Slimcoach™ by MyTrak
Award-winning wearable fitness monitor acquired by Curves®
The Challenge
Transform the concept of a detachable clip based wearable activity tracker with visual interaction cues into a high-volume manufacturable product.
The Solution
Integrate the battery size into the detachable clip feature to maintain a slim profile and test multiple plastics to ensure reliability during use.
01.
Visual Design Challenges
Maintain an even glow of light in the small circular ring on the front of device.
02.
Selection of Plastics
Test multiple plastics to help select the best material for durability and function.
03.
Multi-Discipline Approach:
Streamline development by integrating design and engineering of device.
04.
Prototype Testing:
Setup four-week user trial with pre-production device prior to manufacturing.
Design
Toronto based MyTrak sought out Design 1st for help transforming a wearable product concept with a glowing ring for visual interaction into a manufacturable product.
The upfront requirements for a slim profile, 16hour battery life, low unit cost and detachable clip feature posed multiple challenges for the team. But through creation and testing of several concepts an optimal solution that balanced form and function was found.
Engineering
Once design direction was chosen we began tackling the next challenge of optimizing the diffusion of light in the circular glowing ring.
Using both virtual and physical testing, an annular light pipe and translucent plastic were chosen to spread the light beams evenly across the device. The result was a bright visual effect the user could see in both bright daylight and low light conditions.
Testing
During pre-production prototype testing the material of the poly-carbonate material chosen for the detachable clip began creating problems. Users testing the device found it was difficult to detach due to friction, resulting in some devices breaking.
But by adding a lubricating compound called Lubriloyy™ to the plastic, the clip attachment worked smoothly. A small low-volume production run and user test confirmed this – and the product was now ready for manufacturing.
Manufacturing
Working with MyTrak’s existing manufacturing partners the Design 1st team began handing off the production level drawings for tool and manufacturing. The next step was a sample production run to ensure the assembly and function of the device met all requirements.
After the quality inspection, MyTrak began high-volume production runs and the units were met with favourable appeal in the large and growing wearable fitness tracker market.
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