This section details all Active Research projects and the product development partnership projects that we have been given authority to disclose.

In 1999 Active Research began its first industrial product development partnership to completely design from initial concept ideas the Septic Tank Monitoring system. In rural areas not connected to the sewer system, a septic/sewage tank is necessary. Manual monitoring of the tanks level is both time-consuming and unpleasant to perform regularly.

The project requirements were to monitor the contents of the tank, log all information for later retrieval, allow full remote access via modem and inform the owner when the tank is full and a waste disposal tanker is required to be ordered.

Using our depth sounder system as a foundation, the multi-element depth transducer and software system capable of detecting the various different parameters was developed.

The system is now in full production.

Project Goals
Up to 8 Transducer Units per Control Unit, allowing multiple tanks to be monitored simultaneously
Control Units have a built-in modem to allow dial-up access by system administrator
Full remote retrieval of historical information of all Transducer Units connected to the Control Unit
Full remote reprogramming access to Transducer and Control units, necessary with widespread unit
deployment that would otherwise take days if not weeks to visit and program individually.

Active Research was approached in 2001 to become a partner in developing a Radio Frequency (RF) ID tag security system.

The system allows all currently available ID tags (from a number of different companies) to be interrogated and their contained information read.

These tags are used for multiple security purposes:

Door access permissions, removing requirement for time-consuming number pad access
User recognition and associated privileges, for access to computer and other resources
User operation logging - 'big brother is watching'...
Personnel location and automatic 'clock on' when arriving and 'clock off' when leaving

Active Research was commissioned to design the entire systems hardware and software components.

Project Goals
Low cost RF ID tag reader hardware
Flexible software that can read multiple manufacturer RF ID tags
Additional flexibility of software to allow connection to a number of different security systems

The product development partnership with Games
Technology began in 2000 when Games Technology
approached Active Research concerning the prototyping
and mass production of a simple, low cost, palm sized
electronic toy.

Realising the cost benefits of choosing a far-east manufacturer, Active Research progressed the project and acted as a technology interface between the manufacturer and Games Technology.

In addition to creating a prototype, Active Research also provided software flow diagrams and conceptual / dimensioned CAD drawings.

Project Goals
Very low cost hardware
Capable of being mass produced
Long battery life / very low current consumption
Good aesthetics
Good build quality