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Context
Locinox has been an international household name in the field of accessories for gates for decades. Aaltra helped Locinox in developing a one-of-a-kind pedestrian gate closer with a small and scalable motor.
Installing a motor in a gate closer offers control over the opening and closing mechanism of the gate, which offers comfort and improves safety. In a traditional gate closer, the system has many connection points for connecting the keypad and sensors as well as other features. On top of that, the configuration requires extensive training and complex settings.
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However, Locinox wanted to create a new revolutionary, fully integrated gate closer with opening function and with the smallest possible motor. This integrated system, without external control box means that there is no need for 24 connectors. At the same time, the system must be user-friendly, as the installer must be able to configure the 6 available connectors himself. This is where Aaltra comes into play.
'We release 15 new products every year. Product development happens at a furious pace with us. As Locinox stands for quality, a new product has to meet all expectations right away. Our engineers were looking for a partner they could trust and who could keep up with their pace, and found Aaltra.”
Updates without connection
To be as cost-effective as possible, we initially focused on developing a minimum viable product. We worked in three stages:
1
In a workshop, we reviewed the existing material together to provide technical guidance and develop a roadmap.
2
We modified the existing design to meet the needs of the roadmap.
3
The development and delivery. As usual, we worked in an agile way with recurring sync meetings to update Locinox on the work delivered and the future roadmap.
One of the key aspects of developing the technology was connectivity, as the lack of 4G or stable wireless Internet in some areas made firmware updates a challenge.
To overcome this, we decided to integrate a progressive web app in the firmware, which reads the parameters of the engine through a REST API. The smartphone app connects to the device via direct wifi, identifies which firmware it is, and then updates it if necessary. As a result, everything can happen without the need for the Internet. This allows Locinox to keep the firmware up-to-date and in sync with updates from the App Store.
Locinox can now program new features from within the engine without our intervention. Thanks to the dynamic UI structure, they can quickly configure, program, and test features. Because we designed the motorized gate closer from the beginning with installers in mind, they are easy to install and maintain.
'We enjoy working with Aaltra. It is a charming team that thinks along with us in a solution-oriented way. We can rely on them even when time is of the essence.”
A consumer app
In record time, we went from our first meeting to presenting the MVP at a trade show. Installers can now use it, but our work can also serve as the foundation for a consumer app that, for example, automatically opens the gate when the user is near.
THE RESULT
- From idea to MVP in 6 months
- Firmware updates without 4G
- A scalable motor
Want to learn more about this case?
Get in touch with Pieter.
