Can you explain that in a bit more detail? I find it very interesting, but I don’t think I fully understand it.
Self-locking: Does that mean you have to run electricity to the door and the door automatically locks itself every time you close it with a kind of motorized lock? If yes, what happens during a power outage? What exactly is this "panic" thing in that context?
Opening at the push of a button: Is that then a hand sensor like a remote control? Or how does the head know, if it’s installed fixed next to the door, that you are authorized to open? Or is it automatically combined with the fingerprint scan? That’s how I would understand it.
I basically like the idea of making the key obsolete. But I wonder whether the gain in convenience justifies the extra cost and fear that "electronic" systems are easier to overcome than a classic, mechanical lock. I’m torn on the subject.
Thanks and regards
A cable comes out of the door, and we had an electrician screw on a Schuko plug to it, which plugs into a regular socket. You can also connect it directly to a power line; the plug can just be pulled out, which doesn’t really matter in the end.
The lock is a motorized lock; when you close the door, it locks automatically, opening is easy from the inside by the handle. In case of a power outage, it also works normally, but the locking would not engage; you’d have to use a key then. That has happened once so far. When the door is locked—and it is always locked when closed—the lock won’t open during a power outage. Only if you leave the house during a power failure, you’d have to lock manually, like with regular doors.
Push of a button means the remote control. Like with a car, a small device you carry on your keyring. It uses a rolling code, meaning it changes with every use and is therefore secure. If someone steals the key, it’s like with a car: whoever has the key can get in. So, just like with normal front doors. It’s safer with a fingerprint scan, which we also have. I never take a key with me when I leave the house. My husband carries the remote because he works in a chemical lab and has damaged fingers, and the fingerprint scanner works very unreliably for him. For me, it works every time, and I don’t have to look for a key or worry about losing one. You can register dozens of fingers, I think up to 100; the controller is built into the door, though there are also controls you can install in the house’s electrical panel. With the door system, I could also open four additional doors or garage doors with the same remote (4 channels, 4 buttons); I think we will probably use that eventually. For now, we still have manual garage doors.
I do think the radio version with rolling codes is more secure than a normal door lock, which can be drilled open. However, burglars probably won’t choose the front door to get inside. In terms of losing keys, the fingerprint method is definitely safer—first, you don’t lose your finger, second, the scanner is secure because it doesn’t scan the surface but the deep tissue layers, which cannot be "copied" with adhesive tape or similar. The radio key, on the other hand, is as secure or insecure as any metal key. If you lose it, the finder can get in.
The convenience gain for me is huge. No annoying key, no misplacing, no searching, door always locked (before I used to only pull it shut for convenience). Door opening at the push of a button is nice too.
The entire tech package cost 2000 euros (motorized lock, control unit, remote key, fingerprint scanner). Also, we bought a wireless push button that can be attached anywhere without cables; guests can be let in with the button without you having to run to the door. It cost 200 euros.