Radinn’s Digital team is using data retrieval to build a better, more powerful jetboard
Every company worth its salt knows that, to stay competitive and keep a strong market position, ample research and development (R&D) is key. And when it comes to R&D for tech companies, data is the name of the game.
With the ability to access data from over 3,000 active jetboards, Radinn’s Digital team is leading the charge—pun intended—for e-mobility on the water, continuously tracking the performance of our jetboards to innovate and improve our product.
“To see anomalies in data, you need to have a lot of it,” says Chief Digital Officer Dimmi Triantafillidis. “That’s how you analyze data most effectively, and can better identify when and why one product behaves differently than others. We’re proud to be the only company in the watersports industry that has a large enough sample of data to look at with statistical confidence, and to analyze in a significant way.”
Radinn’s Digital team is capturing technical data from over 3,000 active jetboards to further develop their performance features.
What jetboard data is being used and how
When talking about data, it’s important to identify what is being retrieved and what it’s being used for. In our case, Dimmi and his team are not retrieving any data from the user’s phone or from the Radinn app, but rather from the jetboard itself.
“We’re looking at technical data from the device,” Dimmi says. “ So speed, current, power, and heat. Things that we can analyze to develop better algorithms and a better ride.”
The path to launching a rental jetboard program
Information like this proves invaluable to product development. Before releasing the world’s first rental-ready jetboard last year, Dimmi and his team conducted over 80 internal projects to ensure our gear could stand up to the rental test. They used these live datasets to make improvements to the board’s driveline, test the durability of the battery, and increase the stability of the system as a whole.
Chief Product Officer Martin Malmqvist notes that, “Our latest electronics and software development means more resistance to duress of different types. We’re currently the only player in the watersports sector that offers a battery capable of withstanding charging and depleting several times a day, as is common in a jetboard rental situation.”
As business continues to grow, we can fast-track these findings on an even more precise scale. “We launched our rental program only after looking at the data and confirming the board was more than fit to work in this capacity,” Dimmi reiterates. “With more devices in use, we can further improve on this research and launch more jetboard programs.”
The Radinn battery is the most durable in the electric jetboard sector, capable of withstanding multiple daily charges and all-day use.
Power, capacity, and adaptability
As far as performance development goes, Dimmi explains that in the end, it’s all about power and capacity. Power equates to speed, but also more nuanced sensations like acceleration and torque. For capacity, Dimmi and his team are looking to advance how much energy the board can retrieve from the battery to increase how long users can ride.
These continuous improvements are not limited to new customers, either. With an IoT platform that allows for over-the-air updates, existing customers will benefit from future performance releases as well. This means all Radinn riders will always have an up-to-date product with the latest software installed.
But, that’s not all. Radinn’s Digital team also plans to focus its R&D efforts on analyzing data in a global context, to better adapt the product. Adds Dimmi, “We have boards all over the world, surfing in all different kinds of conditions. And we want a product that performs as good in Sweden, where the water is 5 degrees celsius, as it does in Dubai, where the water is 30 degrees celsius.”
The future of Radinn electric jetboards
In his work—which includes overseeing the software and electronics within the board and hand controller, as well as the software online, in the app and cloud—Dimmi reiterates that we have to remain data-driven, not gut-driven.
“Right now, there’s a lot of buzz around artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML),” says Dimmi. “To incorporate accurate and reliable AI and ML into your product, having access to a large volume of data is crucial.”
CEO Mathias Bergman has another way of looking at it.
“For me, it comes down to giving our customers the best jetboard experience. Using actual jetboard data enables us to do just that, all while taking the sport of jetboarding to a new level”.
Current R&D efforts include improving speed and range, and optimizing use in various water conditions.
How can a tech company use data to drive their research and development?
Using technical data from a device (as opposed to personal data) allows companies to analyze for anomalies and improve existing products
By gathering a large enough sample of technical data, companies can also develop new features and products that better meet customer needs
Data collection can also optimize the R&D process itself, making it more efficient
