Product engineering

You have an idea for a device, or you already have one that half works. I take it to a piece you can switch on, hand to someone, and let them try.

This is for you if

  • You have an idea and you want to know if it can work, before you spend money on parts.
  • You have a prototype that works on the bench, but not yet in people's hands.
  • You want one person to follow all of it: electronics, program, case, battery. Without going through five suppliers.

How I work

  • First I work out what the device has to do, and for whom. I write you a short note: can it be done, with which parts, how long, and what can go wrong.
  • Then I choose the electronics and write the program inside: the software that lives in the device and makes it work.
  • If you need it, I design the case, print it in 3D, and choose the battery.
  • We try it together, and I fix it until it works in the hands of the people who will use it.

What you have at the end

  • A prototype that switches on and that you can let people try.
  • All the files: the code, the schematics, the drawings. They are yours.
  • A note that explains the choices, so whoever comes after me can carry on.

Real cases

Respira had a nitrous-oxide detector, the “laughing gas” kind, that worked on the lab bench. The portable version, the one the police needed, did not work. I rebuilt it from scratch: architecture, parts, battery, and the program inside. It now runs more than 8 hours on one charge, and UK police used it on duty.

Madglove wanted a glove for hand rehabilitation. I started from a feasibility study and got to prototypes tried with patients and clinicians.

What I work with

  • C
  • C++
  • ESP32
  • nRF52
  • Raspberry Pi
  • Sensors
  • Bluetooth
  • Wi-Fi
  • LoRaWAN
  • 3D printing

You do not need to know these names to work with me. They are here for whoever looks for them. The program inside is in C and in C++. The data travels by Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or a long-range radio (LoRaWAN).

What it costs

As a guide: €105 an hour, before VAT. A whole prototype is usually €8,000 to €20,000.

If you want to start small, there is the feasibility study: about a week, €2,000 to €4,000, at a fixed price. You get a written document: whether it can be done, the outline of the device, the parts list with prices, what each unit will cost to make, the main risks, and the price to build the prototype. It is yours: you can use it with me or with anyone else.

These prices are a guide. When the job is clear, I give you one fixed price for the whole project. When it is still open, we go by the hour. Every project is different: write to me, we talk, and then I send you a written price for that job.