Perfect dvr

About 2 months ago, I described my vision of “the ideal car dvr” and even sent it to all the leading Russian developers of such devices. Only one answer was awarded, the rest were silent. In order not to disappear, but at the same time to give a topic for discussion (all of a sudden, does it bother anyone other than me ?: o) I decided to publish the text of this document here.
I could not find a suitable topic, so let them hang in "I am PR", and there - at the discretion of the moderators.

Background

DVRs are popular with car owners for obvious reasons. Disputable situations on the road, crime, the possibility of independent provision of evidence in court, etc. Demand for these devices is constantly growing and dozens of models are currently on the market. In the Yandex.Market catalog, you can find more than 1400 models. However, none of them can be called "ideal."

This is most likely due to the fact that the manufacturer seeks to lower the price and loses quality, or provides a high-quality record, but strange ergonomics. One way or another, I could not find in the entire list a model that users would praise, which would cost according to the functions available in it and be simple and reliable. Therefore, I decided to describe the “ideal” video recorder that I would buy with pleasure myself and which could interest, I hope, a wide audience.

The main attention should be paid to four key parameters:
- ergonomic design (the device must often be removed and put back and this should be done very simply and reliably)
 - high-quality shooting (most users want to get “readable numbers” when shooting, including and at night)
- convenient operation (it is inconvenient to press the buttons on the device hanging under the windshield)
- a set of functions

that are appropriate for the price Why buy it?

The DVR has now become a significant help in resolving issues related to accidents and traffic violations. Also, many car owners use it for a “chronicle of events” - recording incidents on the road. Originally an expensive device, it has now dropped significantly in price and has become popular with the mass consumer. At the same time, there are no devices on the market that combine acceptable recording quality, can connect to the Internet and have a good design and interface.

The proposed development may be the first such device and “blow up the market”, affecting the direction of development of this sector as a whole.

1. Summary of the proposal
This document formulated ideas for the development of a DVR, which differs from most on the market in that it has external (remote) control - a special radio unit with buttons for mounting on the steering wheel, as well as the ability to control using a smartphone. The remaining details of the proposal are essential only to ensure the proper quality of the device, but do not add anything fundamentally new to its design.

2. General characteristics of the device The

DVR is a device that records audio-visual information on the built-in memory or external media, with the ability to remotely control recording using a smartphone.

Basic functions (basic model)
- front camera 5 MPx
- built-in microphone
- wireless remote control
- built-in speaker
- GPS marking of captured video
- overlay of time, date and recording speed
- motion sensor
- WiFi / BT connection
- built-in web server
- device status display (with backlight)
- software for iOS, Android and Windows Phone
- cigarette lighter adapter (with a long cord), adapter for connecting to the battery, 220 W adapter
- SD card slot

Advanced features (premium model)
- all of the above
- salon camera 1.3 MPx
- remote microphone for attaching driver’s Doors
- Optional Wireless Cameras
- gyroscope
- LCD-display
- IR illumination salon
- GPRS-modem
- housing for an external hard drive with the ability to record to it via WiFi / BT (the drive itself is not included)

3. Distinctive features of the software and key points

Broadcast mode to the Network allows you to transfer pictures with a geo-coordinate from the front camera of the device to a web server with a pre-set delay (2-5 minutes).

Viewing and managing records is possible using software for a mobile phone (data transfer via WiFi / BT).

DVR setup is possible through connecting to a PC or via software for a mobile phone.

It is possible to program the broadcast of images from the camera via the Internet (photo / video modes) for organizing remote monitoring.

If the recorder is equipped with a GPRS modem, then it can serve as a wireless in-cabin access point.

Writing DVR software using the Android operating system will allow in the future to supplement the device’s functionality through third-party developments (for example, “voice warning about speed cameras” or traffic jams ahead along the route, etc.).

4. Distinctive features of the device

. Currently, most registrars have an extremely inconvenient mounting system, which implies a rather flimsy hinge with a suction cup and short wires that do not allow aesthetically fit the device into the car.

An extremely simple and reliable mounting of the TomTom navigator, which holds the device very tightly, does not have a single “breaking” part, and allows you to remove / put the device in one motion of your hand, can be taken as a counterexample.



The presence of convenient fasteners can stimulate consumers to choose a DVR. In addition, the shape of the device and the plastic from which the body will be made must be aesthetic, pleasant to the touch and hardy enough not to break from lying in the “glove compartment”, falling from a small height, etc.

For ease of attachment, you can use a hinge like the one shown in the diagram below. The user will need to insert the lens of the device into the hole so that the mounting grips enter the grooves and slightly turn it counterclockwise to fix the device. The spring in the front of the latch will not allow it to randomly pop out of the mount. For convenience, you can provide the option of supplying power directly to the contact bus on the base, so that additional wires are not required to be inserted into the device.

The mount itself is held onto the windshield using a standard ball joint with a suction cup. The remote control is mounted on the steering wheel with a Velcro strap:



A wireless remote control will greatly simplify the driver’s interaction with the device, because, being at hand, on the steering wheel, you can not be distracted from driving by performing some kind of action with the DVR. Optionally give voice messages about actions, for example, “recording is on”, “recording is stopped”, “file download”, “photo saved”, etc.

Using the remote control, it is possible:
- to save a fragment of a recording of a preset length into an indelible memory area
- to take a photo from a front or salon camera in indelible memory
- two programmable buttons, for example, can cause the following actions:
 sending the last saved video clip to a web server predefined address
 sending a photo to the predefined email address (s)
 sending an SMS / MMS message “I need help!” To a predefined subscriber with turning on the broadcasting of the image and sound to the Internet (with password access)
 turning on / off online broadcasting to the Network An

unpleasant property of the vast majority of devices on the market is the presence of a weak front camera. Most users complain in the reviews that the picture is cloudy, license plates are not visible, poor quality of shooting at night, etc. That is, in the new device, attention should be paid to the recording, i.e. optics and matrices. This, of course, will lead to higher construction costs, but can be a decisive factor for choice.

Having the ability to control the device through the smartphone application will allow you to get away from the primitive “built-in” interfaces and buttons on the device to understandable interfaces on the phone screen, which is much more convenient. And this is the third reason for choosing the proposed DVR.

5. On-line service for users.

To connect the DVR with the control program in a smartphone, it is enough to enter a unique device code in the telephone program interface. In this case, the user will be able to control his device in the coverage area of ​​the antennas built into it (up to 10-15 meters).

If the user wants to upload the shots to the web portal and control the device remotely (via the Internet), then you need to register on the portal and associate your account with the ID of your DVR.
Users registered on the online service are given a quota for downloading videos, photos and various privacy settings for the downloaded content (“visibility” for other users, indicating the location of shooting on the map).
The uploaded content has a section on tags, comments, etc.

For professional users (courier services, taxi, freight forwarders) there are special paid accounts under which dispatchers can:
 see the location of vehicles with installed registrars owned by the company on the map
 see a picture from a front or salon camera
 get speed information TS
 Receive various alerts from the driver using the programmable buttons on the device.

6. Use cases with the use of the registrar.

Blogger.
Nature inclined towards exhibitionism, a lover of “post a photo on the Internet”. The device will help to upload interesting frames and videos online immediately. For example, if a user witnesses an accident or some other episode on the road, then he will have the opportunity to use the “save episode” button to cut out the desired fragment from the record, and use the built-in modem and the “download episode” button to the server without breaking away from driving.

Paranoid
Fears for a car, wants to keep track of something, etc. Remote monitoring of the environment will keep your finger on the pulse while being far from the vehicle with a registrar installed. In addition, this solution can be useful to summer residents and, in general, to those who want to monitor some object remotely (if there is a cellular network coverage at the observation site that is sufficient for data transfer).

Taxi or delivery service
Currently, there is a request from the owners of taxi companies in connection with the spread of attacks on drivers. To protect against this, many want to install DVRs both inside and outside the car interior in order to have any evidence in case of an emergency. Also discussed is the possibility of maintaining a database of customer photos so that the driver knows what the taxi-calling person looks like and does not confuse him. Additionally, the “panic button” and remote tracking of vehicles will help in case of emergency.

7. Potential portal

Since some registrars will constantly broadcast the picture to the Internet portal, it will be possible to see the traffic situation not through the eyes of rare surveillance cameras, but directly, directly "from the driver’s cab".
Interesting fragments of the recordings can give a picture of the day “on the road” (all these “blood-guts-meat”) that the audience of the “Emergency Incident” program loves.
Together, users will be able to identify violators of traffic rules by publishing fragments with such violations using a simple scheme:
- I saw a traffic violation
- clicked on the remote control "save the fragment to permanent memory" (the preset number of recording seconds will be added to the fragment before pressing the "save" button)
- clicked "publish to the section" violators of traffic rules "with the help of an additional button on the remote control (or the main one - at the user's choice)
With the assistance of the traffic police, it is possible to identify those who like to drive along oncoming lanes, roadsides, dividing lanes, turn from the extreme rows, etc. and impose fines on them / betray shame.

8. Approximate stages of development and implementation

In fact, the elementary circuit of the device is implemented in one form or another in any modern smartphone. The only difference is in the firmware, a different case and improved optics of the built-in camera. Unfortunately, the smartphone can replace the proposed device only partially, because it is impossible to provide an acceptable recording of events using the smartphone, because during the trip it is often necessary to call, check mail, etc. That is, the drivers will not agree to firmly fix the tube under the windshield and not touch it until the car stops. This chain of thought leads to the fact that the device needs to be made independent and specific. Currently, the development and implementation plan is as follows:

Hardware
Most likely, find in China a manufacturer who is ready to provide acceptable quality for reasonable money and who can increase capacity at the stage of mass production and release a prototype. The stage includes the steps “industrial design”, “design and engineering development”, “selection of materials”, etc.)

Device Software
Find in Russia one, two or three programmers who can write software to manage such devices and develop it based on Android operating system. The steps include “programming”, “interface design”, etc.

Smartphone Software
The same as above, but with porting to the most popular smartphones.

Portal
Development of a portal for downloading video from devices or integration into one of the existing ones.

Marketing
The most acceptable from a marketing point of view would be co-branding with one of the Big Three operators, most preferably Megafon. It is possible to develop special tariff plans for devices, sell them under the brand of the operator, subsidized sale (by installments), etc.

9. Step-by-step development with increased functionality

To reduce prototype production time and costs, you can use the tactics Apple used. At the first stage, release the simplest model, which, with excellent video capture quality, can send the captured video to the Internet. To do this, you need to modify only the optics on any “draft” DVR, and add a GPRS module to it. In fact, such a development can be done on the elementary basis of any nameless cell phone - it is equipped with everything necessary from the point of view of design. There are only two buttons on the control panel, the basic model is inexpensive and differs from its competitors in its thoughtful design, case materials and functionality (Internet connection).

The next step, if there is demand for the first model, can be the development of a variant with a four-button remote control and the functions described above (or part of them). And so on, with increasing and ensuring backward compatibility.

10. Investments

In percentage terms, at present, investments are seen in the following ratio:



The total cost of work until the start of serial production is estimated at $ 500,000. The assessment can be changed in one direction or another after a detailed study of the cost of each of the blocks.

11. Estimated market size

According to analytical agencies, about 300 thousand DVRs were sold in Russia in 2011 in Russia. In 2012, this market will grow two, or even more than three times: its volume will be from 700 thousand to a million devices.
The offered product is aimed primarily at a network audience that is ready to spend about 10,000 rubles ($ 330) on a high-quality fashionable gadget.
Estimating the total sales in 2013 of 1 million devices, it can be assumed that with proper quality and promotion efforts, it will be possible to sell about 1-3% of the total volume, i.e. about 10,000 devices, with revenues of about $ 3 million. The
proposed device is by its qualities a unique product on the market and therefore can be sold not only in Russia but also worldwide.
The lack of analogues, the presence of an online community (see the supplement with links) of users will only increase sales.

“Professional users” (taxis, courier services, etc.) will also bring a certain income by paying for access to the site. Estimating the cost of a monthly payment of 60 rubles for each car connected to the system, and the volume of legal taxis in Moscow at 10,000 cars, we can assume that covering only 10% of their services with a future service will help sell 1,000 devices and bring $ 24,000 per year.

12. Estimated project team

To develop a device, you will need:
- a group of designers who can develop electronic components
- an industrial designer to develop the body and form
- a group of developers of software for devices
- a group of developers for the site
- testers (it is possible to provide testing on the basis of voluntary participation)
- a production group (control of device development)
- a sales and promotion group
- management

In total, the proposed team should have 10-15 people who will produce the first in 6-9 months serial sample for the end user.

Related links

ru_chp.livejournal.com - a community of “eyewitnesses”, more than 9500 participants
taxiescort.ru/articles/308 - review of the taxi market (2010)
www.rg.ru/2012/05/14/video-site. html - DVR market overview
www.sofal.ru/feed.php- custom electronics production (one of hundreds of options)
goo.gl/NdNz5 - user reviews on the models available for sale

---

I am really very interested in the opinion of the esteemed ALL on this subject. Well, at the same time, in any case, it will be pleasant for me to poke into this article after a year or two and say, “Well, you see, I said that this should be done”: o)