The Intuitive Future of Locks and Keys
Physical security has a considerably more nuanced history than a simple history of locks and keys. The first combination locks were invented by the ancient Romans, who transformed the key from an object to an idea. In 1857, James Sargent improved on this concept by designing the world's first key-changeable combination lock. In 1873 and 1880, Sargent invented the world's first-time lock, which would only open at a specific time, and time-delay locks, which would only open after a particular interval. In the late twentieth century, the concept of an intelligent lock that would only open for a specific person at a specific moment gained traction. In 1975, Tor Srnes developed the first electronic keycard lock, ushering in a new era of programmable locks. Electric locks have used a variety of identification methods in recent decades, ranging from passwords to biometric data like fingerprints. Blasts of infrared light or sequences of ones and zeros can now open doors thanks to d...