
Smart locks with fingerprint support are nothing special, but imagine you’re going home, and the smart lock is opened without you touching anything – except to show your face. Lockly recently demonstrated the idea is not so out of reach when it introduced Visage, their face recognition-enabled smart lock. This article takes a closer look.
A smart lock works by way of authenticating a credential presented by the user, be it a keyfob, a password or the user’s biometric information – typically their fingerprint. Increasingly,
smart locks are found in houses,
apartments and other residential properties. With smart locks, the user does not have to bring mechanical keys all the time, and they can get back into the house even if they’re locked out.
In addition, smart locks provide other benefits. They can be integrated with various smart home devices and can be controlled with voice commands. Also, some smart locks support remote locking and unlocking capabilities so that, in case a known guest shows up at the door, the user can unlock the door remotely for them.
These benefits are driving demand and growth prospects for smart locks. “I estimate about 30 million to 40 million smart locks will be sold each year through 2027. Smart lock units year-to-year growth is in the range of 8 to 10 percent, and smart lock revenue growth is in the range of 5 to 7 percent,”
said Jack Narcotta, Principal Analyst for Smart Home at Omdia, in an earlier interview with asmag.com.
Facial recognition-enabled
Facial recognition is not typically associated with smart locks, most of which still use fingerprint as the sole biometric authenticator. Yet this requires the act of touching. For those looking for a more frictionless and hygienic way of entering the home, smart locks enabled with facial recognition may be more desirable.
In this regard, Lockly’s Visage, which the company introduced in CES 2024, presents a good solution. The lock is billed as the first consumer smart lock with facial recognition. It complements Lockly’s existing range of smart locks and provides a true contactless experience that users are looking for.
“At Lockly, we are always innovating new ways to secure your home – from our patented PIN Genie keypad, LocklyOS, Offline Access Codes, and many more. The biggest advantage of the facial recognition is hands-free unlocking, without any tab, any entry, especially when your hands are not available,” said Jamie Leung, Marketing Director at Lockly.
How it works
According to a Linked-In post by Lockly, the Visage comes with the ability to store up to 100 face profiles, offering a hands-free, speedy entry in less than 1.5 seconds. This allows the Visage to open doors quickly for not only residents but also those they choose to grant entry to.
The Visage works by way of binocular facial recognition, combined with radar technology to detect as a person approaches. “When a person comes into range, the radar wakes the dual-IR sensors for authentication. The dual sensor setup is secured with ‘live-skin’ detection – to ensure no photographs or 3D printing. Also, with IR sensors, it works in low-light conditions without the need of dazzling lights,” Leung said.
Like most smart locks in the market, the Visage allows multiple methods for authentication. According to a post by the Verge, the Visage has a digital keypad and RFID key cards and fobs as other access options beyond scanning the user’s face; traditional keys can also be used. The post adds that the Visage works with the Lockly smartphone app for remote control of the lock and sharing and managing access; is compatible with Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant; and supports wireless protocols including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC.
According to Leung, Lockly is looking for a mid-2024 launch for Visage. While the smart lock has potential in both residential and commercial spaces, Lockly will go with residential first.
“Right now, it is for residential use – from apartments to houses. We are looking to continue innovation to expand this feature into our commercial line – LocklyPRO,” Leung said. “The Visage will available through Lockly.com and through our strong distribution network, including The Home Depot and many more.”