Mon Aug 8 '16 Announcement
over 9 years ago
– Mon, Aug 08, 2016 at 03:40:47 PM
Hey Backers!
DuoTrac units are going out in stages, so don’t fret if you haven’t heard from us yet. We had a new batch of DuoTrac golf orders arrive our offices July 28th and shipping confirmation emails are starting to go out. Since our last update, we’ve been working as hard as ever! Amidst testing sensors, writing software, and juggling the many tasks involved in starting up a business, we’ve been neck deep in the manufacturing process. We’ve now got a heap of things to share with you.
Read the whole update about our latest schedule, firmware, and app - Visit us HERE
Thu Jul 7 '16 Announcement
over 9 years ago
– Thu, Jul 07, 2016 at 03:23:03 PM
Hey Backers!
As mentioned in yesterday's update, we’d like to share a few details about what we’ve done behind the scenes to improve the DuoTrac experience since our campaign.
Hardware
We're currently rolling all our improvements into the design for our 4th revision. We’re excited about all that’s being accomplished as not only is it very close to the final production version, but our hardware engineers are working extra hard to make the DuoTrac sensors more accurate than originally planned & quicker to process information with less latency.
Software
Software work is progressing well. We’ve reached a point where features are being added quickly. The firmware connection & stability has been one of the biggest delays of our release. We’re proud to state that we're now stable & able to smooth out the bugs faster because we now have the stability in our build. So by the time we are ready to ship out your order, you'll be all set to get out there & begin swinging!
Manufacturing
Nothing is more important to us than making sure that each DuoTrac 4D kit is as accurate as possible, so every component of the sensors (both aesthetic & functional) needs to be tested & inspected thoroughly & carefully during the assembly process. Even before the sensor components hit the production line, a talented team of Quality Control people inspect each & every component from individual electronic chips to the sensor casing.
The majority of the remaining work is now in the hands of our 2nd manufacturer who’s molding & sonically welding the casing permanently together.
BEFORE - DuoTrac Club Sensor Attachment
AFTER - DuoTrac Club Sensor Attachment
Getting DuoTrac in your hands
Through our updates, you can see how we’ve adjusted to meet the exceptional demand from our backers, & the love & sweat we’re putting into making DuoTrac great now & for the future. We’re starting to sound like a broken record, but it's so important to us that DuoTrac works as well as it should. The scale on which you guys made DuoTrac successful has made us take a step back, evaluate where we are, and create our best estimate for a new ship date.
Between now and then, we'll continue to conquer each bump and bruise that lays in our path step by step. We'll continue with our regular updates to keep you in the loop so that you may share all of our victories & setbacks along the way. We’re excited to share the rest of this journey with you, so stay tuned.
Until Next Time,
DuoTrac Team
Wed Jul 6 '16 Announcement
over 9 years ago
– Wed, Jul 06, 2016 at 04:39:27 PM
Hey Backers!
Over the last few weeks, we’ve ironed out tons of issues. Designing, sourcing, and manufacturing thousands of DuoTrac kits is no small feat. We’ve been up against the wall, working around the clock to produce and distribute all our DuoTrac units in just a few short months. We’ve had to modify our original design for mass-manufacturing and, at the same time, balance additional features with our tight schedule.
We wanted to have the DuoTrac out to all of our backers by the start of the golf season, but more than that, we want to ship the best DuoTrac kit possible. In order to accommodate the required changes, new features, and manufacturing duration, we have had to shift our ship date.
We’re putting the finishing touches for the first edition DuoTrac kits now, trying to squeeze in a few key features without delaying any further, but time is against us. We want to nail down every last detail before announcing anything.
Our Updated Schedule
After extensive field testing, we noticed that our sensors were too sensitive and had to dial down the initiation for actual swings. As a result, we’ve had to rewrite our firmware so that the sensors don’t engage with outside forces. It is our duty as the forefront of multi-point, motion-tracking sensor technology to provide only the most accurate and highest-quality technology to our backers. Therefore, we’re going to ship DuoTrac only when we know it’s great. Our chips are ready to be cased. We’re now just waiting to load in the new firmware.
After about two weeks of rewriting our firmware and loading it in, if all goes well, we’ll set in motion the wheels of full production:
- Molding and sonically welding the casing permanently together – one week
- Software installation – one week
- Packing, shipping – one week
Our schedule is driven by the firmware, but this doesn’t mention the ongoing work on the hardware development, packing, and other fronts.
We want to thank everyone for their patience and support. Know that we’re pouring our hearts into this project. Stay tuned for tomorrow's update as we share a few details about why we’ve pushed the estimated delivery date and what we’ve done behind the scenes to improve the DuoTrac golf experience since our campaign.
Until Then,
DuoTrac Team
Fri Jun 17 '16 Announcement
almost 10 years ago
– Fri, Jun 17, 2016 at 04:25:30 PM
Hey Backers!
Us again. As you can see, there's lots happening here, so here's part 2.
Part 2
Tidbits from around the DuoTrac world
- Shipping test has been working out well. We sent a few test shipments to test our logistics provider to optimize the process to ensure that packages arrive safely, quickly, and with as few fees as possible to our backers.
- We received incredible feedback response from our 500+ iOS BETA-Testers for our beta app. Thanks to all who participated for providing us with such informative insight into how we can better improve our app.
- Our iOS and Android app versions are approved! Unfortunately, they won’t do anything until you’ve received your DuoTrac Sensors, but rest assured that the app exists and is patiently waiting for you.
- DuoTrac has recently signed on BigBang Golf as its distributor, exclusively in Sub-Saharan Africa. BigBang Golf will also become the Exclusive provider of service and support in this region.
- We are air freighting DuoTrac across the Pacific to our US distribution center. It’s exciting to see the various states of readiness. It’s going to take some time before we reach our maximum capacity, but we’re getting there.
Survey Responses
Finalize Surveys
Big thanks to all who have already completed their BackerKit surveys. We still have a few surveys that have not yet been completed. We need you to fill out your surveys so that we may be able to access your shipping information. Please complete this ASAP. We will be personally contacting all of you who have not yet done this yet.
One Last Thing
One last thing – We apologize for being overly optimistic about our shipment dates. We know the golf season has already begun, but do not fret. Cool perk – DuoTrac can be used anywhere! This means at your office, home, range, or wherever you please! No balls are necessary to take practice swings to receive improvement-driven data. Practice your golf swing all year round at your convenience.
Thanks for the support, everyone!
Team DuoTrac
Fri Jun 17 '16 Announcement
almost 10 years ago
– Fri, Jun 17, 2016 at 04:05:58 PM
Hey Backers!
There's lots to cover, so please excuse our two-part update. Let's jump right in!
Part 1
As we mentioned in our last update, we want a flawless product launch! We’re working quickly, but don’t want to compromise on quality. Since we want to minimize any unforeseen issues during this first run deployment, we are diligently working through many procedures: addressing bugs and fixes now from the feedback we have received from our Beta Testers before we continue forward with our deliveries. We have had some delays in our firmware and software as we have had to work through a few bug related issues with the sensor Bluetooth connectivity.
We'll be sending out the entire first batch to our Kickstarter backers within the next few weeks. We’re testing each and every one of the DuoTrac Kits to ensure that there are no glitches or defects. After waiting 1-2 weeks to hear back from all our Kickstarter backers and to work out any unforeseen kinks (given that there aren’t any major issues), we’ll deploy the balance out to you. There are still some issues we need to work out, but we’re glad to say we've made it this far. We apologize for being overly optimistic about our shipment dates. As soon as we are 100% confident we can ship by a specific date, we will announce it right here in our Updates section.
Manufacturing
Planning and scheduling a major manufacturing project is complex. We're working hard to complete the interconnected tasks that make up the production and supply chain process. For all of us, including hardware engineers, software engineers, mathematicians, UI and UX designers on the project, a large percentage of our time is spent testing and calibrating complex algorithms filled with component procedures for PCB Chips, accelerometers & gyros, keeping within dimensions of hardware requirements the size of a pin head and then condensing it all down to a reliable and easy to use app. Not super exciting. That's why we've decided to share the more interesting stuff (photos, video and more!) in updates.
(Part 2 Coming Soon)
