Seeing the myriad challenges faced by our customers when it came to IoT batteries – from remote locations demanding costly truck rolls for maintenance to the environmental and financial costs of device replacement – we set out to find a solution that would ACTUALLY help solve the biggest problem in remote monitoring deployments.
We brought in the best battery and hardware experts in the world, threw them in a room and let them at it.
After 2 years, many iterations, 3 new babies and a lot of grey hairs, this is the result. The Captis S2.
The first ever remote monitoring IoT device with an in-field swappable battery that maintains IP68 rating when changed, and boasts a battery life of over 20 years. It’s truly groundbreaking technology, a world-first with patent pending and it sets new standards for longevity and user-friendliness worldwide.
At the core of of Captis S2’s revolutionary design is the battery technology – designed to not only physically last longer in field, but also to work with the device software to reduce the load on the battery, making it the most efficient processing device on the market.
Let’s start with the battery itself – coming in 4 different sizes the S2 battery packs are designed to suit your needs. The 1 cell, 2 cell, 4 cell or rechargeable options are compatible with any S2 device and all allow for on-the-spot battery replacement in less than 30 seconds. No trained maintenance teams needed.
The S2 device, including the battery, boasts an industry-leading IP rating, with an IP68 rating at 5 meters. It’s designed to withstand the harshest environments imaginable. And we have thrown everything at this device – the only time we saw it wobble was when we tested at 45m, and even then it was only slightly warped. This thing is as tough as a tank.
This is important because changing the battery with current devices on the market means you break that IP68 rating, compromising the device and leading to further maintenance issues. It usually also means you can kiss that warranty goodbye. But not with the S2, it’s designed to let you swap out the battery without compromising a thing.
But aside from the ruggedness of the battery itself, just as important is the role that the device software plays on draining the battery. Many factors come into this – connectivity, data transmissions, payloads, protocols, customization and many more (we go into this in much more detail here).
The S2 has the most advanced technology on the market – a combination of edge computing, data provenance (or blockchain) and AI. All designed to make sure the device lasts as long as possible.
The S2 software is optimized to perform data processing tasks directly on the device itself so it doesn’t need to rely heavily on cloud-based services. By processing data at the edge, we reduce the strain on the battery. It intelligently manages data transmission, sending only essential information to the cloud when necessary. It also knows how to manage itself, by prioritizing critical tasks and minimizing background operations, the device conserves energy, leading to extended battery life.
It also uses low-power communication protocols, such as MQTT, LWM2M and Ultralight (our version of QUIC). If that means nothing to you, just understand that these protocols enable the device to maintain connectivity with minimal impact on battery life.
Essentially the S2 software and edge processing capabilities work in tandem to ensure the world-leading battery technology lasts as long as possible, ensuring reliable performance in the most demanding environments while maximizing operational efficiency and longevity.
And if you really want to keep an eye on your device fleet, we have introduced an innovative feature that predicts battery lifespan by analyzing operational variables and the impact that will have long-term on the device. Want to increase data transmission frequency? Well that will reduce your battery life by 1.4 years. Only expecting one firmware upgrade a year instead of two? You’ve just increased your battery life by 3.2 years.
And finally, partly because our team don’t ever want to go through this all again, we have future proofed the technology to an inch of its life. If battery technology changes significantly over the next 10-20 years, which it no doubt will, we can change the battery without having to change the device.
So there you have it, the device that keeps going and going, like the Energizer’s Bunny tougher cousin. So next time you’re in the depths of a sewer or facing the fury of Mother Nature, rest assured, your S2 has got your back – and its battery has got yours!
To see more about this world-first technology visit the product page here.
