Two businesses at Sci-Tech Daresbury united for a Vietnam-based search and rescue project, achieving rapid development results.
- Revector’s expertise in telecommunications was leveraged to create a mobile device tracker for missing person detection.
- 4D Products designed a custom cradle for the device, facilitating its use in dense Southeast Asian terrains.
- The collaboration was streamlined due to the companies’ proximity and Sci-Tech Daresbury’s supportive ecosystem.
- Both organisations highlighted the innovation and efficiency gained from working closely on the campus.
In a remarkable collaboration, two enterprises based at Sci-Tech Daresbury, Revector and 4D Products, joined forces on a tailored project for a search and rescue operator located in Vietnam. This partnership resulted in the swift development of innovative technology designed to enhance the effectiveness of search and rescue operations within the region.
Revector, renowned for its two-decade experience across the telecommunications, security, and intelligence sectors, utilised its knowledge of International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) number analysis to engineer a phone tracking device. Typically employed in fraud detection, this technology was adapted to locate missing persons by attracting and monitoring the signal from their mobile devices. The tracker promises to significantly reduce the search area to a 20-metre radius, an essential function in the densely vegetated landscapes of Southeast Asia.
The involvement of 4D Products was initiated through a networking event at Sci-Tech Daresbury. Although Revector had already developed the tracking device, the need arose for a product design firm to create a supporting structure. 4D Products responded by designing a bespoke cradle to house the 10kg tracking unit and its extended antenna, facilitating its carriage within a standard backpack. The design enables the searchers to either wear the backpack while on the move or utilise an engineered handle to direct the antenna, optimising signal reception.
The geographical proximity of the two companies, positioned just three doors apart on the Sci-Tech Daresbury campus, played a crucial role in the rapid transition from a conceptual design to a functional prototype. Within merely one month, the concept evolved into working models ready for practical application. Shane Wilson, the CEO of Revector, noted the groundbreaking nature of the project and expressed pride in the potential difference it would make in locating individuals lost in dense vegetation. He also highlighted the process efficiencies gained from working closely with 4D Products due to their shared location.
Adam Farrall, a product designer at 4D Products, echoed these sentiments, emphasising the accelerated production timelines afforded by the collaborative environment. He recounted the ease of communication, where ideas were swiftly translated into prototype models before the end of a working day. According to Farrall, this flexibility made Sci-Tech Daresbury an ideal location for such innovative projects. Furthermore, John Leake, the business growth director at Sci-Tech Daresbury, commented on the competitive advantage fostered by the campus’s collaborative ethos, facilitating both ideation and commercialisation.
The partnership between Revector and 4D Products demonstrates the advantages of collaboration in innovation-focused environments like Sci-Tech Daresbury.
