Momentum IoT: Eagle 1
Ultra-rugged plug-and-play GPS fleet tracking device.
Video: How Momentum IoT Works
The Challenge
Create a military-grade rugged IoT device that plugs in, lights up, and works right out of the box every time.
The Solution
Reduce end-user friction by providing multiple device mounting options along with an intuitive self-service design.
Low power cellular IoT wireless radio
Recognized global innovator in mobile IoT
01
Military-Grade Protection
Ensure protection from water, dust, and temperatures between -22° to 170° Fahrenheit.
02
User-Friendly Design
Intuitive design features allow anyone to plug-in, connect, and setup device in minutes.
03
Vibration Dampening
Prevent shock, stress, and vibration from impacting operation of device in all environments.
04
Production Planning
Provide detailed device assembly instructions to support high-volume manufacturing runs.
Concept sketches for GPS device form
Design
California-based Momentum IoT came to Design 1st with a vision to simplify how GPS can track physical assets. The answer? A small physical locator device any customer can install themselves. The goal was for the device to plug in, light up and work right out-of-the-box, every time. No need for expensive third-party installation, setup and training.
The design challenge was making the device ultra-rugged, while also matching Momentum IoT’s brand. That, and securing the device on multiple types of vehicles and equipment with ease. It was critical the device be resistant to shock, vibration, water and dust. It’s always key to identify these major design risks early on, and develop multiple product concepts to help choose the best path forward.
FEA Thermal Simulation
Engineering
Once we chose a concept, building out the idea in 3D CAD was straightforward. But understanding all the forces that would impact the device, that was more of a challenge. How would we protect the mission critical electronics from dust, water, sun and water fluctuations?
Well, we conducted a series of virtual thermal simulations to identify risk areas. This data helped support many critical decisions including material choices, enclosure design, assembly technique and sealing strategy. That gave us a complete setup of design files ready for 3D prototype and real-world testing
3D Prototypes of enclosure casings
Prototype & Test
Using the design files, the Design 1st team built several pre-production 3D prototypes. These units were put through a series of tests to measure durability, shock and water resistance. The goal was to understand how the device would perform everywhere from manufacturing, assembly, customer installation, to real world use.
The prototype testing revealed a critical insight involving the sealing strategy. During assembly, the edge of the electronic circuit board could become exposed causing moisture issues. We fixed that by switching to a liquid gasket seal that would prevent any water ingress for the life of the product.
Low volume manufacturing run
Manufacturing
The final step was preparing the rugged locator device for volume manufacturing. This step involved careful documentation of the entire assembly process to ensure quality during production. Once complete, the entire design package was handed off to the Momentum IoT team to support investor relations and prepare for market.
That work helped get the product ready for a successful $3.1 million funding round to support volume production and expanding operations. You can learn more about Momentum IoT here: www.momentumiot.com