Product development for safety bracelet
Man overboard bracelet
Client: Crewbands
Project
description
Every sailor knows how difficult it is to find someone who has fallen overboard. Often, the situation is made worse by the fact that the incident is noticed too late. Crewbands immediately sounds the alarm and helps the crew navigate back to the exact location. Because the bracelet can be worn continuously without any problems, it provides a simple and inconspicuous way to ensure additional safety on board.
The challenge was to create a small and practical design that is robust enough for rough weather and can withstand snorkeling at depths of up to 10 meters. After developing the production concept and ensuring watertightness, we handed over our part of the project to the Crewbands chief engineer, who then took care of the final touches and production itself!
Services
Product concept
How do you build a smart wristband that is small and lightweight, but can also be used for diving? And in a way that you can afford for your entire crew. That was the challenge. Together with the Crewbands team, we decided to do away with any controls on the wristband and avoid external charging by integrating a solar module.
Product development
Material selection and manufacturability were issues that arose early on. Stability, water resistance, and ergonomics had to be combined and realized in an injection-molded design.
3D design
After we handed over the concept to Crewbands fairly early on, our 3D design work was limited to prototyping and testing. Fit and tolerances, and above all preliminary design for subsequent injection molding production, were important here!
Prototype construction
The main focus here was on water resistance. How could we provide optimum protection for the electronics while still achieving a lightweight, compact, and ergonomic design that would also be suitable for children? We tested various 3D-printed and vacuum-molded sealing concepts using our water resistance testing device in several iterations and soon found a very robust solution.
Solar powered & waterproof
The integrated solar module continuously charges the battery. This ensures safety at all times and means that the watch does not need to be removed.
Person-over-board bracelet for everyday water sports
