Considering Sony's current security woes, it only makes sense that the embattled Japanese electronics maker take out its name in its latest security-related effort, one with high stakes as Sony gets involved in physical security.
For the second time this year, Sony has decided to take to Japanese crowdfunding website Makuake to raise funds and presumably gauge desire for its latest project, the Qrio smart lock.
After Sony's e-ink FES Smartwatch successfully exceeded its crowdfunding goal of 2 million yen, the company is trying to produce similar results for the smartphone-linked smart lock.
According to the product's crowdfunding page, the Qrio smart lock allows users to open and lock their doors using an app on their smartphone. They can also share an encrypted key with their friends via messaging apps, such as Line or Facebook Messenger, a feature that could be useful in instances such as when the homeowner is hosting a rooftop party and one of his guests arrives late.
The Qrio smart lock isn't the first of its kind. A San Francisco-based startup sells an aluminum-brushed smart lock called Qrio for $279.99. However, Sony's Qrio will be available for early adopters for 11,250 yen or approximately $95. Also, Qrio's crowdfunding page says it can be easily installed without the use of additional tools. While other smart locks such as August require a screwdriver to be installed, the aluminum-based Qrio can be attached to the door using an adhesive sheet.
Sony also says Qrio is "the world's smallest" smart lock, but it can last more than 500 days on two high-capacity lithium-ion batteries. Once the batteries run out, the smart lock turns to the two back-up batteries to extend its life to 1,000 days.
Of course, security questions abound. With Sony Pictures' security troubles, it is only proper to ask how Sony plans to stave off potential hacks and attacks launched by malicious individuals to enable physical break-ins into private homes and offices.
Qrio is a partnership between Sony and United States-based venture capital fund World Innovation Labs, which comprises large Japanese companies such as Nissan Motor Co., Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. and ANA Holdings.
As of press time, Sony has raised over 3.5 million yen or more than $28,000 for the Qrio smart lock. According to the Wall Street Journal, Sony hopes to produce 1,500 smart lock units but has only enticed nearly 250 backers so far. Nonetheless, the campaign has reached its goal and the project has more than the amount it needs to fund production costs.
Sony is currently in the process of reinventing itself amid plunging stockholder shares and the massive security saga plaguing its North American film and TV distribution counterpart.
The Qrio project is part of a new initiative called Seed Acceleration Program by Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai to encourage new ideas and provide funding for exciting new projects that mimic Silicon Valley's aggressive startup culture. Qrio, like the e-paper smart watch that exceeded its crowdfunding goal, is directly overseen by Sony's smartphone chief Hiroki Totoki.
