It is obvious that there is nothing a smartphone can’t do, if provided with the proper connected gear and accessories. We live in a world where we can check on our children via a home security camera that delivers information in real time to our phones, and this is great.

But how about having a smartphone – connected bike lock that automatically unlocks your bike the moment you approach your two – wheeled vehicle? Is this a bit too much? Is it really necessary?

In the minds of Al-Kahwati and Gerardo Barroeta, two engineers who have worked at Boeing and Jawbone, respectively, this new device was interesting enough for them to invent it.

Perhaps they were bothered to waste so much precious time to lock and unlock their bikes with the help of traditional locks, chains and keys, so they decided a smartphone – connected bike lock is exactly what the world needed. They founded the company Velo and came up with Skylock, this futuristic lock that has some other interesting features too.

The Skylock is powered by a built – in solar – cell that can hold you for a week for every hour of sunlight. If the thought of “dead smartphone battery” crossed your mind, the two ingenious engineers also came up with a back – up plan: the Skylock sports an independent pad so you can still unlock your bike even if your smartphone runs out of life.

However, one of the best things about the smartphone – connected bike lock is the anti – theft system. The smart lock sends you an alert if your bike falls in the hands of wrong people. Also, the lock watches your back, as it is provided with an anti – wreck system that protects you from crashes or accidents. It works like this:

In the event of a wreck, Skylock will summon a push notification on your phone; if you don’t dismiss it after a few seconds, the app will call emergency responders to the scene.

Pretty neat for just a bike lock, isn’t it? However, the two engineers have a lot to work if they want to see their dreams come true. They envision a world where you could safely share your bike with other people and allow them to ride it. It doesn’t sound so comfortable, as not many agree with sharing their personal rides, but for the long run, this idea might have some administrative applications, such as developing a fleet of free bikes for the people in a city.

For now, if you are interested in the smartphone – connected bike lock, let us tell you that its price is $250, but you can take advantage of the preorder discount and have it for only $159.