A simple navigation device that gets you from A to B while keeping you in the moment. Explore the world differently.
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A simple navigation device that gets you from A to B while keeping you in the moment. Explore the world differently.
About this project
Compass Stone is a simple, palm-sized navigation device that guides you using glowing lights. Set your destination via the smartphone app, and its twelve LED lights will lead the way, meaning you can enjoy the scenery while you walk. (*Patented system and product.)
Media
Concept
Traveling is so much easier when you've got a smartphone to guide you, but you can end up missing the bigger picture if you're always looking at a screen. Compass Stone offers a different way to get around. It encourages you to look up, not down. Designed to fit snugly in your hand, Compass Stone turns each trip into an adventure ––– because you never know what moment of inspiration might be waiting around the next corner.
Features
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Twelve LED lights navigate you to your destination. A quick glance will show you the way.
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When you're not on the move, Compass Stone doubles up as a watch. The steadily illuminated light represents the hour hand of a clock, while the blinking light indicates the minute.
Interface
Compass Stone shows you the way using LED lights controlled by a sophisticated navigation algorithm. The lights respond quickly to changes in direction and are clearly visible even under bright sunlight. What's more, Compass Stone's energy-efficient design ensures that you can keep going all day long.
Algorithm
Compass Stone features a groundbreaking navigation system that could become a key technology in wearable devices in the future.
Named after a three-legged crow that appears in an ancient Japanese tale, the YATAGARASU algorithm calculates the direction to a goal based on the alignment of the device.
After setting a destination while connected to a Wi-Fi or mobile network, the device can keep navigating you there by itself, even if you don't have a mobile signal or Wi-Fi connection. No location is too remote.
Design
We wanted to make a navigation device that was both distinctive and highly portable, so giving Compass Stone an egg-like shape was a natural decision. The light-emitting grooves on its curved surface are easier to read than a flat display, meaning it will always give you a clear sense of direction as you walk.
Compass Stone combines sophisticated technology with a sense of mystery. Hold it in your palm and its center ring and twelve radial grooves start to glow, leading you to a new adventure – like the Levitation Stone in Castle in the Sky.
Creators
- Keiji – Founder and Director
- Masa - Software Engineer
- Totty - Hardware Engineer
- Kenji - Designer
YEAAH - a startup company from Daikanyama, Tokyo –
Kickstarter project supported by K&L Inc.
Specifications
- Dimensions: 32×60×48 mm
- Weight: 40 g
- Light component: 12+1 LEDs
- Working temperature: 23 to 113°F (-5 to 45ºC)
- Battery: 110 mAh
*Subject to change before delivery.
Risks and challenges
Since its conception in early 2014, we have completed all the development work by handcrafting and self-building with a team of four.
It has taken this long for us to reach a Kickstarter launch because we needed to be sure that the product will be delivered at an affordable price, and at the same time as realize its initial goal: to be something truly practical and fun-to-use.
We are excited to reveal that a fully-functional prototype is in our hands.
Our risks and challenges are follows:
Two key things we are planning to do are:
a) downsizing of the circuitboard to be able to fit in the intended size body, and
b) re-designing of the housing (body shell) through discussion with our manufacturing partner.
The application’s functions are fully complete but there’s a room for development for better connectivity and quicker response. The firmware needs another round of revision to accommodate the redesigned circuitboard.
We have already achieved a good navigation accuracy: for example, you can send your location (geoinformation) from a random location in a park (using a smartphone) and a friend who receives your location information can find you using a Compass Stone.
Beyond the technical requirements described above, our aim is to achieve a product and software design that will make Compass Stone more aesthetically attractive: namely, refinement of the light-emitting grooves and control of lights so that they glow like a living creature.
The device will be powered by a rechargeable Li-Ion battery, but in order to ensure safety we may encounter technical difficulties. There is a slim chance that we may need to replace it with a non-rechargeable one.
Furthermore, we are going to ensure a certain level of water- and dust- resistance so that you can enjoy a long product life. We are discussing this matter with manufacturing partners and specialists in these fields.
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When you experience something new with an open mind, it can be an amazing feeling. It creates memories that can last forever.
That is what we call a "YEAAH" experience, and we'd like to share it with you. Compass Stone is our first product designed specifically for this purpose.
Once in your hand, the Compass Stone invites you to step out. Its simple navigation display and unique YATAGARASU navigation system enable you to free your mind from a smartphone.
As a Tokyo-based startup, we'd like to use Kickstarter to develop a worldwide community, whose comments and feedback will help us refine Compass Stone's design and features until delivery.
If you'd like to know more about our philosophy and other "YEAAH" products, please check out our website:
Learn about accountability on KickstarterFAQ
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A. That’s the clever part! Once you’ve set your goal, the smartphone app sends GPS information to Compass Stone via Bluetooth LE, which is how it’s able to keep navigating you without a mobile or Wi-Fi connection. You’ll get more accurate results in urban environments if you’re connected to a Wi-Fi/mobile network, but we’re working to improve navigation accuracy even without a connection.
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A. Recharged, yes. Replaced, no. We’re developing the product with a high-capacity, rechargeable Li-ion battery, but we won’t be making it replaceable for safety reasons. (There’s still a slim chance that we’ll include a cell battery, instead of a rechargeable one.)
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A. We aim to provide a minimum of IPX3 water resistance and at least IP4X dust resistance.
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A. Yes it can, and it will function normally. As Compass Stone is designed primarily to provide navigation while walking, we won’t be providing a bicycle mount in the package. However, we’ll look out for suitable bicycle attachments that are available commercially, and offer a list of suggestions for cyclists.
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A. During development, we only had 8 lights to indicate direction, but we’ve increased that to 12 to allow for better accuracy. (Actually, there’s one more ring-shaped LED light at the center of the body, which glows mysteriously like a jellyfish at the bottom of the ocean.) We’re planning to introduce a number of additional functions that use these lights — the light clock being the first such example.
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A. It’s not made of stone, unfortunately! The all-white exterior is made of resin. We looked into using many different colors and materials. We may be releasing a special painted version of Compass Stone before the project ends, so watch this space.
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A. Kickstarter is the world's largest crowdfunding platform, and it’s probably the best. As a tech startup from Tokyo, it was our dream to communicate directly with Kickstarter’s international audience, and use their feedback to make our product even better. Kickstarter doesn’t currently offer project creation in Japan, so YEAAH sought K&L’s help to set up a project via their European account. That’s why our project target is calculated in euros rather than yen.
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A. Although we’re still in the final stage of product development, we plan to complete delivery in July 2017. Until then, we’ll do our best to make sure Compass Stone is as easy to use — and, more importantly, as fun — as possible.
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