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GPS Tracking Bracelet – Electronics Prototyping Services

MAYDIX GPS Tracking Bracelet

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GPS Tracking Bracelet – Electronics Prototyping Services

Project snapshot

A wearable gadget that would track GPS location and send information to the Cloud without connecting to a mobile phone.

The LA New Product Development Team delivered GPS Tracking Bracelet – Electronics Prototyping Services. The work sits in our iot & consumer experience, where we take an idea from concept through design, prototyping and manufacturing readiness.

Project type
MAYDIX GPS Tracking Bracelet

This bracelet is not a product we sell

LA NPDT is a product development company. We designed and prototyped this GPS tracking bracelet for a client, and we can develop a similar device built around your own requirements — form factor, battery life, tracking accuracy, cellular or LoRa, enclosure and certification path. Send us your specifications and we come back with a development cost and timeline.

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The client

Ardelia and Gary Mays, from Stockbridge, GA founded a company that focuses on wearable safety devices for children and elderly. They work towards creating a piece of mind for families through innovative solutions that help take care of their loved ones and keep them safe. We met the couple at the INPEX invention show. They were looking for an electronic prototyping company to help them with the development of a GPS tracking bracelet. The idea was to create a wearable gadget that would track GPS location and send information to the Cloud without connecting to a mobile phone. This kind of product required our electronics prototyping services, including custom PCB design.
GPS Tracking Bracelet Prototype

The challenge

GPS Tracking Bracelet IoT Prototype
Most wearable devices nowadays work via Bluetooth and receive location signals from the phone. So, this project’s main challenge was to create a device that would work as a standalone piece and not need a mobile phone to connect to. To achieve that we would need to use a GPS tracking microchip, select strong enough antennas that would transmit the signal, and build the electronic system, using custom PCB design. And all that should be enclosed in the bracelet not wider than 1 inch. It should be discreet and not look like a tracker to not attract attention. Its buckle had to be hard to remove in order to prevent a user (or kidnapper) from taking it off.
Another task was to create a network system where the bracelet would be registered. And then develop amobile appthat would show the exact location of the user. After adding a new device to the system, the guardian or parent can login into the app on their phone and see where the person under their care is at any given moment.

Our solution

When the client approached us for electronics prototyping services, they already had a prototype but it wasn’t functional. All the parts and components were separate because they were too bulky for the intended compact design. Not being able to use the client’s prototype, we started building the product from scratch. After we made a few initial prototypes using custom PCB design, we encountered issues that made us change the electronics system and its components, and change the design several times. Then we found a companyOriginGPSthat presently produces the smallest microchips for GPS location tracking. We built the system based on their microchip and made a new design that housed new components perfectly. Next we determined the type of antennas we needed and adjusted all settings accordingly. While working on electronics design and mechanical parts, our software developers completed the mobile app.

The result

The GPS tracking bracelet was 3D printed from elastic rubber. It was designed in a way that all electronics were encapsulated into the silicone. So it is safe and comfortable to wear. The buckle is impossible to open with one hand. In order to pull the strap, you need to press two sides of the lock simultaneously. In addition to integrating the GPS tracking system, our team also equipped the device with motion, gyro, temperature, and speed sensors. The first one allows tracking such movement as falling. The gyro shows if the person is in an upside-down position. The temperature sensor can alert about fever or hypothermia. And the accelerator tracks the motion speed.
Thanks to LA NPDT’s professional electronics prototyping services, our client now has a fully functional prototype that shows the device’s capabilities and functionality in a very clear way. They’re going to use it to finalize the development process, raise funds for product launch, and get ready for mass production. Having a physical model allows them to approach potential investors and use it for any crowdfunding platform.
GPS Tracking Bracelet Electronics Prototype Company min
GPS Tracking Bracelet Electronics Prototyping min
GPS Tracking Bracelet IoT Prototype Company min
GPS Tracking Bracelet Prototype min
GPS Tracking Bracelet IoT Prototype min
GPS Tracking Bracelet Prototype Development min
If your product requires custom PCB design and professional product development expertise, contact our electronic prototyping company to schedule your free consultation.
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GPS tracking bracelet development at a glance

ProductWearable GPS tracking bracelet reporting straight to the cloud
ScopeCustom PCB design, firmware, antenna and battery sizing, enclosure
Key constraintNo paired smartphone - the device connects on its own
DeliverablesSchematics, PCB layout, working prototype, wearable housing
Typical timeline4-7 months for a connected wearable of this class

The problem: a tracker that cannot depend on a phone

Most consumer GPS tracking bracelets lean on a paired phone for connectivity. MAYDIX wanted the bracelet to report location on its own, which turns a simple wearable into a real electronics project: a GNSS receiver and a cellular radio in a wrist-sized envelope, two antennas that must not fight each other, and a battery that still lasts a useful day.

What we engineered

We designed the custom PCB around the smallest viable module set, laid out antenna keep-outs and ground planes to protect GPS sensitivity, sized the battery against a measured duty cycle rather than a datasheet, and built the wearable enclosure around the finished board so comfort and radio performance were resolved together.

Frequently asked questions

What does it cost to develop a GPS wearable?

A connected wearable with custom electronics typically runs $40,000-$120,000 through schematic, layout, firmware, enclosure and prototypes.

Can you do the firmware and the cloud side?

Yes - firmware, device provisioning and the backend the device reports to are all in scope for our team.

Is this bracelet for sale?

No. This is client development work shown as a case study; we build products like it for other companies and inventors.

Capabilities used on this project

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