Ten years. 15+ apps. One phone that finds the fault.

The challenge

The client makes diagnostic tools for mechanics. Each kit needed an app that connects to the hardware and turns a phone into an instrument: hearing a worn bearing, seeing inside an engine, testing a trailer's wiring. Without dismantling anything.

Apps that talk to hardware are a different discipline. Connections drop when a technician walks behind a car. Sensors stream faster than a phone can draw. Two phones handle Bluetooth differently.

What we built

More than fifteen apps across the client's product range. A few highlights:

• Sound and vibration detection, in three generations
• A live Wi-Fi inspection camera with photo and video capture
• Wireless chassis noise diagnosis, in two versions
• A Bluetooth trailer tester and tyre gauge

How we de-risk hardware projects

1. Protocol first. We document the device protocol and build a test harness before any screens.
2. Hardware in week one. A bare-bones app talks to the real device immediately.
3. Two platforms, two realities. Android and iOS handle Bluetooth differently, so we design for both from day one.
4. Tested where it lives. Distance, interference, low battery, older phones and gloved hands.