Each year, up to 2 million bikes are stolen around the world, despite many being locked to railings or lamposts. To cut the hassle and cost of these thefts, a pair of engineers has created a smart bike lock that not only alerts the user if someone tries to steal their bike, it can also inform their family if they have an accident. Called Skylock, the gadget is solar-powered and connects to a smartphone app via Bluetooth so owners can keep an eye on their bike wherever they are. Scroll down for video . Skylock, pictured, is solar-powered smart bike lock fitted with a Bluetooth sensor that syncs with a smartphone app. It weighs 2.5lbs (1.13kg) and the firm claims it can withstand 7,000lbs of force. It detects tampering and force using a built-in triaxial accelerometer . Skylock weighs 2.5lbs (1.13kg) and the firm claims it can withstand 7,000lbs of force. Equipped . with a triaxial accelerometer to detect if the lock is being tampered . with, the Skylock will send an alert to the company’s cloud servers, . which in turn will be sent to the owner via a smartphone app. The system is not completely free of false alarms, but the sensitivity can be controlled through the app. Similarly, . if the owner has an accident on their bike, or if they are hit by a . car, the app sends a crash alert to friends and family about the . incident. Solar panels on . the base of the lock keep the sensors activated, and the firm states an . hour of full sunlight provides enough energy to run the lock for a week. It can also be charged via . USB and a fully charged battery should run for a month. The smart lock was created by former Boeing engineer Jack Al-Kahwati with ex-Jawbone employee Gerardo Barroeta. The pair has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise $50,000 (£29,700) for production of the device and, if successful, the Skylock should start shipping early next year. People who pre-order the lock can currently get it for $159 (£95), although this is a limited offer. The lock is expected to retail for $249 (£149) once it’s widely available. Skylock weighs 2.5lbs (1.13kg) and the firm claims it can withstand 7,000lbs of force. Equipped with a triaxial accelerometer to detect if the lock is being tampered with, the Skylock sends an alert to the company’s cloud servers, which in turn is sent to the owner via the smartphone app. The system is not completely free of false alarms, but the sensitivity can be controlled through the app. If the Skylock thinks the lock is being tampered with, it sends an alert to the company and the owner via the app, pictured. Crash alerts are also sent to friends and family if the owner has an accident and the sensitivity of the lock can be managed in the app's settings . Similarly, if the owner has an accident on their bike, or if they are hit by a car, the app will send a crash alert to friends and family about the incident. Solar panels on the base of the lock keep the sensors activated, and the firm states an hour of full sunlight provides enough energy to run the lock for a week. It can also be charged via USB and a fully charged battery should run for a month, although a fully depleted lock takes about five hours to fully recharge. Skylock is compatible with iOS devices that have Bluetooth 4.0, running iOS 7.0 or later. It is also compatible with Bluetooth 4.0 Android phones and tablets rubbing Jelly Bean (4.3)or Kit Kat (4.4). The firm has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise $50,000 (£29,700) for production of the device and, if successful, the Skylock, pictured, should start shipping early next year. People who pre-order the lock can currently get it for $159 (£95). It is expected to retail for $249 (£149) once it's widely available .
Skylock was built by a former Boeing engineer and ex-Jawbone employee .
It is solar-powered and connects to a smartphone app via Bluetooth .
A built-in accelerometer can tell if the lock is being tampered with .
It then sends an alert to the company and the bike's owner via the app .
Crash alerts are also sent to friends and family if the owner has an accident .
The lock can be pre-ordered for $159 (£95) but is expected to retail for $249 (£149) when it starts shipping next year .
Each year, up to 2 million bikes are stolen around the world, despite many being locked to railings or lamposts. To cut the hassle and cost of these thefts, a pair of engineers has created a smart bike lock that not only alerts the user if someone tries to steal their bike, it can also inform their family if they have an accident. Called Skylock, the gadget is solar-powered and connects to a smartphone app via Bluetooth so owners can keep an eye on their bike wherever they are. Scroll down for video . Skylock, pictured, is solar-powered smart bike lock fitted with a Bluetooth sensor that syncs with a smartphone app. It weighs 2.5lbs (1.13kg) and the firm claims it can withstand 7,000lbs of force. It detects tampering and force using a built-in triaxial accelerometer . Skylock weighs 2.5lbs (1.13kg) and the firm claims it can withstand 7,000lbs of force. Equipped . with a triaxial accelerometer to detect if the lock is being tampered . with, the Skylock will send an alert to the company’s cloud servers, . which in turn will be sent to the owner via a smartphone app. The system is not completely free of false alarms, but the sensitivity can be controlled through the app. Similarly, . if the owner has an accident on their bike, or if they are hit by a . car, the app sends a crash alert to friends and family about the . incident. Solar panels on . the base of the lock keep the sensors activated, and the firm states an . hour of full sunlight provides enough energy to run the lock for a week. It can also be charged via . USB and a fully charged battery should run for a month. The smart lock was created by former Boeing engineer Jack Al-Kahwati with ex-Jawbone employee Gerardo Barroeta. The pair has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise $50,000 (£29,700) for production of the device and, if successful, the Skylock should start shipping early next year. People who pre-order the lock can currently get it for $159 (£95), although this is a limited offer. The lock is expected to retail for $249 (£149) once it’s widely available. Skylock weighs 2.5lbs (1.13kg) and the firm claims it can withstand 7,000lbs of force. Equipped with a triaxial accelerometer to detect if the lock is being tampered with, the Skylock sends an alert to the company’s cloud servers, which in turn is sent to the owner via the smartphone app. The system is not completely free of false alarms, but the sensitivity can be controlled through the app. If the Skylock thinks the lock is being tampered with, it sends an alert to the company and the owner via the app, pictured. Crash alerts are also sent to friends and family if the owner has an accident and the sensitivity of the lock can be managed in the app's settings . Similarly, if the owner has an accident on their bike, or if they are hit by a car, the app will send a crash alert to friends and family about the incident. Solar panels on the base of the lock keep the sensors activated, and the firm states an hour of full sunlight provides enough energy to run the lock for a week. It can also be charged via USB and a fully charged battery should run for a month, although a fully depleted lock takes about five hours to fully recharge. Skylock is compatible with iOS devices that have Bluetooth 4.0, running iOS 7.0 or later. It is also compatible with Bluetooth 4.0 Android phones and tablets rubbing Jelly Bean (4.3)or Kit Kat (4.4). The firm has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise $50,000 (£29,700) for production of the device and, if successful, the Skylock, pictured, should start shipping early next year. People who pre-order the lock can currently get it for $159 (£95). It is expected to retail for $249 (£149) once it's widely available .
Called Skylock, the gadget is solar-powered and connects to a smartphone app via Bluetooth so accelerometer to detect if the lock is being alarms, but the sensitivity can be controlled smart lock was created by former Boeing engineer Skylock should start shipping early next year. offer. The lock is expected to retail for $249 tampered with, it sends an alert to the company and the owner via the app, pictured. Crash alerts are also sent to friends and family if the owner has an accident and the sensitivity of the lock (£95). It is expected to retail for $249 (£149)