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A DOOR LOCK THAT READS THE VEINS INSIDE YOUR PALM - OPEN BUILD WITH GERBERS AND FIRMWARE

A door lock that reads the pattern of veins under your skin, not the fingerprint you leave on every glass.

by Sachin Soni

FULL CAD BOM FIRMWARE DOCS

HomeOpen-hardware

Built withESP32Arduino

difficulty
●●●●○
time
a weekend-plus
license
license not specified
repo
repo ACTIVE7 stars

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Videos
1
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COMPAREE VERDICT

This is a real biometric lock build with every file you need to order the PCB and flash the firmware, but it assumes you are comfortable reverse-engineering a schematic to source parts and wire the relay to your door hardware. The vein sensor module is the expensive piece — expect to pay for a unit designed for access control, not a toy. Palm vein recognition is harder to spoof than a fingerprint because the pattern is under the skin, but no biometric is unbreakable and the lock mechanism itself can still be bypassed. The repository has no written build log, no photos of an assembled board, and no case design, so you are on your own for mounting and weatherproofing. If you have built custom PCBs before and want a biometric that does not rely on a surface feature, this is a rare open build. If you need step-by-step assembly or a plug-and-play enclosure, you will spend the weekend filling in gaps.

GOOD TO KNOW

  • —Firmware is Arduino code for the ESP32, ready to flash.
  • —Schematic is a PDF, PCB gerbers are included so you can order the board.
  • —The README lists the main parts; there is no full BOM for the board's passive components.
  • —No assembly guide, no case files, no documented wiring to the lock solenoid.
  • —No explicit licence file; the creator publishes the files for reproduction but does not state terms.
  • —The palm vein sensor is a bought module, not something you fabricate.

Parts to buy

7 items

From our check of the build. Exact quantities and part numbers are in the creator’s BOM.

  • Custom PCB (order from gerbers)from the repo files
  • ESP32-WROOM-32EFind
  • Binocular palm vein sensor moduleFind
  • RelayFind
  • OLED displayFind
  • 12V solenoid lockFind
  • Power supplyFind

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Can I build this?

Printnothing required for the electronics; you will need a case for outdoor mounting
Buycustom PCB (order from gerbers), ESP32-WROOM-32E, binocular palm vein sensor module, relay, OLED display, 12V solenoid lock, power supply
Toolssoldering iron, PCB assembly tools, multimeter, Arduino IDE, door installation tools
Skillsintermediate PCB assembly, comfortable reading schematics to extract a BOM, basic door hardware and relay wiring
Timea weekend to assemble and test the board, plus mounting and integrating the lock mechanism
CostMid band: the DFRobot AI10 palm vein sensor is the main cost; the PCB, ESP32, relay, OLED and 12 V solenoid lock are comparatively cheap.
SafetyLow voltage if you use the 12 V solenoid lock; mains only if you wire the relay to a mains-powered strike. Before relying on it, check the fail-secure / fail-safe setting (ENERGIZE_TO_UNLOCK) against your lock: a mismatch can leave the door unlocked or unopenable in a power failure. Change the default dashboard and access-point passwords.

Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.

Videos

This Door Lock Scans Your VEINS — Impossible to Hack!

The full build video from the creator's techiesms YouTube channel, covering the build, enrolment and unlocking.

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Gallery

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Start here

Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.

  1. 1.Read the schematic PDF and extract the full bill of materials (The README lists the main parts (ESP32-WROOM-32E, DFRobot AI10 sensor, 12 V solenoid and relay, SSD1306 OLED, buttons, buzzer); use the schematic for the passives.)
  2. 2.Order the custom PCB from the gerber files(Use JLCPCB, PCBWay or another fab house. The gerbers are in the repository.)
  3. 3.Source the palm vein sensor module(Buy the DFRobot AI10 (SEN0677) named in the README (DFRobot or techiesms.com) and give it its own 5–12 V supply.)
  4. 4.Assemble the board and flash the Arduino firmware (Firmware is in the repo. Test the sensor and OLED on the bench before mounting.)
  5. 5.Wire the relay to your lock solenoid and mount the assembly(No wiring diagram is provided. You design the mounting and weatherproofing.)

Resources

Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.

KNOWN ISSUES

  • The sensor is a specific part — the DFRobot AI10 (SEN0677) named in the README. A different palm vein module will not speak the same protocol, and the AI10 needs its own 5–12 V supply.
  • The README lists the main modules, but there is no full BOM for the PCB — you read the passives off the schematic. If you have never done that, budget extra time.
  • The repository has no assembly guide, no photo of a finished board, and no case files. You are building from gerbers and a schematic alone.
  • The relay drives a solenoid lock, but there is no wiring diagram for connecting it to your door hardware. If you have never wired a door strike, plan extra time.
  • No explicit licence is stated. The files are published for reproduction, but there is no legal clarity on commercial use or derivative works.
  • Palm vein recognition is harder to fake than a fingerprint, but the lock mechanism itself can still be bypassed and no biometric is foolproof.

Is this more secure than a fingerprint reader?

The vein pattern is under the skin, so it cannot be lifted off a surface the way a fingerprint can. That makes it harder to spoof, but not impossible — and the lock mechanism itself is still a physical bypass risk.

Do I need to fabricate the palm vein sensor?

No. The sensor is a bought module (DFRobot AI10) that connects to the custom board; the README refers to a WIRING.md that is missing from the repository, so take the connections from the schematic.

Is there a case design?

No. You design and fabricate the enclosure, and weatherproof it if the lock is outdoors.

How do I know which palm vein sensor to buy?

The README names it: the DFRobot AI10 (SEN0677) palm vein / face / QR sensor, also sold through techiesms.com. Note it needs its own 5–12 V supply at about 330 mA — it cannot run from the ESP32's 3.3 V pin.

Can I use this commercially?

The repository has no explicit licence file, so the legal terms are unclear. If you want to sell a product based on this, contact the creator first.

Community builds

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Discussion1

FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM

The sensor can also recognise faces and QR codes, but this firmware only ever opens the door for a palm — and every new user needs an admin palm to approve them. Would you trust a vein scanner on your front door, or keep it for the workshop?

CompareeTEAM1mo agoedited

Practical notes from our verification: the repository holds the schematic PDF, the Gerbers for the custom PALM LOCK board and the ESP32 firmware, and the README lists the main parts: an ESP32 (WROOM-32E), the DFRobot AI10 (SEN0677) palm vein, face and QR sensor, a 12 V solenoid lock with relay, an SSD1306 OLED, buttons, a buzzer and LEDs. There is no full bill of materials with passive parts and no case design, and the README points to a WIRING.md file that is not in the repository, so you will read the pinout from the schematic. The sensor needs its own 5-12 V supply at about 330 mA; it cannot run from the ESP32's 3.3 V pin. The firmware is the strongest part: palm-only unlocking, admin-palm approval for every new enrolment and a password-protected web dashboard. Change the default credentials and check the fail-secure / fail-safe setting for your lock before you mount it on a door. The full build video is on the creator's techiesms YouTube channel. Correction (4 October 2026): we re-checked this page line by line against the project's own repository, documentation and videos, and fixed errors in earlier versions.

Sachin Soni

Sachin Soni publishes electronics builds and tutorials under the techiesms name. This palm vein lock demonstrates a biometric method that reads beneath the skin rather than a surface feature, and the repository includes the PCB design and firmware to reproduce it.

GitHub

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DISCLAIMER

  • Comparee is not the author of the projects featured here. All rights to each project belong to its creator — every page links to the original source, and we never host creators’ files.
  • Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
  • Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
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