LavaLock

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  Login/Title page

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  Creating password group

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  Empty password group

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  Passwords - viewing all passwords

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  Password page - looking at password (unhidden)

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  Password page - looking at password

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  Saving generated password

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  Saving new password

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  Settings page

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  Password generation - starting generation

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  Password generation - while generating

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  Password generation - after generation

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  Viewing entropy (chaotic photo used for generation)

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  2FA authentication

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  Lava lamp used for the project to create our chaotic photo

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  ESP32 board used for image capturing and upload to our database

Inspiration

Many security breaches happen because passwords and random number generators rely on predictable or reused data. We wanted to explore whether real-world physical randomness could be used to strengthen everyday digital security in a simple, accessible way. Unlike Cloudflare’s lava lamp installation, which seeds randomness for internet-scale encryption systems, LavaLock brings physical entropy to the user level.

What it does

LavaLock is an app that scans the chaotic entropy of a lava lamp and leverages Google Gemini's API to create multiple variations of the lamp, while keeping it unchanged (additions to the background, etc.). It then takes this photo and through an industry standard cryptographic algorithm, derive a specific numerical code or password sequence for 2FA, password generation and much more. It essentially takes the chaotic randomness of the Lava Lamp for generating secure passwords, codes, etc.

How we built it

We used a camera feed to continuously scan the lava lamp’s motion and extract pixel-level changes over time. This data is converted into entropy and fed into a cryptographic algorithm to generate passwords. The app integrates this process into a clean interface for password generation and storage.

Challenges we ran into

Filtering useful entropy from visual noise was difficult. We also had to ensure the generated output met security standards while keeping the system fast and reliable.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We successfully integrated a physical source of randomness into a functional password manager and generator. The system produces consistent, secure outputs while remaining easy to use.

What we learned

We learned how cryptographic randomness works in practice and how physical systems can improve digital security when designed carefully.

What's next for LavaLock

Next steps include improving entropy extraction, adding broader platform support, and expanding security features for real-world deployment.

Built With

• amazon-web-services
• awss3
• c
• c++
• esp32
• gemini
• go
• posgresssql
• rds
• swift