R+D Labs IoT Platform

Overview

R+D Labs, a specialized IoT device manufacturer, had established themselves with excellent hardware products and a stable eCommerce operation. However, their digital presence was constrained by template-based solutions and limited IoT platform capabilities. I was brought in to modernize their entire digital infrastructure, from their eCommerce platform to their IoT device management system.

Project Goals

As Technical Lead, I was responsible for:

• Rebuilding their eCommerce platform with a custom Shopify integration
• Developing a new IoT device management platform
• Refactoring the firmware for their flagship products
• Crafting a vision and implementing product features through technical leadership

My Role

I served as Technical Lead across multiple initiatives, handling both web development and IoT infrastructure. This included architecting solutions, implementing core features, and managing deployment strategies.

Technologies Used

• Next.js
• Tailwind CSS
• Shopify Hydrogen (GraphQL)
• Supabase
• C++ (ESP32/Arduino)
• PlatformIO
• MQTT

Challenges and Solutions

Modernizing eCommerce

"How do we move beyond template limitations while maintaining Shopify's robust backend?"

We developed a custom Next.js frontend that directly integrated with Shopify's Hydrogen GraphQL API, giving us:

• Complete control over the user experience
• Custom UI components built with Tailwind
• Improved performance metrics
• Maintained Shopify's powerful backend features

IoT Platform Transformation

"How do we transition from a drag-and-drop service to a scalable custom solution?"

1. Data Migration

   • Built ETL pipeline to transfer existing device data
   • Implemented Supabase as our new backend
   • Maintained historical data integrity

2. Custom Dashboard

   • Built modern Next.js dashboard with real-time MQTT connections
   • Secure device registration and authentication
   • Device configuration and settings management
   • Social features including leaderboards and achievements
   • Live device control and monitoring
   • User roles an access management
   • Gamification elements to drive engagement
   • Real-time analytics and reporting

Launch and Growth

The success of our digital transformation enabled us to release a new flagship device in late 2023. Since launch, we've:

1. Proven Platform Stability

   • Sold hundreds of devices in first 4 months
   • Achieved hundreds of thousands of hours of cumulative uptime on MQTT
   • Maintained 99.9% dashboard availability
   • Zero critical firmware issues reported

2. Robust Device Management

   • Seamless over-the-air updates
   • Real-time device monitoring
   • Automated health checks
   • Proactive issue detection

Firmware Modernization

The success of our digital transformation allowed us to expand the team and focus on firmware improvements:

1. Device Communication

   • Implemented cross-device communication
   • Added leaderboard functionality
   • Enhanced real-time data synchronization

2. Architecture Improvements

   • Implemented state machine pattern for robust device logic
   • Leveraged FreeRTOS for multithreading capabilities
   • Optimized memory usage for hardware constraints
   • Improved task scheduling and prioritization

3. Deployment Strategy

   • Managed firmware updates for thousands of devices
   • Implemented staged rollouts
   • Added automatic update mechanisms
   • Monitored resource utilization during updates

Outcomes

The transformation yielded significant results:

• Business Growth
  • Team expanded from 3 part-time to 10 full-time employees
  • Significant increase in sales post-launch
  • Successfully managing thousands of active devices
  • Improved user engagement through new features

This project demonstrated how modernizing digital infrastructure can directly impact business growth and enable new product capabilities.