How we made the app
Getting everything we wanted
Starting with up and down
Early last year we needed to have an app to control our boat lift controller. We weren't going to launch a lift controller and not have an app. We were still finding our footing on hardware, so we could connect to the prototypes by Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. That meant you needed your phone to be nearby or your Wi-Fi router to be nearby. Our prototypes were simple switches. We could make motors go up and down, that's it, so that's all our app could do.
What installers asked for
This was not going to cut it. Out in the field, we promised a lot to those who took time out of their day to hear us out and give us their opinion on their “perfect” lift controller. First, it doesn't matter how far away your lift is from your Wi-Fi, it needs to connect to the internet for us to say you can control your lift from anywhere in the world. Second, we needed to go further than a fuse or breaker being the first line of defense, so we needed to read exactly how much power your motors were pulling. Third, no more giving someone a remote fob that no one knows when you will see again. Fourth, you need to be able to see everything that happens at the boat lift, and I mean EVERYTHING.
Reaching the lift
So the first thing was the Wi-Fi-to-radio gateway. We made a device that you connect to your Wi-Fi and that can talk to the lift controller over radio waves. This allows us to have the lift controller far away from the internet access point without sacrificing the connection. Now Wi-Fi is powerful. It's how you are able to watch 4K movies that live in some far-off data center, but its range is limited. So with radio we are able to go the distance, but the amount of information that can be sent is small. That's why we had to build a protocol that was very lightweight but reliable.
Seeing what happens at the motor
After we can make the lift controller communicate reliably, we need it to say something interesting. So we built sensors right where the motor gets its power, then sensors between our motor boards. With this, before a breaker upstream trips, you get notifications letting you know exactly what went wrong. If you send the lift to move up and it doesn't, it tells you why. If you hear a motor making a weird sound, you can see a graph of how that motor is doing.
Sharing access and keeping a record
So now the lift is reliable and safe. So how can we share access? We built a mini Facebook into the app. You make a key, and that key gets instructions on when it can be used, for how long, and what it can and cannot do to your boat lift.
Lastly, we built a records system. Someone sent a command using a remote fob, you get a notification. Your servicer passes by and uses it, you get a notification. Your lift or a lift you service tripped up, you get a notification.
Giving servicers a clearer picture
One of my personal favorites that I know servicers are going to love is our servicer assignment. So let's say you make the decision to install DockHub lift controllers. What do you get out of it? Well, with every lift controller you install, you hook it up and add it to the app, then you give the owner access. Now the owner has full control, but you are the assigned servicer.
So a few weeks later you get a call from that owner. “Hey Jim, my lift stopped working and the app says something about a motor board.” So you open the app, get to the lift's history, and see bright red “Motor load too high” followed by “Motor Board missing,” and now you know to show up with a spare motor and a spare motor board.
Next, we install another DockHub, and now you have two, so you see a new page in the app, Map. On this map, you see all the DockHub lift controllers with their owners' addresses. When you select one, it tells you the history of the lift.
After six months of installations, you now have a list that tells you which lifts are in need of service, which have experienced some issues, and all of them with easy access to the owner, address, and contact information. Taking care of clients will never be the same.
Keeping everyday control simple
I know I'm getting excited here and can spit out way too much information, but we still kept the core experience as clean as possible. When you open the app, you are greeted with the lifts you have access to, each locked for safety until you unlock it. After unlocking, we have the basic up, down, and stop commands. No fuss.
We are not done improving, and we need your help. We got here by spending time and effort meeting servicers, installers, and users throughout Florida, and it is they who have shaped the app. We will keep doing that, so we hope to hear your thoughts.
Get in touch
Email me at miguel@dock-hub.com or call me at 786-391-6162.
Explore how the DockHub system fits together or download DockHub Control.