Meet the inventor: Lockpal

Make unlocking doors easier; that was the sole intention of Alan Bellis when he came up with the idea of a small contraption that sits on top of a traditional lock, to help guide a key into a keyhole.

Little did Alan know at the time that he wasn’t about to start inventing a solution that would just aid his own use in low light conditions, he would also be developing a solution for those with dexterity issues, visual loss, mobility issues or tremors.

It started at Alan’s home in Ulverston, which had a porch with lights that could only be switched on from inside the house, meaning he was in complete darkness when outside at night and trying to lock or unlock the door;

Alan’s background in developing creative solutions led him to hand-making the first model. This initial concept resulted in an invitation from the Open University for their innovation competition. The prize money from this competition enabled Alan to further develop his invention.

Hand-crafting the prototypes was one thing, but it was another for Alan to learn an entirely new skill set;