RICHMOND, Va. -- A Richmond resident was announced as a finalist for a national competition for collegiate inventors.
Erica Grant, a graduate student at The University of Tennessee, is one of 10 finalists in the Collegiate Inventors Competition for her invention called the "Quantum Lock."
"As technology continues to advance, hackers have become increasingly skilled in their cybersecurity attacks. Because of this, the electronic lock systems used in hotels have been particularly vulnerable. Quantum Lock technology solves this problem by pairing a quantum random number generator with a customized set of communication protocols," competition organizers said.
The system is also designed to enable direct communication between the front desk and all locks in hotels.
Grant and the other finalists will present their inventions at the end of this month to a panel of judges from the National Inventors Hall of Fame and United States Patent and Trademark Office officials.
Winning teams will be announced on Oct. 29.
