The gate, but smarter
With a small button in the car, a button at home or your phone, residents open the gate of our back alley — even when the internet and the mobile network are down. The existing gate and the remote controls stay exactly as they are.
Why
- Remote controls are expensive and wear out: € 35 to € 70 each, and after a few house moves nobody knows who still has one.
- Letting visitors in is a hassle: walking down, or lending out a remote control.
- Products on the market rely on the internet or the mobile network — exactly what fails first in an outage.
What it will be
Button in the car
One button, a light that confirms. Over Bluetooth or our own encrypted radio link.Gate button at home
A visitor rings, you press the button in the hallway — the gate opens.Your phone
A button or “Hey Siri, open the gate”, and at the gate itself even without internet.Guest codes
Temporary access for visitors, couriers or contractors, by e-mail, text or WhatsApp. Expires automatically.What it delivers
- Independent: daily use works without internet and without the mobile network.
- Secure: cannot be eavesdropped or copied; access can be revoked per person.
- Nothing to break: an extra push button on the existing gate controller. If it fails, everything works as it does today.
- More than a gate: the same radios can carry a neighbourhood network that keeps passing messages between neighbours during a major outage — for example when the defibrillator (AED) is needed. Because everyone uses them daily, they are actually switched on when it matters.
How we introduce it
In small steps, each one reversible: first measuring and a dry run on the table, then a trial with three households, and only then everyone. The regular maintenance company connects it once, during its annual service visit, and tests it every year.
What it costs
About € 1,800 one-off for the installation and the buttons, and no monthly fees. Per household that is roughly € 26 a year over ten years. We are applying for grants for the neighbourhood part.