KING Motion PID

Project Name

KING Motion

Designer/s

@Tony (Unlicensed) @Dylan Dasey (Unlicensed)

Project Deliverable

Design, develop & commercialize a IOT KING APP

Start Date

Oct 1, 2021

Target Launch

Post Summer 2024

Target Price Range

$TBC

Internal Resource Est.

18 months @ 0.25-0.5 FTE

Project Budget

$1,744,405

Exp. CAPEX Cost

 

Product Proposition

Currently KING LIVING offers electric reclining sofas, these sofa’s are operated through a series of buttons and sensors on the sofa itself.

It is proposed to enhance the user experience by introducing an app that wirelessly connects your smart phone or tablet device to the furniture.

The system would involve a new custom electronics hardware device to control the dual motors and allow wireless connection (via Bluetooth) to smart devices. The system would also provide home automation functionality to connect with products such as Google Home and Amazon Alexa enabled devices for voice command control via Wi-Fi.

Connection to Apple home automation services may be considered at a later stage of development.

 


Range Gap

KING living currently does not offer any IoT products. The KING motion app will introduce KING into this space. This will improve the user experience for KING customers with electrical goods.

 

 

 


Requirements for Success

What is the target requirements to make this a successful project?

Requirements

Requirements

Functional on Apple (Version X.XX) and google phones from (Version X.XX)

Allows KING motion furniture to be integrated to market available home automation cloud services, which will allow for integration of other IoT products to be controlled via voice

Bluetooth activated chair through the App

Complete update of technology of hardware of both SMC and DMC products

Must adhere to all AWS and google home cloud protocols

Must adhere to Apple and Android application protocols

All electronic hardware must meet all international compliance for RF, EMC and electrical safety

Provide more stable electrical hardware to improve user experience

 


Key Risks & Considerations

What are the key risks involved in the project?

e.g. manufacturing risks, design complications, bottlenecks in the timeline, commercialization risks, brand discrepancies

Key Risks

Mitigation plan (Concept refinement phase)

Key Risks

Mitigation plan (Concept refinement phase)

Verification of smart device compatibility

The sheer number of smart devices on the market are a challenge to ensure 100% compatibility with all available devices.

Alexa, Google Assistant. There are always risks in dealing with third party APIs and infrastructure. Ingenuity have limited control over requirements and limitations imposed by these services.

System architecture and prototyping in Stage-1.

Submission to the Apple AppStore and Google Play Store require a review process to be undertaken. The outcome of this process may require changes to the app features or implementation and can be arbitrary in nature.

Follow best practices provided by Apple and Google where possible. Apple review of beta TestFlight release as early as possible in development lifecycle.

The product target cost of $45 AUD per PCA may be challenging to achieve in the current market conditions (high price volatility and low parts availability).

Early involvement of manufacturers and assessment of preliminary costs in quantities of 10k.

Document reference D4 indicates a preference for passive heat management to be used over fan forced cooling, this may result in non-practical heatsink or PCB size

Thermal calculations in Stage-1 to assess optimal heat management strategy.

The wireless range may be affected by the sofa's internal structure

Assessment of antenna's arrangement and location during Stage-1. Feasibility test if required.

Wireless connectivity

Assumed that Bluetooth is the appropriate technology for wireless connectivity

This proposal assumes native (swift iOS, Java/Kotlin Android) app development. This produces higher quality results and is more maintainable.

A cross-platform technology such as React Native or Flutter is feasible, may be a smaller initial development effort but is unlikely to be the best long term choice.

 

Parallel app development on iOS and Android is assumed for the timeline.

King Living may wish to extend the development time and serialize the development of the App by completing a single platform first. This can reduce the risk of changes as it allows the app to be usability tested before implementation on both platforms

The same estimate has been used for both iOS and Android applications.

iOS can be more constrained and may have additional work imposed by the Apple review process. However, Android often requires more effort due to the wide variety of Android devices available. For the purposes of this proposal, it is assumed these even out.

This proposal assumes testing and compatibility on major phone and tablet devices only.

With approx. ~25,000 different Android devices available it is impossible to test on all. Ingenuity shall test on popular handsets such as Google Pixel, Samsung S-series and Apple iPhone.

This proposal assumes testing and compatibility on recent Operating Systems versions only.

iOS and Android have substantial differences in their API in earlier SDKs. Limiting the scope to recent releases substantially simplifies development.

All hosting costs are excluded from this proposal as they represent an on-going business expense rather than a specific development cost.

This exclusion also applies to all hosting costs incurred during development.

Due to the restrictions and impositions Homekit currently enforce through the MFI programme, Homekit integration is not included in this estimate.

Currently Homekit requires a specific security co-processor and close design review for MFI. If this changes in future it may be possible to add Homekit compatibility at a later date through software.

It is assumed that Ingenuity shall have access to the source code of the existing product embedded software, such that any feature or function can be ported with minimal effort.

Button input and memory functions do not represent a significant challenge. In the event that there is more complex behaviour implemented in the current product, access to the source will reduce the risk of budget over-run.

It is assumed only connection to Wi-Fi networks commonly found in the home setting is required.

E.g. WPA2-PSK, but not WPA-Enterprise which may require exchange of keys etc which is not user friendly though the App.

It is assumed that the 3D view of the modular furniture is a pre-rendered animated gif or similar, provided by King Living.

A real time 3D view is possible with more effort, but is not included in this proposal.

It is assumed the mock app demonstrations provided in reference documents D2 and D3 represent the desired design and all required graphical assets to create the app can be provided by King Living.

Any additional UI/UX work may be undertaken by Ingenuity if required, at additional cost.

Multiple app languages will be supported, but estimate does not include the effort to translate from English.

King to provide translations.

Scope for App includes connection to, management of, and motion control of recliners only (not "lighting and sound equipment management").

App will be architecture such that these features may be added at a later date as a separate development effort.

Peripheral control through embedded and "experience" features in the app are out of scope.

Based on "The only consideration that needs to be made at this stage is to incorporate the necessary interface on the ACB to supply power and communications to the PEC" (D4)

It is assumed that King has existing systems in place that will need to be integrated to support the purchasing and service calls features, i.e. these are not systems to be designed from scratch. Without further knowledge on these systems and the available interfaces, these App features have not been included in this proposal.

May be integrated into the app later as a separate effort.

It is assumed that this data will be captured and stored but given the requirements here are TBD, view or reporting is considered out of the scope of this proposal.

 

Consideration for Privacy must be made in Stage 1. Where personal details are stored about a customer, there may be additional regulations and effort required to comply which are cannot be currently estimated in this proposal.

 

The product will be designed to operate in an ambient temperature range of 10 °C to 40 °C. Battery charging may be limited to a narrower range depending on battery requirement.

 

Fine pitch electronic components will be avoided when practically possible.

In case a high-density component is considered the best option, explicit approval from THE CLIENT will be requested.

It is assumed that a connector is considered through hole when its pins are through hole or it has through hole mechanical pins (with SMD electrical pins).

 

It is assumed that THE CLIENT will provide detailed sound sequences to be played by the buzzer.

 

It is assumed that the buzzer will be capable of playing multiple tones/frequencies but not simultaneously.

 

It is assumed that the specifications of the motors will be available to INGENUITY.

 

The design of the Expansion Controller is excluded from this proposal.

An interface to the expansion controller will be provided. An interface contract shall be established during Stage-1 with THE CLIENT.

It is assumed that THE CLIENT will assist with cabling and sensor integration.

 

It is assumed that the custom PCBA's will require a simple moulded enclosure to prevent dust and liquid ingress, that can be screw mounted inside the furniture

Industrial Design of enclosures has been allowed for in this proposal, including prototyping for testing.


Design, Develop & Test

 

What Must be Designed?

  • Motor control unit

  • touch buttons

  • sensors

  • Sofa functionality (heat, massage, cooling)

What must be Developed?

  • Sofa functionality (heat, massage, cooling)

  • Phone app

  • Cloud architecture

What must be tested?

  • Functionality and reliability for hardware

  • App and cloud stability testing across multiple platforms


Manufacturing Scope

 

Manufactured In-house

  • Note any new processes or materials to be commissioned

 

Procured Externally

  • All Electronics

  • Extra sofa functionality (heating, cooling and massage functionality)

  • Hot/functional testing equipment to be commissioned

  • Commissioning of app and cloud environments


Resourcing Estimates

Project Length

Project Length

 

 

P I

r n

o t

j e

e n

c s

t i

t

y

 

Less than 3 months

3 - 6 months

6 - 9 months

9 - 12 months

12 months +

High

Designer = 1.0 FTE +

Medium

High

Very High

Very High

Very High

High-Med

Designer = 0.75 - 1.0 FTE

Medium

High

High

Very High

Very High

Med

Designer = 0.75 - 0.5 FTE

Low

Medium

High

High

Very High

Med-Low

Designer = 0.5 - 0.25 FTE

Low

Low

Medium

Medium

High

Low

Designer = 0 - 0.25 FTE

Low

Low

Low

Low

Medium


360 Marketing

  • For marketing to complete

  • 360 Marketing plan

 

 

 


Sustainability

•How is this product going to hint towards the sustainable future KING strives for?

 

 

 

 

 


Return on Investment

  • N/A: Project already approved on basis of value add to user experience

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