O-BOY is on a mission to save lives and give a new sense of freedom to sportspeople
Brussels, BELGIUM – January 28, 2022 – After 4 years of R&D and in close collaboration with imec and the European Space Agency, the O-BOY is ready to see the light of day and launches on Kickstarter.
O-BOY was developed by LifeLine, a Belgian startup, founded in 2018 by Hadrien Dorchy and Antonin Rovai.
“After surviving a life-threatening windsurfing accident by luck, I decided I’d never take such risks again without a solid back-up plan” said Dorchy. “I needed a reliable device, designed for all types of adventures, absolutely everywhere on the face of the planet, and that I just could wear on my wrist.”
He couldn’t find what he was looking for, and he teamed up with Antonin, PhD in Mathematical Physics and MIT research scholar, to work on it.
LifeLine has managed, for the first time ever, to miniaturize satellite communication technology to the point of fitting it in a watch casing. This ground-breaking U.S. patented innovation together with its extended omnidirectional antenna have given birth to O-BOY, a unique wrist-wearable satellite-based rescue device.
Combining features of a Personal Locator Beacon, a satellite communication device and a wristwatch, this item is designed for extreme sports enthusiasts and outdoors adventure lovers, and is meant to empower its users to go further, push their limits and enjoy their freedom in all safety.
Thanks to its satellite technology O-BOY provides worldwide coverage, independently of any local carriers. Once it’s set up, it can operate completely autonomously from a phone and offers 3 services – custom messaging (including GPS coordinates), sending of an SOS signal and regular location tracking – making it more versatile than any existing rescue device.
O-BOY will be available on Kickstarter until February 28, 2022 or until the first 800 units are sold out. The golden unit is currently undergoing extensive testing and awaiting certifications. Expected time of shipping is July 2022.
For more information visit the Kickstarter page here.