Page 51 - Security Today, April 2018

Technology at the Door Emerging technologies require leadership and critical thought
BHy Leslie Saunders
ow can manufacturers best position themselves for in- novation in the security industry? In terms of emerg- ing technologies, it might seem obvious to say that a best practice would be to stay abreast of as many cutting edge technologies as possible, and implement
solutions alongside of—or integrated with—these advancements. However, with this approach, there is a risk of just following the lead of the marketplace. Some may call it merely “treading water,” and in reality, many manufacturers fall behind.
Advancements in emerging technologies require leadership, critical thought about the future, and a willingness to take risks. Stretching oneself to integrate with new technologies is critical, of course, but the true promise of innovation is offering new solutions to the market.
The ultimate goal of new solutions is to meet customer needs in the very best way possible. That requires asking ourselves, as a manu- facturer, integrator or other security provider, are we providing tech- nology just for technology’s sake, or is this providing the best value for the customer? Are we making things more effective, affordable, and intuitive? Are we eliminating pain points? Are we addressing new openings that we couldn’t secure in the past?
Are we better protecting the people and places that matter most?
With that in mind, let’s explore a few emerging technologies that may soon provide additional value in the access control and door security solution verticals.
Energy Efficiency
Integrating solar technology into all types of security devices has be- come more and more common over the years. However, there is some customer expectation that with solar comes a large array of panels that take a long time to gain a return on the investment. Or, more common, is the idea that solar works only in particular, outdoor envi- ronments. The reality is that we are on the verge of seeing small-form- factor solar panels that can leverage interior energy harvesting so the device pulls not only from the sun, but also from interior lighting.
Consider the ramifications of this technology for just a moment.
Wireless access control solutions currently offer a substantial sav- ings in time and money for integrators and building owners as they drastically reduce the need to run cabling. Wireless solutions often don’t require a site survey, and can simply be installed on a door on a first visit. The drawback to this technology, for some building owners, has always been the maintenance associated with changing batteries. While batteries have drastically improved, some with the ability to last years before needing a change, the idea that solar power can be harvested both indoors and outdoors to extend battery life would significantly alter the value proposition of these products.
What makes this even more exciting is that this is a technology that will soon be commercially available. It has the potential to dras- tically change the cost, maintenance, and operations of businesses. Further, it can quickly be integrated into existing technologies (such as wireless locks) to quickly provide new solutions.
Along the same lines of thinking about how we can rethink reduc- tion in energy consumption is the use of kinetic energy. While a door opener can currently be powered for one automatic push after four manual openings have occurred, we continue to look at ways to make that closer to one auto push for every one manual opening.
Thinking more radically, we can investigate ways to power elec- tronic cylinders just through the motion of inserting a key into a
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lock. Can we potentially build a small enough motor that harvests this energy? If so, what other applications could use it?
There are several considerations related to power that will provide new and exciting emerging technologies. Reducing cost and complex- ity of operating openings while providing robust security will con- tinue to be the primary objective in any innovation.
Augmented Reality
As much as we like to dream about potential solutions, we also need to make sure we are providing a practical approach in the short term with some of our offerings. In terms of augmented reality, we see both short-term and long-term applications in the space for doors and openings, as well as all security products used by integrators.
Short term usage of this technology is likely to dovetail into the mobile space. Support applications on mobile devices can utilize cameras to provide live feeds during installation and troubleshoot- ing. From there, support technicians can overlay augmented reality instructions and diagrams in real time. This is an application that doesn’t require augmented reality glasses, which are still uncom- monly used.
It is worthwhile to position offerings for a future where such glass- es do become normalized. One idea in this space, for both manu- facturers and integrators, is to provide live on-site specification and selection of openings, hardware, or other offerings through the use of live augmented reality overlays on the shell of a building. Imagine the ability to see what a product will look like while standing within the
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