Some rough and ready market research

[Lord Snooty]

Just after some opinions and feedback from the collective on a couple of ideas that I am involved in outside my day job doing motorbike instructing.

A GPS watch, small and discrete - which is basically a tracking device; it could also be fitted with a SIM card and be used as a phone, very secret agent'ish.

Now I reckon this could have uses in tracking the location of groups of children when on outdoor pursuits and also adults involved in potentially risky activities such as orienteering, mountain walking so that when it goes tits up it would be easy to locate the carrier.

Now imagine the device also being attached to a vehicle in a hidden place so if it was stolen you could track it's location yourself using a phone/laptop app without the need to subscribe to an expensive tracking service.

It could be pretty much attached to anything that you might want to track the location of at any time; vehicles, caravans, containers, goods, pallets and probably loads of other applications that I haven't thought of yet.

We can get the product made cheaply enough to make it attractive price wise to a retail market.

What are your thoughts???

 

[Fanum]

Just after some opinions and feedback from the collective on a couple of ideas that I am involved in outside my day job doing motorbike instructing.

A GPS watch, small and discrete - which is basically a tracking device; it could also be fitted with a SIM card and be used as a phone, very secret agent'ish.

Now I reckon this could have uses in tracking the location of groups of children when on outdoor pursuits and also adults involved in potentially risky activities such as orienteering, mountain walking so that when it goes tits up it would be easy to locate the carrier.

Now imagine the device also being attached to a vehicle in a hidden place so if it was stolen you could track it's location yourself using a phone/laptop app without the need to subscribe to an expensive tracking service.

It could be pretty much attached to anything that you might want to track the location of at any time; vehicles, caravans, containers, goods, pallets and probably loads of other applications that I haven't thought of yet.

We can get the product made cheaply enough to make it attractive price wise to a retail market.

What are your thoughts???

Done already Mike.......you can even buy disposable GPS enhanced luggage tags now.

(there was a thread about them recently......small plastic square thingies costing about 20 quid that last a year on their internal batteries IIRC)

TBH, a startup or new design in any hi-tec field is likely to lose you tonnes of cash, 'cos the big companies will have already done it and have the buying power to get the price down way below what an entrepreneur could, plus the developments in that field are moving so damn fast that in the 3 months it might take you to make something, a new chipset or a cheaper product will have already come out AND been updated.

IIWY, I'd go look on Alibaba and see what chips/gps devices you could buy and import in bulk, then see if you can find an application for them...developing your own is a non starter IMO

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

What angle are you going for to market it, what's it's USP?

I only ask as a lot of people have smart phones now, which can perform the same function and GPS trackers are very cheap off eBay these days.

Or am I missing something?
Andres

 

[Gossy]

I fitted a tracking device to my bike, needs charging every 6 weeks and its 100x40x40mm has a sim card and I use GiffJaff pay as you go, a text to the device returns 2 texts with speed and on an iPhone a map pops up - it will do more techy things but it takes serious reading - I think there's lots of similar products - I fit the unit in the recess under my GSA tank.

But... I needed to fit a GPS antenna and a GSM antenna with a sky view - behind the GSA screen not easy to see, but for any biker or biker thief easily spotted.

So my point after all this is that some units may lose communication if hidden discreetly on a bike/car/dog in a covered car park if hidden away from view - just my thoughts - you did ask .

 

[Bendy toy]

I fitted a NavTrak to a caravan at least 15 years ago. It worked fine and recovered the van when gyppos had it away one night. The weak link was tracking service that failed to use my mobile phone number. So the contents got taken and robbers had legged it.


Sent from my phone with mangled spelling

 

[Bendy toy]

You could look at importing LED spot lights. There are loads of floods about but nothing at reasonable cost that gives a narrow beam that could support main beam.
Not a unique service, but the narrow beam angle might be a new angle (sic).

Also what about low cost film wrapping on GS bikes. Then folks could change its clothes at minimal costs.

 

[Fanum]

You could look at importing LED spot lights. There are loads of floods about but nothing at reasonable cost that gives a narrow beam that could support main beam.


Sent from my phone with mangled spelling

There are dozens......