Vehicle Cabin Air Filter Analyzer
Premium Guard Inc. collaborated with Motivo to develop a handheld IoT-connected device, designed to quickly and accurately assess a vehicle's cabin air filter without physical inspection
Background
Premium Guard Inc. (PGI), a leading supplier of aftermarket automotive filters, identified a market gap: there was no easy, objective way for technicians to determine if a vehicle's cabin air filter needed to be replaced without having to physically inspect it. This subjective process often led to skipped filter checks, which hindered sales and led to poor air quality for customers.
PGI sought a device that could provide a quick, accurate, and easy-to-understand diagnosis, allowing them to be "first-to-market" in this category. Motivo collaborated with PGI from day one to ensure the product was built exactly as envisioned, giving them complete ownership of their design's evolution.
Development Phases
Feasibility Evaluation
The initial phase focused on proving that an accurate diagnosis could be made from within the vehicle's cabin. Motivo researched and tested a wide array of off-the-shelf sensors to measure factors like air speed and particulate matter, and developed a test plan to validate the technology across a range of vehicles and environmental conditions.
System Architecture Review
With the feasibility confirmed, Motivo defined the product's technical requirements and identified several potential system architectures. A key part of this phase was a trade study to evaluate design options based on criteria such as cost, manufacturability, and usability, ensuring the final design aligned with PGI's business goals.
Prototype Development & Build
This phase focused on building functional prototypes for testing. Motivo designed the electrical systems, firmware, and mechanical enclosures for the handheld device, as well as a testbench for extensive data collection. This phase included ongoing user testing in the field to collect feedback and continuously refine the product.
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The device was designed to be an Internet of Things (IoT) tool, capable of recording particle counts and uploading them to a cloud database for continuous improvement of the underlying ML algorithms. This phase also included support for PGI's intellectual property filings.
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Outcome
Already a pioneer in automotive filtration innovation, Premium Guard Inc. further solidified that leadership through its partnership with Motivo, introducing a unique diagnostic tool to a previously untapped market. The iterative, phased development approach also proved valuable by ensuring the product was created efficiently and rapidly, which reduced the time, cost, and risk of the project.
The final product is a user-friendly, handheld IoT device that measures particle counts to determine filter status. The device is designed to be used quickly through an open window and provides a simple red/yellow/green light indicator, making it easy for technicians and customers to understand the results.
Motivo provided a complete turnkey development solution, taking the project from initial concept to a production-ready design within a span of 18 months.
Capabilities Used
Systems Engineering: Product definition and concepting, requirements analysis, development roadmaps, system-level and component trade studies, and risk management.
Mechanical Design & Engineering: Custom enclosure design in CAD, with a focus on Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and traditional manufacturing methods.
Electrical Design & Engineering: Custom Printed Circuit Board (PCB) design, embedded system design, power electronics development.
Software Design & Engineering: Firmware development, hardware and software integration, web apps and backends, cloud architecture, and machine learning model development.
Industrial Design: Concept ideation, physical mockups, CMF (Color, Material, Finish) specification, and user interviews.
Prototyping, Fabrication & Assembly: 3D printing for enclosures, prototype build, and the design and build of a custom testbench.
Testing & Validation: Feasibility testing, performance benchmarking, and comprehensive verification and validation testing of the prototypes.
Low Volume Production: Design for Manufacturing (DFM) optimization and process optimization for a smooth handoff to a contract manufacturer.