Ring's Smart Lock Has A Hand Crank So It Works Even If The Power's Out

Ring is developing a new smart lock that features a manual hand crank to generate power in the event of a battery failure. The device uses a supercapacitor to store energy, allowing users to operate the lock even when the primary power source is depleted.
Why it matters
This innovation addresses a common consumer pain point regarding smart home reliability, potentially increasing adoption for remote or off-grid locations.
You can generate power by twisting the front latch back and forth.
Ring Add Engadget on Google: Preferred Source Google Discover Ring founder Jamie Siminoff thinks smart locks aren't popular because users are worried about what happens when they run out of power. Say what you like about keys, but you don't need to recharge them once every few months, and they have worked without power for millennia. That issue is what drove him to develop the Ring Smart Lock, which solves the no-power issue with a hand crank. On the front of the unit, there's a wheel for the latch that, if you turn it back and forth three or four times, generates enough power to run the lock for 30 seconds.
Also covering this story
8 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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