The Rise of AgriTech in Our Advancing World
Technology is being integrated into a wide variety of fields, from medical care to smart homes. Agricultural technology, or AgriTech / Agtech, is also on the rise. This innovative sector includes a range of tools designed to enhance farming practices. Farm-management software, farm automation systems, and remote sensing technologies are key agtech tools. These advancements enable farms to operate with greater precision and efficiency, ultimately leading to increased productivity and sustainability in agriculture.
The Need for Technology in Agriculture
Agriculture is not only crucial to supporting our livelihood—it is also a vital part of our economy. Because of this, agriculture has also been one of the slowest industries to adopt technology. However, integrating technology into agriculture is becoming necessary to keep up with consumer demand.
We are in an era of overconsumption. This term, often used to refer to people buying much more of something than they need, also applies to food waste. Food is the largest single category of discarded waste. While overconsumption is a significant issue that the U.S. government has committed to battling, a large amount of food loss occurs during production. For this, agritech holds the answer.
Barriers to Agtech Adoption Among Farmers
The agriculture industry has been slow to increase reliance on technology. Agriculture is steeped in tradition. The Old Farmer’s Almanac, a periodical first issued in 1792, is still relied upon today. Generational farmers who have successfully used established methods are wary of shifting to a new approach. However, tradition is not the only barrier.
Cost of Adoption:
Integrating agtech can be costly, especially over a large area. Agritech expenses go beyond the initial investment. Systems require maintenance, operating costs, and, in some cases, software subscriptions. North America and Europe are leading the world in Agritech use, but both only see about a 60% adoption rate, with farm-management software the most popular form of agtech. For the high price tag of integrating agritech, farmers want a clearer picture of the return on investment, especially when they have success with methods proven over time.
Connectivity Issues:
Farmers also want to see connectivity issues addressed before investing in agtech products. LoRa, a wireless network that connects devices across a large area, connects most IoT agtech equipment. However, LoRa has limitations, such as its inability to simultaneously handle the transmission of large amounts of data.
Additionally, many farms are in remote areas without reliable cellular connections, further complicating the implementation of advanced technological solutions. Resolving these connectivity challenges is crucial for the widespread adoption of agritech.
Technical Expertise:
Knowing how to use technology is essential to bringing it into a new space. Individuals already comfortable with technology might find learning the intricacies of a new technology system relatively easy. However, for farmers without extensive technical experience, learning a new technical process may be intimidating. Ensuring that farmers feel confident in their ability to use new tools is essential to successfully integrate agtech into everyday farming operations.
Benefits of Adopting Technology in Agriculture
Despite the barriers to agritech adoption, more farmers are bringing IoT to their farms. Products with IoT sensors or GPS capabilities allow for better tracking of planting, fertilizing, watering, and harvesting.
Even as overconsumption decreases, the population is still increasing. The agricultural industry needs to be able to keep up with demand. Over a third of the Earth’s land is already taken up by agriculture. Deforestation to create more farmland destroys ecosystems and worsens pollution.
Vertical Farming:
Vertical farming, where crops are grown in layered greenhouses, allows farmers to produce more food in an equal or smaller amount of land. Vertical greenhouses rely on nutrient-rich water solutions and use hydroponic systems to feed and sustain crops without soil. These controlled environments also regulate temperature, light, and humidity.
By maintaining optimal growing conditions, vertical farming can significantly reduce the impact of adverse environmental factors such as pests, extreme weather, and soil degradation that traditionally grown outdoor plants face. Vertical farming improves crop yield and quality and supports sustainable agricultural practices by conserving water and reducing the need for pesticides.
Monitoring Crops and Resource Management:
The ability to monitor crops, both indoors and outdoors, leads to higher yields and decreased waste. AgTech’s ability to connect all areas of a farm through IoT allows farmers to monitor crops remotely, leading to increased productivity. Waste decreases because farmers can closely monitor fertilization and watering schedules. They will know what nutrients plants need and can reduce consumption, conserving vital resources. Employees’ time is also a valuable resource that can be better managed with agritech, helping the farm to operate more efficiently.
Increased Traceability:
Consumers, driven by growing awareness of environmental and social issues, are increasingly searching for sustainable and ethically sourced food and textiles. Concerns about GMOs and pesticides in food products have become prominent, prompting many to seek more transparency in their purchases.
AgTech plays a crucial role in addressing these concerns by providing tools that can verify the origins of food and determine whether it’s organic. By leveraging advanced technologies such as blockchain, remote sensing, and data analytics, agritech ensures that consumers can access accurate information about the sustainability and ethical standards of their food and textile products. This transparency helps build trust and allows consumers to make more informed choices that align with their values.
AgriTech is Here to Stay
Technology has not been integrated into agriculture as quickly as other industries, but the need for sustainability in farm resources and outputs is now. This means that agtech is here to stay. Through technology, we can monitor crops’ growth, environmental conditions, and the amount of water needed. Vertical farming allows farmers to yield higher crops in a smaller space, conserving land. As agritech engineers improve connectivity and offer user-friendly interfaces and training programs, more farmers will integrate technology into their operations.
At Pivot International, we design and manufacture AgriTech products for a variety of uses. Sensors to detect lameness in equine, milk tank control systems with IoT reporting for dairy farms, and boom sprayer valves that control water output are some of the agtech products we have developed for our partners.
Our team has over 50 years of experience in the product design and manufacturing industry. Based in Lenexa, Kansas, we have 300,000 square feet of manufacturing space across North America, Europe, and Asia. Our multi-disciplined team of engineers can design and develop a product from your idea or work with you to update an existing specification. Our global supply chain teams are dedicated to finding the best parts at the best prices to make your project successful. Contact us today to learn how we can help develop your agri-tech product.
Upgrading your Legacy Product with an IoT Solution
Successful products are designed to meet a need. While this is still true, products no longer only serve one function or solve one problem. Mobile phones were designed to make calls from anywhere, but now they also function as cameras, calculators, and calendars. First-of-their-kind, or legacy, products still serve a valuable purpose for consumers, but products connected to the Internet of Things (IoT) through Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, and more are the future of the market.
Benefits of Adding IoT to a Product
Integrating IoT into your product has a range of benefits, both for you and the consumer. IoT products have enhanced functionality and features compared to legacy products. Businesses can also collect data and manage their devices more efficiently.
Adding IoT to a device significantly enhances its scalability. Future generations of the product can be easily adapted to meet evolving demands in software, user experience (UX), app updates, and more. Upgrading a feature can be as simple as changing a single component on a PCB. Software updates can upgrade connected products remotely, saving customers the hassle and expense of frequently purchasing new products. UX improves when products include IoT. With a wide range of features, users have a more personalized and engaging experience with IoT products.
Products with IoT connectivity often see an increase in revenue due to their enhanced features and the creation of new revenue streams, such as subscription services. The ability to offer ongoing updates and improvements keeps customers engaged and satisfied, leading to higher customer retention and long-term profitability.
Should You Add IoT to an Existing Product
As discussed, adding IoT to a legacy product can have various benefits. However, when redesigning a product, it is essential to remember the foundation of product design—meeting a need. Adding connectivity to stay on trend without considering what would enhance UX is a recipe for failure. Taking the time to redesign a product, investing in components, and opening your brand up to a larger market is costly. Add IoT features to your product for the right reasons.
Upgrading a Product: How to Add IoT
Once you have identified the features you want to add to a product, designs must be updated. Electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, industrial designers, embedded firmware engineers, and manufacturing engineers all play a role in IoT product development. Consult with a design firm if your company lacks the design and engineering experience required for an IoT product upgrade.
Designing for an Existing Customer Base
When making significant changes to a product, such as adding IoT, it is critical that the final design released on the market still has the features and capabilities that produced a dedicated customer base. IoT enhances UX, but only if it adds a real benefit and functions as well as the legacy product. Working with an established product design company with IoT expertise is the best way to ensure success through more efficient time-to-market, consumer adaptability, and lower costs.
Building a Prototype
Now that you’ve decided what features your next-gen product will have, it’s time to build a prototype that combines the old product’s functionality with the new product’s features. Often, this involves building a board designed to fit into your legacy product and then testing the board’s functionality and features.
During the design and prototyping process, you must choose which type of signal your product will connect to based on its function.
- Wi-Fi:Ideal for many devices, Wi-Fi is most used in indoor settings, such as homes, offices, and schools.
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth has a shorter range than Wi-Fi but also uses less power. As it is not limited by a router’s range, Bluetooth is a popular choice for wearable and portable devices.
- NFC: Near-field communication enables communication between two devices in close contact, such as tap-to-pay credit cards or key fobs to enter buildings. RFID uses similar technology but has a slightly longer range.
- LoRa: A low-power, wide-area network, LoRa (which gets its name from “long range”) can connect devices across a large area. It is commonly used to collect operational data across farms and cities.
Many IoT devices have a corresponding app that allows customers to interact with the product, customize settings, or upgrade their devices. When developing an app, it’s crucial to decide whether it will be a native app, tailored specifically for a particular operating system, or a cross-platform app that works on multiple devices. Additionally, you need to determine the key functionalities the app should provide, including capabilities for upgrades, seamless connectivity, and intuitive UX.
Consider the environment your product will be in. If your legacy product was used outdoors, your updated IoT device should also be able to withstand harsh environments. Ensure that the new device is durable, weather-resistant, and capable of operating effectively in the same challenging environments as its predecessor.
After successfully building and testing prototype units, assess whether a complete product redesign is necessary. If this is the case, the packaging should also be redesigned to reflect the new version of the product. An updated packaging design can enhance the unboxing experience, further reinforcing the value and innovation of the new IoT-enabled product.
A Successful Next-Gen Device
Releasing a next-gen device with IoT capabilities gives a competitive advantage over competitors’ legacy products. Upgrading your product with IoT capabilities can offer consumers enhanced user experiences through real-time data access, remote control, and integration with other smart devices. This added value can differentiate your product from competitors, making it more desirable to tech-savvy consumers seeking advanced features and convenience.
Furthermore, incorporating IoT can open up new revenue streams, such as subscription services, maintenance packages, and premium features accessed through an app. This boosts your profitability and creates ongoing relationships with your customers, fostering brand loyalty and repeat business. If done correctly, adding connectivity to your legacy product is a formula for success.
Pivot International has over 50 years of experience in the design and manufacturing industry. Our global, multi-disciplined engineering team is experienced at working with partners to upgrade their existing products using our expertise in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, software design, firmware design, and DFM. Contact us to discuss how we can bring your legacy product into the next generation.
The Increasing Demand for Cellular Technologies in Consumer Products
In recent years, the rapid advancement of cellular technologies has revolutionized the consumer product landscape. The global adoption of smartphones and the dawn of the Internet of Things (IoT) have fueled an astonishing increase in integrating cellular connectivity into a wide range of products.
Pivot International has over 50 years of experience designing and developing consumer products. Our technologies can be seen in products ranging from baby monitors, touch screen beverage dispensers, and RC cars, to smart cameras, smoke detectors, and fitness watches.
The Increase in Cellular Technology
Cellular technology, mainly 4G LTE and the emerging 5G networks, have become the backbone of modern communication. With smartphones penetrating the market and the demand for constant connectivity, this has paved the way for cellular technologies to extend beyond traditional communication devices. Consumer products such as smartwatches, fitness trackers, home appliances, and automobiles are now being equipped with cellular connectivity.
Enabling the Internet of Things (IoT)
The rise of IoT devices is one of the key drivers behind the increased use of cellular technologies in consumer products. IoT devices require seamless connectivity to transmit and receive data, enabling smart functionality and real-time monitoring. Cellular technologies provide the necessary infrastructure to connect these devices, eliminating the reliance on Wi-Fi networks or proximity to a smartphone. This has led to the creation of smart homes, wearables, and connected vehicles that enhance convenience, efficiency, and overall user experience.
Cellular Technology in New Product Development
Integrating cellular technologies in new product development opens a myriad of opportunities for businesses. Let’s dig a little deeper into some key areas where new product development has been met with open arms.
1. Enhanced Connectivity and Accessibility
Cellular connectivity empowers products to function independently without needing to be near a smartphone or a local network. This has led to the development of standalone smart devices such as smartwatches, voice assistants, and GPS trackers. Consumers can enjoy the full functionality of these products anytime, anywhere.
2. Advanced Health and Wellness Solutions
Wearable fitness trackers and health monitoring devices have completely transformed the medtech industry. With cellular connectivity, these devices can provide real-time health data, remote monitoring, and emergency notifications. New product developments in this industry are revolutionizing healthcare by enabling personalized and proactive health management.
3. Smart Home Automation
Cellular technologies have empowered the concept of the smart home. This enables homeowners to control and monitor various aspects of their living environment anywhere in the world. From connected thermostats and security systems to intelligent lighting and appliances, cellular connectivity is driving the development of an interconnected and automated home ecosystem.
4. Connected Vehicles
The automotive industry is witnessing a remarkable transformation with the evolution of cellular technologies. Connected cars can access real-time traffic information, offer remote diagnostics, and provide entertainment services. Additionally, cellular connectivity lays the foundation for developing autonomous vehicles, revolutionizing transportation as we know it.
Challenges to Consider with Implementing Cellular Technology
While the increase of cellular technologies in consumer products presents several opportunities, there are certain challenges that businesses must address. These include:
- Cost: Cellular connectivity requires subscription plans and data usage, which can add to the overall cost of the product. Manufacturers must find a balance between affordability and functionality to ensure consumer adoption.
- Power Consumption: Cellular connectivity can significantly impact a device’s battery life. Optimizing power consumption and implementing efficient energy management systems are crucial considerations during product development.
- Security and Privacy: Cellular connectivity introduces new vulnerabilities, making it vital for manufacturers to prioritize robust security measures and ensure user data privacy.
Successfully Implementing Cellular Technology in Your New Product Development
Implementing cellular technology into consumer products has opened up a new era of innovation and convenience. From enabling the IoT to driving the development of smart homes and connected vehicles, cellular connectivity is transforming how we interact with everyday products. With ongoing advancements in cellular networks and the emergence of 5G technology, the future holds even more exciting possibilities. As businesses continue to embrace these technologies and overcome the associated challenges, consumers can look forward to a world of interconnected and intelligent products.
If you would like to learn more about cellular technologies or how to implement them into your product, contact our team today. We have global engineering teams that are trained in the latest technologies. Let us help take your product from an idea to a winning and connected solution.
How to Successfully Secure Your IoT Product
The Internet of Things (IoT) has transformed the way we interact with each other and technology. From smart homes to self-driving cars, IoT devices are everywhere. With our data consumed world, it’s imperative your IoT device is safe and secure for your customers and business alike. As the number of connected devices grows at a rapid pace, so does the risk for security exposures. Hackers are constantly evolving and becoming even more savvy each day. For this reason and more, you must design your IoT product with security in mind.
It’s critically important to develop a secure IoT product in this rapidly growing, interconnected world. Partnering with an experienced design company might just be your winning solution.
What are the security risks with IoT products?
The first step in developing a secure IoT product is to understand the potential security risks. IoT devices are extremely vulnerable to a number of attacks, including malware, phishing, and denial-of-service attacks. These can result in data breaches, identity theft, and financial losses. To mitigate these risks, your product designers must implement security features at every stage of the product development lifecycle.
Partnering with a company that has engineering design expertise can help mitigate these risks. Engineering design firms have experience developing products with security in mind. They can help you identify potential security vulnerabilities and develop solutions to address them.
How can you develop secure firmware and software for your IoT product?
One of the most important parts of developing a secure IoT product is making sure you secure the device’s firmware and software. Firmware is the background software that interacts with the device’s hardware while software is more sophisticated and interacts with applications and other external tools. Both firmware and software can be vulnerable to attacks, so it is essential to design them with security in mind.
An engineering design company should only design with security in mind. They can assist in designing secure bootloaders, which ensure that only authorized firmware is loaded onto the device. They can also help in implementing secure coding practices to prevent vulnerabilities such as buffer overflow and SQL injection. They will also be able to ensure the firmware and software are updated regularly to address any new security threats.
What is Authentication and why does my IoT product need it?
Authentication is another critical aspect of IoT security. It is the process of verifying that a user or device is who or what they claim to be. Weak authentication systems can leave IoT devices vulnerable to attacks, such as brute force attacks or password guessing attacks.
Engineering design firms can assist in developing secure authentication mechanisms for IoT devices. They can help to implement s two-factor authentication, which requires users to provide two pieces of proof to verify their identity. They can also assist in implementing secure password policies, such as requiring users to create strong passwords and periodically changing them. They can help to develop biometric authentication mechanisms, such as fingerprint scanning or facial recognition, which can be more secure than traditional password-based authentication.
Why are communication protocols vital to IoT security?
Having secure communication protocols are crucial in developing a secure IoT product. Communication protocols are the rules that govern how devices communicate with one another. Without them, IoT devices can be extremely vulnerable to eavesdropping, interception, and man-in-the-middle attacks.
An engineering design company can help in developing secure communication protocols for IoT devices. They can assist in implementing encryption, which protects the data being transmitted from being read by unauthorized parties. They can also help in implementing secure key exchange mechanisms, which ensure that the keys used for encryption are exchanged securely. Additionally, they can assist in developing secure message authentication procedures, which guarantee the data being transmitted has not been corrupted.
Why is data privacy so important to safeguarding your new product development?
Another critical, and growing, aspect of developing a secure IoT product is data privacy. IoT devices collect a large amount of user data, and it’s essential to protect this data from unauthorized access.
An engineering design company can assist in developing secure data privacy mechanisms for IoT devices. They can help in implementing data encryption, which protects the data being collected from being accessed by unauthorized parties. They can also assist in developing data access control mechanisms, which ensure that only authorized users can access the data. Moreover, they can help in developing data anonymization mechanisms, which can be used to protect users’ identities while still allowing data to be analyzed for insights.
What laws and regulations must I abide by when creating an IoT product?
In addition to the technical aspects of developing a secure IoT product, there are also legal and regulatory issues. Many countries have laws and regulations regarding data privacy and security that product developers must follow. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations can result in significant damages to not only your finances but your reputation.
Partnering with a company that has engineering design expertise can help ensure that IoT products are developed in compliance with these laws and regulations. They can assist in conducting compliance audits to identify any potential issues and help in developing solutions to address them. They can also help in developing policies and procedures to ensure ongoing compliance.
Choosing the right engineering design partner can help solve your IoT problems
This is why partnering with an experienced engineering design company is vital to ensure safety, security, and a faster time to market. These companies have vast experience developing products that are user-friendly, reliable, and cost-effective. They can assist in designing products that meet the needs of users while still being secure. They can also help in optimizing the product’s design for manufacturing, cost-effectiveness, and ensuring the product is appropriately priced.
Partnering with an experienced engineering design company can bring a multitude of benefits to your connected product solution. Our expertise will allow you to mitigate many of the risks associated with developing IoT products. With a partner like Pivot, you can develop a product that enhances the value and safety of the IoT world.
If you would like to learn how Pivot International’s global teams can help bring your IoT product securely to market, contact us today. We’d love to earn your business.
Smart Homes: Connecting Our World, One Development At A Time
Smart homes have been a hot topic in the tech world for a while now, and it’s no wonder why. The idea of being able to control and automate various aspects of your home using just your smartphone or voice commands is incredibly appealing to many people. But what exactly is a smart home, and what are the benefits of having one?
What is a Smart Home
A smart home is a home that is equipped with a variety of connected devices and sensors that can be controlled and automated through a central hub or app. This can include smart thermostats, lighting, smart appliances, smart security systems, and more. The goal of a smart home is to make daily life more convenient, efficient, and secure by automating tasks and providing remote control of various systems and devices.
Benefits of a Smart Home
Time and Convenience:
One of the main benefits is the convenience. Imagine being able to turn off the lights or adjust the thermostat without having to physically get up and do it. Detecting a crack in your basement foundation by monitoring the moisture level on your phone. Cleaning your pool with the touch of a button on a solar-powered robot. These are just a few examples of the many tasks that can be automated or controlled remotely. These conveniences save you precious time.
Energy and Money Savings:
They can also help save energy and reduce utility bills. Smart thermostats, for example, can learn your schedule and adjust the temperature accordingly to save energy when you’re not home. Smart appliances, such as washing machines and refrigerators, can also be more energy efficient because they can be programmed to run at off-peak times when energy rates are lower.
Security:
Notably, they can also enhance security and peace of mind. With smart security systems, you can monitor your home remotely and receive alerts for any suspicious activity. You can also use smart door locks to remotely lock and unlock your doors and smart cameras to keep an eye on your home when you’re away.
Choosing the Right Partner to Create Your Smart Product
With the advancement of technology and increased demand for new smart products, now is the time to create the next smart home innovation. Choosing a company with expertise in developing the technology used in smart homes can be the winning difference in bringing your product to market.
These companies have spent years researching and developing the expertise needed to understand and implement the latest technology into your new smart product. Depending on your particular smart product, various certifications are required. These companies have the experience needed to launch and certify products. They are also at the forefront of new developments in smart home technology. By working with them, you can stay ahead of the curve and offer your customers the latest and greatest in smart home products and services.
A smart home can provide many benefits, from increased energy efficiency and improved security to added convenience and comfort. If you want to create the next big smart home product and don’t know where to start, Pivot can help. We have over 50 years of experience successfully developing new products. With our global engineering teams, we’ve launched several products that utilize energy-efficient designs for smart homes. Learn more about how we can help you launch your next smart product! Contact us today.
IoT Innovations Often Don’t Fly. Here’s How to Make Sure Yours Soars.
Many companies commence IoT product innovation with high hopes, only to end up with their expectations grounded. Just five years ago, Gartner opined that up to 80% of IoT innovations would squander broader market opportunities, and a survey by Cisco found that one-third of IoT projects ended in failure. Since then, the space has only become more crowded, reducing companies’ odds of success. So, what does it take to launch a profitable IoT product in a market that’s becoming more competitive by the minute? What do companies that succeed in the IoT space do differently? Let’s take a look.
They Unlock the Potential of Partner Relationships
Companies often take an overly narrow view of IoT interconnectivity, conceiving it strictly in terms of connecting devices rather than relationships between customers, partners, and suppliers. Developing a successful IoT innovation depends on the same principle required for succeeding in the new sales ecosystem: unlocking the potential of partner relationships. Partnerships are the name of the game, and this means embracing collaborative approaches, eschewing rigid processes, creating open, flexible structures, and working together with diverse stakeholders. And for companies launching medical, industrial, or high-complexity consumer IoT products, agile partners with open IP architectures are table stakes for market success.
At Pivot International, we are a global one-source leader with a diverse suite of the latest wireless, cellular, and sensor product solutions. We bring advanced expertise in developing IoT innovations across fourteen industries and six markets, including medical, industrial, security and defense, sports and entertainment, construction, and agriculture. Now in our 50th year of doing business, we’ve built our reputation on an integrative, streamlined, highly collaborative approach to NPD. By leveraging strategic partnerships in the public and private sectors, we’ve helped our clients launch many of the world’s most celebrated and competitive IoT solutions.
They Attract and Invest in the Next Generation of IoT Talent
Although the development of IoT innovations requires technology skillsets that include data science, systems architecture, and cybersecurity, it’s just as important to prioritize talent that brings people skills and business acumen to the mix. Since IoT stretches across IT, OT, and even core business processes, companies need to invest in well-rounded talent that’s comfortable wearing multiple hats — even if only informally. Invest in an interactive culture of innovation that challenges teams of diverse talent to work together toward synergistic, co-created solutions. These teams should be encouraged, empowered, and incentivized to operate with startup spirit: reconceiving problem spaces, actively engaging in experimentation, and developing emergent visions for future possibilities and growth.
Attracting and investing in the next generation of IoT talent requires looking beyond your own organization, which is why top IoT leaders regularly run internships, engage in educational partnerships, offer scholarships and grants, and sponsor apprenticeships. Pivot is proud to sponsor STAC (the trading name of Filament Smart Things Accelerator), a rapidly expanding IoT organization dedicated to helping Scottish startups scale to sustainable, globally competitive companies. STAC supports startups with a four-step, 18-month program that fosters long-term success via personal guidance from industry experts. By lending the design, engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain expertise of Pivot’s Scotland-based subsidiaries, Wideblue and A2E, Pivot invests in the next generation of IoT talent by providing mentorship and direct financial support to fledgling IoT startups.
They Keep the End in Mind
One of the unseen temptations in IoT product development is getting overly focused on product bells and whistles (features and benefits) at the expense of the end goal an innovation is intended to solve. Although this caveat may sound cliche, it explains why many IoT projects fail to fly. Without keeping the end of the IoT journey in mind — using a well-planned yet flexible roadmap for reaching the desired destination — it’s easy to get sidetracked into dead ends that only make themselves known once it’s too late to course correct without incurring sunk costs. Whether this dead end reveals itself as a product that’s not optimized for manufacture, or insufficiently integrated with existing business processes or technology systems, the result is almost certain to negatively impact ROI.
While it’s by no means sufficient for avoiding the broader IoT innovation hazards outlined in this article, DFM (Design For Manufacturing) provides a crucial layer of protection. By definition, DFM begins at the end, optimizing product design for scalable manufacture. This serves to guard against the development of IoT innovations that appear perfect on paper but prove cost-prohibitive to produce. Pivot is one of the few US-based, one-source NPD and supply chain firms to offer the advantages of in-house DFM, and it’s this specialty that provides the guard rails and innovation incubator to keep the IoT journey profitably on track.
Looking to Launch a Successful IoT Innovation?
If you’re gearing up to capture value from the IoT market, Pivot is the partner you’ve been looking for. Our IoT innovations are winners of many prestigious awards, including a CES Innovation Award and AAARP Pitch Award, multiple European Product Design Awards, a Best Design for Humanity Award, and more. If you’d like to learn more about how we can help your company scale, contact us today for a no-cost consultation.
Sensor and IoT Applications that are Transforming the Agricultural Market Landscape
When the average person pictures a farm, the first images that come to mind are big, red barns, towering grain silos, acres of open fields, and maybe a dairy cow or two. Most people don’t tend to associate advanced sensor and IoT technologies with the agriculture industry. But these are the same technologies rapidly being adopted and deployed across every agricultural sector.
Between 2021 and 2026, the global agriculture IoT market is expected to grow from USD 11.4 billion to USD 18.1 billion at a CAGR of 9.8%. The growth of this market is fueled by factors that include the acceleration of digital evolution, a heightened focus on livestock monitoring, feed optimization, disease detection, efforts to preserve arable land, government-led initiatives for precision farming practices, and more.
At Pivot International, we help companies worldwide capitalize on the growing demand for agricultural IoT applications with a diverse suite of the latest sensor, wireless, and cellular technologies. Our one-source business model provides a seamlessly integrated approach to product development, and our in-house DFM expertise ensures differentiated design and scalable production. With 320,000 square feet of flexible manufacturing space across three continents (including options in the American Midwest), we bring 50 years of proven experience, an internationally-award-winning product portfolio, and a collaborative approach to creating successful agricultural innovations.
The Impact of Sensor and IoT Applications
The game-changing implications of sensor and IoT agricultural applications can be compared to the impacts of increased adoption of mega combine-harvesters. These massive machines have not only become integral for ensuring the world’s food supply but are setting new standards for efficiency and yield. Like the advent of mechanized combines, sensors and IoT applications are set to revolutionize the agricultural landscape and are being used to monitor, measure, and manage the following:
- Crop quality — Canopy, geometry, leaf stress, height, width, volume, disease vulnerability, etc.
- Irrigation — Water quantity, quality, salinity, turbidity, pressure, etc.
- Soil characteristics — Moisture, temperature, pH, and nutrients
- Weather conditions — Temperature, humidity, light intensity, ultraviolet and electromagnetic radiation, precipitation, wind speed and direction, and atmospheric pressure
- Fertilizer usage — Composition, distribution, and timing
- Detection of contaminants — Benzene, ozone, alcohol, smoke, NH3, NOx, CO2, and foreign bodies within harvested crops such as plastics or metals
- Movement — Movement detection is often related to security measures or to the aim of scaring animals away to avoid crop damage
Top Technologies for Agricultural Sensors and IoT
Communication and transmission of sensor-captured agricultural data most commonly rely on the following technologies:
Nodes
Arduino boards are the most oft-used node in agricultural IoT innovations. These input-reading boards are open-source electronics platforms with easy-to-use software and hardware. Examples of readable inputs include any of the variables bulleted above: moisture, temperature, heat, etc. These inputs are translated into outputs for informing or initiating action.
Wireless
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a wireless technology that enables inter-device communication over short distances without relying on Wi-Fi or cellular. Range is approximately 30 feet with an available maximum data transfer speed of up to 24 Mbps.
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi enables wireless connectivity without physical cables or connections. Its functionality depends on an ethernet connection to an internet service provider, a modem, or a mobile phone with a data package. And while Wi-Fi is now decades old, Wi-Fi 6 holds game-change possibilities for new product development.
LoRa
The strength of LoRa lies in its long-range, low-power capabilities. Its proprietary geolocation capabilities make it central to IoT networks worldwide. LoRa devices and the open LoRaWAN® protocol support multi-industry IoT applications that Pivot has extensive experience developing.
Cellular
Unlike Wi-Fi, cellularly connected devices can operate from just about anywhere within 45 miles of a cellular network. (Give or take, depending on network size, signal strength, terrain type, and device power capacity.) NB-IoT and Cat-M1 are complementary 3GPP standardized technologies that Pivot has deployed in many of its most successful products. The NB in NB-IoT stands for narrow-band and is best suited for simpler devices, while Cat-M1’s broad 1.4 MHz bandwidth is ideal for more complex agricultural innovations.
Agricultural Sensor and IoT Applications
Agricultural sensors and IoT applications number in the hundreds. Pivot’s and its subsidiaries’ agricultural sensor and IoT innovations include:
- A Hyperspectral Crop Camera (HCC) with optical sensors that can detect crop disease more quickly, easily, accurately, and affordably than ever before, significantly increasing global agriculture’s yield.
- A Dairy Farm Milk Tank Control System with IoT data reporting. The touch screen system controls tank temperature and wash cycles. The system senses and reports on multiple parameters and provides operational data for preventative maintenance.
- An Equine Lameness Sensor that attaches directly to horses to measure muscle activity at various anatomical locations. Motion data is sent via Bluetooth to a mobile device and analyzed by a lameness detection algorithm.
- A Damage Defense Control Panel in which metal detecting sensors are used to identify metal fragments in processing material, prompting an emergency shutdown.
Looking for a Trusted Partner to Help Your Company Launch a Successful Agricultural IoT Product?
Pivot and its nine international subsidiaries bring together a wealth of experience and expertise to make your product conception a winning market reality. If you’d like to learn more about our capabilities, contact us today.
How Connected Construction Solutions Optimize the Value Chain
The construction industry is booming. After taking a hit in the pandemic’s early stages in 2020, it’s now surpassed pre-pandemic GDP levels. Total construction spending reached record-high levels in mid-2021, contributing more than $20 billion quarterly to the economy. And although many firms are still struggling with workforce shortages leading to project delays, the construction outlook remains exceptionally strong.
As the post-pandemic surge of building activity continues to climb, our teams at Pivot International are delivering connected (smart) construction solutions to help companies worldwide capitalize on this rapidly expanding market. Pivot’s diverse suite of digital technologies and extensive experience in IoT and sensors make us the go-to partner for smart construction solutions that optimize the value chain.
The Profit Potential of Connected Construction Solutions
The industry landscape is assuming new contours as engineering firms, contractors, and other stakeholders across the value chain recognize the profit potential of deploying IoT construction solutions. These solutions deliver a single platform that integrates people, processes, equipment, and job sites. This, in turn, provides unprecedented visibility into the complex interrelationships between these variables, revealing otherwise unseen opportunities to drive efficiency across the value chain. Armed with this data, companies can easily identify areas of improvement, reduce downtime, and more effectively manage asset utilization and operations.
Applications for Connected Construction Solutions
These solutions are now available in everything from building information management (BIM) to digital supply networks, prefabrication, modular construction, asset tracking, and equipment performance. For instance, IoT sensors can be easily attached to cranes, articulated trucks, backhoes, boom lifts, dozers, and other devices to provide live data and site visibility. Applications of smart construction solutions also include this custom control panel that Pivot’s subsidiary, MCC Electronics, created. It features vinyl overlay, LED indicators and switches, and joystick controllers for easy operation in an extended bucket or platform.
Regardless of the application, IoT and sensor-enabled technologies deployed through digital twinning, predictive maintenance, and other approaches represent the state-of-the-art in value chain optimization for the construction industry. Construction executives are increasingly investing in these solutions and emerging technologies that draw their power from advanced analytics. Investment in these areas is increasingly being supplemented by investment in command centers and control towers. These assets provide enhanced levels of visibility necessary for dramatically eliminating drag across an integrated portfolio of projects.
Front-End Applications That Help Companies Scale
As connected construction keeps pace with broader trends in Industry 4.0, data, analytics, and user-based insights will prove increasingly critical. Moreover, connected construction promises to help companies reap benefits that extend beyond making the critical move from solving problems reactively to solving them predictively. (Or avoiding them altogether.) Smart construction solutions are also being powerfully deployed at the front end of projects. By driving the integration of modularization and prefabrication into design and build processes, firms can better scale their build and sourcing capabilities. This approach has much in common with DFM (Design For Manufacture), a Pivot specialty that integrates and optimizes the design, engineering, and manufacturing phases of new product development to ensure scalable production.
A Boon to DBOOM
The end-to-end operations of companies embracing the DBOOM model (Design-Build-Operate-OwnMaintain) are well-supported by smart construction solutions that drive down costs and reduce project emissions — not only during design and build but during actual operation. For instance, Pivot created this HVAC sensor control network that measures the temperature in large buildings and maintains it to preset parameters.
Connected construction solutions will continue to represent areas of peak investment over the next several years as companies connect, integrate, and automate their operations to optimize the value chain. As digital evolution marches ever closer to achieving critical mass, company leaders will increasingly reap the benefits of data-informed approaches to driving growth.
Looking for a Proven Partner to Help You Develop a Connected Construction Solution?
Pivot brings a half-century of advanced NPD expertise across fourteen industries and six markets and an internationally award-winning portfolio of smart products. With 320,000 square feet of manufacturing capability worldwide (including domestic options in the American Midwest), we will collaborate closely with your team to help you develop and successfully launch your innovation. If you’d like to learn more about we can support your company’s growth, contact us today!
Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, LoRa, NB-IoT, or Cat-M1? Identifying the Ideal Solution for Your Innovation
Determining the ideal product solutions for developing a successful IoT product can be less than a straightforward affair. Even with consumer IoT products, strategic tradeoffs must be made between size, weight, power, and cost considerations. (The so-called SWAP-c equation.) And for IoT products intended for industrial or medical markets, this equation becomes exponentially tougher to solve.
At Pivot International, we bring nearly fifty years of experience in helping companies develop and deliver successful products. Our expertise spans fourteen industries, and our extensive product portfolio includes multiple internationally award-winning IoT innovations. With 320,000 square feet of offshore and domestic production capacity worldwide, we help our clients navigate supply chain challenges with alternative sourcing solutions, innovative engineering hacks, and other strategies for defying disruption.
When collaborating with our clients to develop a new IoT product, we invest significant energy into first building a robust use case and documenting product requirements. This provides the foundation for determining which combination of wireless and cellular technologies will represent the ideal solution for your product. (For complex products, multiple solutions will be needed, which is why it’s essential to partner with a firm with technical diversity, and the experience to match.)
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a wireless technology that can communicate with other devices over short distances without requiring a Wi-Fi or cellular connection. Connectivity can extend about 30 feet with an available maximum data transfer speed of up to 24 Mbps.
When tackling our client’s SWAP-c equation, power usage is an overarching concern. (The more powerful the device, the faster the battery is drained.) Bluetooth has a very low power requirement — much less than that required for a Wi-Fi or ethernet connection. The Zibrio Smart Scale — a CES Innovation Award winner that Pivot co-developed — was created using a combination of Bluetooth and other wireless technologies.
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi is actually an entire family of wireless networking technologies. The term Wi‑Fi is a trademark of the non-profit Wi-Fi Alliance, and only products that successfully pass through its interoperability testing protocols can be officially certified as Wi-Fi proper. As its name suggests, Wi-Fi enables wireless, high-fidelity connection to the Internet without physical cables or connections. Wi-Fi functionality depends on an ethernet connection to either an internet service provider, a modem, or a mobile phone with a data package.
Compared to Bluetooth, Wi-Fi delivers a range of connectivity less limited by network frequency, transmission power, antenna type, location, and environment. For example, a typical wireless router can maintain a stable connection range of about 60 feet — twice that of Bluetooth. And while Wi-Fi is now in many ways a legacy technology, its latest incarnation, Wi-Fi 6, holds game-change possibilities for new product development.
LoRa
Even though LoRa is relatively new, our teams at Pivot have successfully used it for many of the products we’ve developed. LoRa gets its name from the fact that its strength lies in long-range, low-power capabilities. Its proprietary geolocation capabilities make it central to IoT networks worldwide. LoRa devices and the open LoRaWAN® protocol support IoT applications for smart cities, municipal and commercial structures, industrial metering, agriculture, supply chains, and more — all of which Pivot has extensive experience developing.
Cellular
Before delving into specific cellular technologies, it’s helpful to differentiate them from wireless ones. The main difference is that Wi-Fi (including LoRa) is much more limited by distance than cellular. Provided a device is in range of a cellular/mobile network — a collection of towers that transmit cellular signals — cellularly connected devices can operate from just about anywhere.
However, as almost everyone knows who has ever driven through a remote area of the country, cellular networks do have their limits, as becomes apparent when the connection becomes spotty or entirely inaccessible. Most mobile devices can stably connect with cellular networks up to 45 miles away, but this can vary depending on the size of the network, signal strength, terrain type, and device power-capacity. As for the rate of cellular connectivity, it depends on the speed of the network connection.
NB-IoT vs. Cat-M1
Now that we’ve distinguished Cellular from Wi-Fi let’s take a look at NB-IoT and Cat-M1, two of the cellular technologies that Pivot has deployed in many of its most successful products, including the Peek Retina, winner of a European Product Design Award for Best Design for Humanity.
Although they have distinct strengths, NB-IoT and Cat-M1 are complementary 3GPP standardized technologies. The NB in NB-IoT stands for narrow-band, making it an ideal solution for extremely simple consumer products that have no need for broad bandwidth. In contrast to NB-IoT, Cat-M1’s broad 1.4 MHz bandwidth makes it an ideal solution for products of greater complexity and cost investment.
Knowing which wireless and cellular technologies are ideal for solving your SWAP-c challenge is critical to developing an outstanding innovation. If you’re looking for a proven partner, Pivot’s highly collaborative approach, in-house DFM expertise, and diverse technology suite will make your product vision a profitable reality.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can support your growth goals and market success!
The Top Five IoT Challenges and How to Overcome Them
Whether you’re preparing to bring a consumer, industrial, or medical IoT device to market, you can count on facing five challenges. In the end, the success or failure of your product will ride largely on whether your new product development (NPD) partner possesses the three core competencies needed for overcoming them.
At Pivot International, we help companies worldwide capitalize on the rapidly expanding IoT market. We are a U.S.-based global partner that leverages DFM to integrate design, engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain management under a single company umbrella. Our single-source model fosters alignment and collaboration between stakeholders and ensures a seamless, error-free, and optimized NPD process. It also delivers unmatched project visibility and quality control, increases supply chain security, and drives significant cost savings.
Understanding the top five challenges you’ll face when preparing to bring a new IoT product to market, along with their solutions, serves two primary purposes. First, it can help you conceive of your broader NPD process more holistically. Second, it can provide a valuable framework for vetting a prospective NPD partner.
Top Five IoT NPD Challenges
1. Range Challenges
Depending on the distances across which your IoT innovation is intended to function, you’ll need different technologies for solving your range challenges. And for many IoT products, range challenges aren’t just a matter of distance; they’re also a matter of density, or how many devices you can cost-effectively connect within a larger area.
2. SWAPc Challenges
SWAPc stands for size, weight, power, and cost, and the challenge here is how to make deliberate trade-offs between them. As the term suggests, SWAPc challenges are multifaceted. They relate to questions about the degree to which a product can be created that is compact, lightweight, and powerful without consuming excessive energy, generating excessive heat, and incurring excessive costs.
3. Maintenance Challenges
All IoT devices require maintenance and management, but many industrial IoT innovations up the ante on this challenge. How? By needing to be deployed in remote locations or signal-blocking terrains (forests) or obstructive conditions (factories) that make them extremely difficult, impractical, or overly expensive to access. For such products, it’s not enough to solve range-related challenges; you’ll also need to ensure that your product will be designed to require as little onsite maintenance and management as possible.
4. Security Challenges
Between May 2020 and May 2021, complaints of cyber-attacks on private and public entities increased by one million, with manufacturers proving to be the number one industry target for cybercrime. For this reason, privacy concerns and data security are key challenges that must be factored into any IoT NPD effort.
5. Supply Chain Challenges
It’s not a stretch to say that supply chain challenges have never been steeper and disruption will remain the norm for the indefinite future. Even in the best of times, robust supply chain management is essential for managing risk, but it has now become a do-or-die proposition. While risk can never be eliminated, IoT NPD can often proceed successfully if alternative supply chain solutions can be identified.
Successfully Solving All Five Challenges Requires a Partner With Three Core Competencies
The solution to all five IoT NPD challenges is contained within three areas of specialization.
IoT NPD should never be a paint-by-numbers affair, which means that each of the five challenges must be carefully assessed and optimized in the context of product requirements and use case. At Pivot, we’ve built our reputation on a highly integrative, individualized, and collaborative approach to use-case creation and NPD. Our approach ensures we identify the optimal solutions to range, SWAPc, maintenance, and security challenges, making deliberate trade-offs that preserve product quality, functionality, and performance while maximizing cost savings.
2. Technological Diversity
Use-case optimization depends on technical diversity. When you work with an NPD partner that lacks technical diversity, the chances are good that use-case solutions will be seen through a narrow lens. (You know the saying: When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.) At Pivot, we bring extensive experience in multiple technologies, including NB-IoT, Cat-M1, LoRa, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular, all backed by our award-winning portfolio of IoT products.
3. Design For Manufacture (DFM)
At Pivot, we like to think of DFM as our chief superpower. DFM is an incredibly valuable core competency because it kills many birds with one stone. DFM approaches design from the supply chain and manufacturing perspective to ensure your product can be cost-effectively manufactured at scale. (At Pivot, we deliver 320,000 square feet of flexible manufacturing capability across three continents, including domestic options.)
DFM also plays a crucial role in optimizing product design for use cases and identifying potential engineering workarounds and alternative supply chain solutions for fulfilling ambiguous requirements. Not only does this promote greater supply chain security and drive cost savings, it also fuels innovation. (When designers and engineers must contend with supply chain hurdles and manufacturing limitations, they’re forced to think outside the proverbial box in order to come up with novel solutions.)
Are you gearing up to bring an IoT innovation to market? We’re the partner you’ve been looking for! With expertise across fourteen industries and over fifty years of trusted experience, we will work closely with your team to make your product vision a profitable reality! Contact us today to learn more about how we will help you achieve market success!
