The heavy-duty i-Lock offers customizable access, real-time tracking, and tamper alerts for industrial applications.

u-blox (SIX:UBXN), a global provider of leading positioning and wireless communication technologies, announced their collaboration with India-based Play Inc. on a connected GPS padlock for industrial applications. The lock, which doubles as a location tracker, features a u blox M8 GNSS receiver, MAX-M8Q, and uses the u blox CellLocate® service to extend positioning to indoor locations. u blox Bluetooth low energy with NINA-B112, and 2G, 3G and 4G u-blox cellular communication modules, including some that are ATEX certified, enable communication between users and the lock.

In many industrial settings, locks are an unwelcome bottleneck. They typically require the physical presence of a person with a key to open them, they need to be checked periodically for signs of tampering, and when they are forced open, owners typically find out too late.

Play Inc’s i-Lock combines physical toughness and wireless technology to address these challenges. Offering a variety of access methods, including physical keys and keyless approaches using remote GPRS and SMS passwords as well as Bluetooth low energy or cloud-based communication via mobile device apps, the i-Lock lets plant managers or other customers flexibly grant authorization to access the goods that are under lock. And in the event that the padlock is forcefully opened, they are immediately alerted via a server or, optionally, SMS.

In addition to securing mobile and stationary goods, the lock’s GNSS receiver lets users track goods in transit. The i-Lock supports a variety of tracking modes to optimize power consumption for increased autonomy. Location-awareness further enables geofence restricted applications, in which the i-Lock can only be open if it is within predefined geographical bounds, e.g. a petroleum filling station.

The robust security lock was designed to endure both physical attempts of tampering and cyberattacks. Its fiberglass reinforced enclosure withstands temperatures from -20 to +80 degrees Celsius. The lock features Super Admin, Admin, and User access levels, 128 bit AES encryption, user-configurable passwords, and a secure protocol to ensure data-transmission accuracy.

The i-Lock will be presented at The IoT Solutions Congress Barcelona on October 16-18, 2018.
An accompanying video can be found here: https://youtu.be/hNw0z2MWF_4