SESAME
The smallest and easiest smart lock in the world
PROJECT SESAME
My friend and I started this project in May 2014. Project Sesame got invested over $2 million ($1.5 million from Kickstarter) before it was produced. I was in charge of product design, graphic design, partial mechanism design and UX/UI design. Since we had very limited resources, the tasks of designing this was always complex and subject to many changes. However, we overcame all these difficulties and launched the product to the market half a year after our Kickstarter campaign.
Reported by





ABOUT THE PRODUCT

WHAT IS SESAME?
Sesame is the smallest and easiest smart lock in the world. It is an independent product that replaces your keys with your phone in seconds without removing your door lock for it to work.

HOW IT WORKS?
-
Smartphone - Download app
-
Sesame - Main Product
-
WiFi Clip - Extended functions

Smart Phone
Send instructions
to Sesame via the app
through WiFi or Bluetooth
Sesame
Install on the door lock, receive the orders from the phone and turn the knob.
WiFi Module
Plug on the outlet to provide the bridge between Wifi and Sesame.It links with Sesame by bluetooth.

WHY ARE WE DIFFERENT
It's all about user
Exterior
(size)
Pricing
Ease of Installation
USERS
HARDWARE
Intuitive Interfaces
Simple Front -end Flow
Security
Service
SOFTWARE

Accessable
House management
Intuitive
-
Easy installation
-
Small and light
-
Adaptable
-
Far-end security
-
Key sharing
-
Synchronized
-
Simplified
PRINCIPLES
INSTALL IN A SECOND
INSTALLATION
You do not need any tools, you do not have to remove or destroy your lock, and it’s very easy to install, unlike the other smart locks in the market. It takes only three simple steps :
1. Download the free app.
2. Attach Sesame to your existing lock.
3. That’s it! Celebrate your new, key-free life
3 Step to install Sesame
Sesame: Super easy to install and remove


Sesame doesn't even need to be attached exactly at the center of your lock or at any specific angle. It just sticks to your lock perfectly. Simply tape Sesame to your door with a single strip of 3M Command tape (supplied). The 3M Command large double-sided tape has a weight capacity of 5 pounds (2,268 g), which is nearly 15 times Sesame's weight, so you don’t have to worry about Sesame coming unattached.
SUITABILITY
Sesame works with just about any (80%) single cylinder deadbolt in the USA / Canada / Denmark / Sweden / Norway / Singapore / Japan / Malaysia, thanks to five patented, self-adjusting mechanisms.

OPEN SESAME
Sesame app
SESAME APP
Download the free app and connect it to our product. We’ve put a lot of efforts making it more user-friendly and simple. We want every customer to be able to use it without reading the user manual.

USER JOURNEY
Make the user interface and the user flow as simple as possible, especially the setting up and the registration of the app, to make for a better user experience.




MAIN WORKING INTERFACE
It's very user-friendly. Using the finger to turn or direct the knob sign on your phone to lock Sesame, and when it is locked or unlocked fully, the app will notify the user.






1
2
3
Products List
Switch to different Sesames you have assigned and manage them.
Records
See the history of the product usage and the door security.
Settings
Manage the product. Reset, Share access, and so on.
1
Products List
2
Records
3
Settings
Simply switch the accounts, products and add new Sesame from here. There are reminders of unlocked doors and low battery product.
History of the status. Owners can see the timeline of the usage and people who have accessed the door.
Set the connections, automations, notifications, and remove or sharing access from the setting part.







DEMO VIDEO
PROCESS
Marketing Research
We've researched various locks and recorded different working ranges. We want our product to be as small as possible but we also want it to fit most of the locks in our target markets. These two goals may be conflicting, but in order to make the most competitive product in the market, we have to find the best balance.


Mechanism Design
We tried so hard to solve mechanical problems. For our mechanism design, we were inspired by the Oldham coupling universal joint, but we kept challenging ourselves to make our mechanism smoother, smaller and more convenient. Ultimately, we designed a whole new mechanical joint and clutch to meet our goals. We also applied 6 patents to protect our design.







WOODEN


Product Design
I was in charge of the product design. Including the cover, mechanism, and wiring layouts. As long as we keep making progression on mechanism, Sesame got few time iteration before the final design.


Electronic Layout
Automatic control and software design was a challenge, too. Mainly, we had to try to design a PCB board that was small enough to fit into Sesame and yet one which was also cost-efficient.






Production
After we finished our prototype, we had to seek out the best way to manufacture and mass-produce Sesame in factories. Elements such as colors, materials, and costs became included in the process of streamlining production.





SESAME TEAM



Jerming Gu
Co-founder, CEO
Mechanical Design
Human Resource Management
Public Relations
Marketing
Wei Ting Kuo
Product Designer
Industrial Design
Mechanical Design
Project Management
Branding
UX/UI Design
Graphic Design
Bou Chen Kuo
Mechanism Designer
Mechanical Design
Project Management
Manufacture Management