I'm a strong supporter of the "I did it because I wanted to see if I could do it" ethos. So this isn't a criticism of the project itself, but I'm pretty sure a snap gun will beat this almost every time.

I don't think this is a relevant comparison. Snap guns break pins, which isn't the case with this robot.

I would also kind of respect the project if it was a mechanization of McNally's "It can be opened with a Master Lock".