Wescor RDT800
Virtual Warehouse On Wheels
 "Keep your eyes on the road and your hands upon the wheel." In today's world this adage stands true for any safety conscious commercial driver. That is until the driver comes to a delay or stopover and the phrase becomes, keep your eyes on the display and your hands upon the keyboard of your in cab transportation computer terminal. Wescor Inc. is revolutionizing the trucking industry by introducing the latest ruggedized vehicle data terminal designed by IDE Inc.. The advantages of an onboard, online, GPS satellite-tracking unit are endless. Technology like this makes a normal delivery truck a virtual warehouse on wheels.

The formidable task for the IDE design team was to create a product that surpassed the durability of past products of this type while enhancing the aesthetics and ergonomic function of the design. The interface of man and machine has become an important trend in the development of consumer products. The designers at IDE strived to create a computer terminal that is not just user friendly but is as comfortable as a person's favorite chair.

Ruggedized Ergonomics

With features that cleverly combine ruggedization and ergonomic principles, the RDT 800, designed by IDE for Wescor, goes beyond other design variations of this kind. It is rugged enough to withstand a four foot drop to concrete, and adaptable enough to operate while wearing gloves. With a six-foot data cable and an easy release, secure dashboard mounted docking cradle it is simple to move in and around the immediate area of the cab.

The RDT 800 features a protective, polycarbonate, non-scratch display surface and soft-touch rubber-like elastromeric grips that double as shock absorbing bumpers. The data cable attaches to the center of the rear of the terminal and is routed through molded plastic brackets that relieve hazardous tension that might occur in a heavy stress situation. Moreover, the design of the brackets makes the cable adaptable to international (left or right side) driving differences. The full QWERTY style keyboard has a soft feel and the emergency and send buttons are protected from inadvertent actuation for practical safety.

Industry Change

From the start of this project, IDE and Wescor were inspired to take a path of industry change. Sensibility in the trucking and commercial vehicle industries was the goal and the challenges they faced were unique. IDE has considerable experience designing ruggedized products. In 1987, IDE designed the world's first portable hard drive, The Tandon Personal Data Pac. The Personal Data Pac is a removable hard drive small enough to be carried in a briefcase and rugged enough to withstand 3,000 G's of acceleration. IDE contributed the industrial design and mechanical engineering for this product while paying particular attention to human interface issues. As a result, the Data Pac received seven "product of the year" awards in ergonomic conscious Europe.

Since then several ruggedized devices have been designed by IDE including hand held computers for the delivery industry, and the first hand-held portable dental x-ray device successfully tested by the US Military during the Gulf War. These designs demonstrate IDE's sensitivity to ergonomic issues including the product's overall balance, proper placement of handle grips to insure a steady hold, and an overall approach to human accessibility.

Savings All Around

Like many of their projects, with Wescor, IDE proved to be a considerable influence in the tooling process and the reduction of manufacturing costs. With a unique set of criteria, IDE developed this revolutionary product while adhering to significant guidelines and budget constraints. The RDT 800 was designed, engineered, tooled and in production in 9 months.

Terion, a leading distributor of the RDT 800, estimates that in the long run, money saved on inventory procedures will pay for the capital investment of fleet combining computers. Inventory calculations, accounting, and red tape become obsolete when a driver punches delivery information into their transportation terminal. Wescor has reported that when Terion received their first terminal their programmer could not keep the unit in his office or get any work done with it. The Terion staff was so enthusiastic about the function and appearance of the design that the employees kept borrowing it to show it off.

Gone are the days of driving in circles with a Thomas Guide in one hand and the steering wheel in the other. Pull over and put the RDT 800 in your lap, place it on the steering wheel, reach to the key pad, or hold it in your hands while stretching your legs outside the vehicle. Send a message to the office or input an address and receive a virtual map with the best directions to your next destination. At your fingertips, short term benefits like these are only the tip of the iceberg. The RDT 800 is a conscious design developed with human compatibility in mind every step of the way.