OnPoint celebrates winning the 2019 Product of the Year Award from the NH Tech Alliance on Oct. 24. From left to right – Derek Gagnon from lead event sponsor Connection is on stage with Sung Vivathana, chief engineer at OnPoint, Julie Demers, executive director of the Alliance, Ken Solinsky, OnPoint’s founder, Lisa King, POY Committee chair and Matt Benson, the Alliance board chair.
In a showdown for Product of the Year between autonomous robots, eco-friendly wallpaper, technology that tracks, and a Wi-Fi management program, it was a product to protect man’s best friend that won the day.
SpotOn Virtual Smart Fence, a teched-out dog collar developed by OnPoint Systems in Bedford, won Product of the Year from the NH Tech Alliance last week. It was among five finalists who competed for the award.
The Smart Fence takes invisible dog fences to the next level by allowing owners to instantly set up an invisible fence in any area and, for the dog that travels, save up to 10 locations. The dog owner walks a perimeter with the collar in hand to set it up. They can then see the perimeter, get the GPS tracking and be alerted if their dog leaves the containment area via the smartphone app.
If the dog manages to escape, the collar comes equipped with tracking technology that updates the dog’s location every six seconds and sends an alert to the owner, who receives turn-by-turn directions to the dog’s location. The system is also equipped with a compass setting to track the dog that heads for the woods. If a dog returns on its own, the collar automatically turns off the correction setting and notifies the owner.
Representatives from SpotOn Virtual Smart Fence used a video with an exceptionally adorable dog that elicited awes elected from the audience during their demonstration at the Product of the Year event, an early indication that SpotOn might stand a strong chance of securing the prize. The winner was determined by both a panel of judges as well as online voting by the audience.
The other finalists, who also received prizes, were:
• Enviro-WallCover from LDI Solutions in Portsmouth, an abrasion resistant, PVC-free wallcovering. LDI says the wall covering adds LEED points to green buildings because of its 70% bio-based renewable content and 38% post-consumer recycled content. The idea behind the product is to reduce the use of toxic chemicals linked to environmental and health safety concerns.
• MAV3K, which is an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) designed for manufacturing. The company says, because it’s easy to use, AMRs are more easily integrated with a factory’s people, processes, equipment and workflow. This is the second product that Waypoint Robotics of Nashua entered into the product of the year competition.
• SitePortal Remote Monitoring software was created by C2 Systems, a privately-held company in Auburn that helps organizations set up and manage communications systems. This product helps clients put DAS, Wi-Fi and public safety in one platform.
• Radianse in Dover presented a platform that melds indoor and outdoor technologies to allow users to monitor, locate and control high-value assets in all environments, including while on the move. The company will also be on the move, relocating to Rochester.
The first-place winner will be featured in a display at the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, showcasing their product to thousands of travelers in 2020.
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