Resource library

Case study

Boardbug Baby & Child monitor

The design of the award-winning Boardbug Baby & Child Monitor presented Sagentia with a sophisticated technical challenge. The resulting low-power, battery-driven device is light, reliable and can monitor up to three children simultaneously.

UK start-up Boardbug identified a market need for a multi-functional mobile child monitor. Key product parameters had been established – it had to be small enough for both parent and child to wear comfortably, be secure and reliable and, most importantly, have the necessary range and functions to create a genuinely useful product.

The new product presented a sophisticated technological challenge. The company needed dedicated technology expertise to help realise its vision, and so Boardbug asked us to develop the electronics and software necessary to provide the range of functions required. To do this, we exploited the latest radio technology to address the challenges of low-power specification and a product size of only 35mm. As part of the project, we created a novel, low-power battery-driven radio, operating on licence-exempt frequencies, and with an expected battery lifetime of six months.

The resulting product, the Boardbug Baby & Child Monitor, was a world first. It comprises two units, worn on the wrists of parent and toddler, or attached to the cot or clothing of a smaller child. It can monitor up to three children simultaneously, warning if a child cries or wanders beyond one of three set distance ranges, while monitoring room temperature and operating as a fully functional digital watch. The parent unit features three types of alarm, a panic button that activates an alarm on the child unit, and an anti-tamper alert that sounds if the child’s device is removed.

The monitor won the ‘Best of Innovation’ Award in the Personal Electronics category at the prestigious 2005 International CES Innovations Design and Engineering Awards in the USA. It is now available in major UK high street stores.

‘We faced a big technological challenge with the highly integrated electronics and design. Sagentia’s experience in these areas has enabled us to develop a unique product.’
- Adam Coxen, Director, Boardbug