How often do people complain about not being able to stay connected or together at big events, or in areas that don’t allow for internet connectivity? Well, now, for all those issues, there is a solution. The Lynq device, one of the many colors available. (Image via Lynq)
I don’t like to talk about a finished product at this level, usually. But this one is so cool. It’s a “why didn’t I make this” scenario. This is a real life tracker like Ripley used in Aliens (1986 film) to find Newt!
Summer is here, and that is the perfect season for being outside. While some travel around the world on vacation, others prefer local events like concerts, festivals, or even hiking if the conditions are appropriate. While all those activities can be a lot of fun, especially for people who are outdoorsy, the main challenge is how to keep all the participants safe, connected, and easily reachable. A concert is always exciting until friends have to find each other at the end of the event. A solution? Lynq: a device that takes care of all those concerns.
Lynq is a GPS-like device that informs the users of the distance between them and fellow users whose devices are part of the same network. Lynq is such a simple device that it only has one button and a couple of features. Shaped like a peanut or an hourglass, the concept that led to the device is a combination between a GPS and a kinetic positioning. There is a small screen that provides information on all the linked users. For example, Peter, John and Abby got separated during a concert but had linked their individual devices prior. To find the others, Peter will only need to take a look at the screen of his device; it would read something like Abby, 580 feet, and point to the direction Abby is. Same goes for John’s position.
Even though smartphones can act as GPS when needed, in some areas or circumstances, they reveal useless; it could be a loss of service, an overload of the network, a loss of power, or simply the loss of the phone itself. In other words, phones are not always reliable. Even though Lynq is inspired by the GPS as we know it today, the Lynq is different because it uses compressed data to facilitate faster and more accurate communication between devices; regular GPS systems require finer data, but also take time to relay the information since they must transmit a bigger volume of data. Compression reduces the geographical position to just a few bytes.
Another option often used by the generation X or people traveling in remote places or countries is the paper map. Here also the challenge is one’s ability to read the map, find the north or even locate lost friends on the map if there is no way to communicate with them. When it comes to Lynq, the device only shows a dot that positions itself on the side of the screen indicating the direction the user should go in, in addition to the distance; the dot moves to adjust the course for the user: the further the users are from each other the smaller the dot and the closer they are, the wider the dot. That way the user is certain to be on the right path. A maximum of twelve users can connect using their individual Lynq; names are entered using the only button in the center of the device. The same button is also used as a browsing tool to find a specific user in the network. Besides finding one another, users can set a point to meet at the end or can set an area of safety for all to stay in. Those features make Lynq more interesting for more industries than the entertainment industry.
The U.S Pacific Command has tested Lynq and loved how soldiers found each other faster even though they could not use any radio. Furthermore, they all found their meeting point easily for a search mission. But it is not just the military that could benefit from Lynq’s features. Rescue teams after a catastrophe could use Lynq to keep track of each of their members. Another surprising advantage of sharing Lynq is to keep track of mentally challenged people, pets or kids. By setting a safe zone, users of the same network will get notified if another member steps outside the safe zone.
Now, while many of those who tested the device loved it, some people feel that the design team could have done a better job with the way the names are entered in the devices. Since Lynq has only one button, one can easily imagine how tedious it must be to choose letters for a name. But compared to the obvious benefits and potential, that complaint is minim. Considering the life of the battery inside Lynq, it turns out the device’s screen shuts off when not in use, to save on power. Talk about another perk. As of today, Lynq is only available in pre-order through Indiegogo, for $154 the set of two.
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