Solar-Powered Digital Hub
Project Brief:
The Buffalo Grid device provides local Wi-Fi that allows “unconnected” users to stream or download without an internet connection. Starting in late 2020, Buffalo Grid required a development partner who could provide a complete turnkey solution, including product design and manufacturing “under one roof.”
![Solar-Powered Digital Hub](https://www.wide-blue.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Products-Consumer-Solar-Powered-Digital-Hub-1.webp)
![Solar-Powered Digital Hub](https://www.wide-blue.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Products-Consumer-Solar-Powered-Digital-Hub-2.webp)
![Solar-Powered Digital Hub](https://www.wide-blue.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Products-Consumer-Solar-Powered-Digital-Hub-3.webp)
![Solar-Powered Digital Hub](https://www.wide-blue.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Products-Consumer-Solar-Powered-Digital-Hub-4.webp)
Our Approach:
The project was a collaborative effort between Wideblue, A2E and Pivot International – uniting hardware, software, mechanical design, and supply chain to deliver the complete design-to-product solution.
Identifying thermal performance as the highest risk level for product success, the engineering team quickly generated simulated and physical models to test and mitigate potential issues. An initial DFM phase integrated components to reduce part count, simplify assembly and optimise protection against environmental conditions. The device was iterated through Alpha testing, with Beta units coming onstream in January 2022 and full manufacturing one month later.
Our Solution:
The combined resources of Wideblue, A2E and Pivot provide critical links between development and manufacturing within the same group. This increases efficiency and establishes confidence when producing hardware.