asxeem/openaliro

openaliro is firmware for building a smart door lock that unlocks using an iPhone or Apple Watch, based on a standard called Aliro. As you walk up to the door with your phone in your pocket, the lock measures the exact distance to your phone using ultra wideband radio, and unlocks automatically as you get close, then relocks again once you walk away. You can also just tap your phone or watch to the reader instead of waiting for it, similar to how tap to pay works, and none of this requires opening an app or pressing a button on your phone. The project runs on real hardware rather than being a simulation, and supports two different microcontroller chips, a Nordic nRF5340 and an Espressif ESP32-S3, both paired with a Qorvo ultra wideband radio chip. For added security, the distance measurement is tied to your specific digital key, so someone cannot simply record and replay the unlock signal to fool the lock. Notably, the whole secure ranging system runs as firmware code on the radio chip itself rather than needing a separate specialized coprocessor. Setting this up requires actual electronic hardware, specifically a development board plus a UWB radio module, and for one of the two supported boards, an NFC reader module as well. The project provides build commands for flashing the firmware to either supported board, along with a way to run its test suite on a regular computer without any hardware attached at all. There is also an optional integration that connects the lock to Home Assistant, a home automation system, over Matter or MQTT. This is aimed at hobbyists and engineers comfortable with embedded hardware and firmware development who want to build their own Apple-compatible smart lock. The license is described as source available rather than a standard open source license.