Hey guys!

We've been developing this new, small IoT device that can be used for tracking and monitoring different things (3d accelerometer, A-GPS, gyroscope, etc..) The idea is that instead of having to be added separately, the sensors would be neatly packed in one, small, water resistant (IP67) device. The HW would be top of the line and the SW would let you come up with all kinds of neat uses for it.

So the reason I'm writing is that we're trying to reach out to people with specific knowledge and interest in the field to find out what (if anything) they would want to do with a developing board like this. What features (sensors, connectivity etc.) are most important and so on. And of course if something sounds horrible, we'd like to hear about that too.

The proposed features at the momnent are:

Wireless connectivity: 2G Quadband GPRS, WLAN, BT 4.1
+ Micro USB 2.0, GPIO pins on PCB, JTAG on PCB

And as for the sensors:
A-GPS Location, 3D Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Temperature, Pressure, Humidity, Magnetometer, Ambient Light Sensor

We'd really appreciate any feedback you can give, good or bad, like I said You can hit me up with questions if you have anything in mind. Cheers!

 

It sounds like a commercial project? If that's true, you're looking at us as a focus group of potential customers?

Your thingy sounds cool, but the only thing I could imagine using it for would be if I were to get into flying drones. It'd be fun to get all that telemetry.

 

TI already did some of it http://www.ti.com/tool/cc2541dk-sensor $25

It's hard to see how all those different network chips would be useful in a single application so I would end up paying for a lot of interfaces that I would not use. Even with the TI device I wonder who wants humidity and gyroscopes in one package perhaps with the exception of the drone developers but even then does humidity short of heavy rain really affect flying? And I guess power consumption and weight are serious concerns for drones so you probably only want to fly with the sensors you really need.

 

TI already did some of it http://www.ti.com/tool/cc2541dk-sensor $25

And broadcom $19.99
http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail...tTmTKa1UoA==&gclid=CLLJoubJjsECFXAV7AodTDoAbw

 

sirch2 and mcgyvr, I hear what you're saying.We wanted to have everything in one package so that if you ever decide you want to do something else, you don't have to get separate components for everything. Of course it's up to you which ones you decide to use and when. And as for the weight, we're trying to make the thing as small as we can (pocket sized). The fact that it's water resistant and the battery can last up to a year (depending on use) could possibly make it useful for drone developers too.

And wayneh, thanks for your comment! I'm not gonna lie, the idea is to go commercial but we're still working on it. The reason I wanted to come to this forum is that you guys seem to have a ton of experience as developers and makers. That's why it'd be really helpful to hear whether or not you think we could be onto something. And of course if any of you is interested in what we finally come up with or just how we progress, we'd be stoked if you could be a part of it.

 

One notable absence from your feature list is the ability to log the data (together with RTC data) on a micro SD card or similar. Was that considered? It would make the device more versatile (which seems to be your aim) and perhaps attractive to a bigger customer base.

 

Hey Alec_t! Excellent point, and we have actually given that some thought. The thing will come with a built-in micro SD card. And if you need more memory, you will of course be able to change it into a bigger one.

 

Hey guys! Our project finally has a website. If you're interested in more details, check out the spec sheet at thingsee.com . We've done a lot of work already but as it is still a work in progress, all feedback is appreciated. Thanks!

 

Hey guys! Our project finally has a website. If you're interested in more details, check out the spec sheet at thingsee.com . We've done a lot of work already but as it is still a work in progress, all feedback is appreciated. Thanks!

Great job... site looks great.. product looks great.
But in my opinion.. The price is too high.. I can pick up one of the TI/broadcom/LightBlue Bean devices for $30USD.
What does your product offer that justifies the price being 3+ times more?

 

This product is trying to be too many things at once with no clear application. You may sell a few, but the tech support for those few will suck the life out of your team.
Since it's too expensive to re-sell as a product, it will only be purchased by developers, and they will need lots of painful hand-holding for each unit sold.
Make it more focused on a tangible application, make it cheap as possible, learn from what the customers REALLY need, not what you think they might want.

Been there, suffered the consequences.

 

Thanks for your comments mcgyvr and Sensacell

Yeah, there are other, cheaper devices out there, and I have no doubt that they’re good options for certain use cases. However, the connectivity features in Thingsee One are more versatile and there’s quite a difference in the mechanics and durability too. The fact that our device is waterproof and the battery can last up to a year opens up a whole new range of possibilities and use cases which aren’t possible with these $25-30 devices.

And Sensacell, you're absolutely right when saying that it's important to learn what the customers really need. We're working as hard as we can to do just that. We're not saying that the product is perfect yet, but we're really doing everything so that the device would be as usable as possible for both developers and non-developers. We're optimistic about the future, but of course the key is to listen to people to hear what works and what doesn't.

By the way, here's our Kickstarter project page http://kck.st/1sq9oYl . Just in case anyone's interested in our progress.