The speaker, a man named Tim, is discussing a lock he designed and built as a challenge to his wife. Tim claims the lock is unpickable due to its design, which involves a mechanism that locks the pins in place, making it impossible to individually pick each pin. He uses a laser cutter to manufacture the lock, which he believes is a simple concept but difficult to execute.
Tim explains how the lock works, using a key that sets all the pins to the correct height. The key then separates from the pins, which stay in place because they've been locked. A barrier is inserted between the key and the pins, and the pins are tested to see if they're set correctly. This design prevents the key or a person trying to pick the lock from changing the pins' heights.
Tim also talks about the challenges he faced during the design and manufacturing process, including the difficulty of locking the pins in place and making the lock resettable. He mentions that the lock is not intended to be commercially viable, but rather for educational purposes.
Tim challenges a locksmith to break into his house, but the locksmith is unable to pick the lock. Tim then reveals that he has a lock-picking lawyer who can test the lock further. Tim concludes by saying that the lock is formidable and that if he could afford it, he would make it more complex for educational purposes.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The author designed and built a lock that they believe is "unpickable".
2. The lock has a deadbolt with no brand name, and the author is confident that no one has seen one like it before.
3. The author's wife does not share their confidence in the lock's security.
4. The author challenged a locksmith to break into their house using the lock.
5. The locksmith was unable to pick the lock using standard techniques.
6. The author's lock uses a unique mechanism that prevents pins from being set individually.
7. The lock has a core that accepts a key and sets all the pins to the correct height.
8. The lock has a special pin that can be frozen at a certain height, preventing it from being moved.
9. The author used a Glowforge laser cutter to make the lock's parts.
10. The author's lock is designed to be resistant to standard attacks, including bumping.
11. The locksmith was unable to pick the lock using bumping or other techniques.
12. The author's lock is not commercially viable due to its mechanical complexity.
13. The author built a robot to track and fire upon their wife as a medieval target, using a project kit from Kiwico.
14. Kiwico provides a service that sends a crate with everything needed to complete a project, along with a magazine that explains the concepts behind it.
15. The author added off-the-shelf components to the project kit to turn it into a wife-tracking trebuchet.
16. Kiwico has eight different lines of crates for different age groups and interests.
17. The author's daughter used a crate from Kiwico's line for her age group.