I made a car dashboard accessory using arduino mega that takes input from an ELM327 bluetooth OBD2 module, a zigBee module connected to a DHT11 temperature sensor and a neo6MV type GPS which displays data onto a 2.8” tft Touchscreen. Arduino displays things like 0-60kmph time, 0-100 kmph time, gps assisted speed, engine rpm, vehicle speed by ecu, outside temperature etc and it can be scrolled by a joystick because using touchscreens while driving is dangerous IMO.
Now I want to sell this project of mine as a commercial product that I can sell.
The problem is I am a current automobile engineering student that has no technical knowledge about how any of the sensors or lcds work. I can just code and arduino to do stuff and ive been very successful in it too. I know the casing needs improvement but it can be 3D printed once I get to the components to be used.
Can I use the same tft screen and all the sensors like neo6MV in the commercial prooduct without telling the manufacturer or I have to get all sensors custom made?
Like can I use components bought from online sites like amazon or other retailers and make a custom shield out of them that clamps onto my arduino pcb , put in a custom case and a custom GUI for the display, and sell it as a commercial product?
PS I will not use an arduino in the final product and will be making a pcb based on Atmega 2560.
Of course you can just use sensors in your project, and resell it as such. No problem there.
But:
- 3D printed case is OK for prototyping. Far too expensive for any commercial product.
- you'll have to make your own PCB. Clamping stuff on an Arduino is fine for prototyping, not for any commercial product. It's too expensive to make, too bulky, too unreliable.
- a joystick is not much better than touch screen for control during driving. The driver should not be controlling anything, but keeping his eyes on the road or just a quick glance on the display (I hope you know why they still use rather large analog dials in cars, rather than displaying the number on an LCD).
Thanks @wvmarle for your input.
So you are saying I can buy stuff from amazon, custom make a pcb according to it and make a case and I shouldnt be worried about taking any permission from any manufacturer until the code is mine?
Also cost is not an issue since there are devices that do only 10% of what my device does and they sell for more than 25x my price
@cedarlakeinstruments yeah you are right but
1.The devices available in current scenario are expensive Vboxes for gps speed tracking that are very accurate, and they are only used for motorsport data logging. My application does not require that much accuracy and precision, so I can make do with a basic GPS adapter without any other components.
2. The other function that my device performs is reading and displaying OBD values. There are many chinese devices that do the same thing and are priced at double my price but any branded device sells for a lot of $$$. I do not know why they are so expensive when chinese clones are available for way lesser prices.
Chinese devices sell for about $200
A branded OBD module and display costs about $800-$900
A good VBOX costs about $1500 here.
And my device costed about $50 without a case and is performing well for the last week or so. To buy an equivalent system from the market it will cost me about $800 for the VBOX and another $800 for OBD system. So I have a fair margin to price it affordably and still cut out a neat slice of profit.
Sarthak-n:
And my device costed about $50 without a case and is performing well for the last week or so.
That's components only I may assume. Without assembly cost, packaging, etc.
Do you have the proper protection electronics in place that make it work reliably in an automotive environment? Which includes voltage spikes and reversals, lots of electrical noise, vibrations, large temperature differences (thermal expansion/contraction can ruin your connections), etc? Automotive is one of the most hostile environments for electronics known to man.
Retail price will be $300-500 based on that price (5-10 times the bill of parts, regardless of what version of dollars you look at - this includes packaging, development, marketing, distribution, shipping, retail markup, your margin, etc). That, assuming you can start production in runs of a couple thousand units. For smaller runs it's going to be more expensive.
The hardware is one thing but there are also a software side.
If you used open-source libraries in your code make sure that the license of these library allows you to sell a commercial product based on them without paying a license.
Just because a software library is open-source does not mean it can be used freely in a commercial product.
wvmarle:
That's components only I may assume. Without assembly cost, packaging, etc.
Do you have the proper protection electronics in place that make it work reliably in an automotive environment? Which includes voltage spikes and reversals, lots of electrical noise, vibrations, large temperature differences (thermal expansion/contraction can ruin your connections), etc? Automotive is one of the most hostile environments for electronics known to man.
Retail price will be $300-500 based on that price (5-10 times the bill of parts, regardless of what version of dollars you look at - this includes packaging, development, marketing, distribution, shipping, retail markup, your margin, etc). That, assuming you can start production in runs of a couple thousand units. For smaller runs it's going to be more expensive.
That $50 wont be my actual cost but the final price will be very low as I am based in India and the labour and other costs are really cheap here. Also the government is ginna support me in some ways too so it will be fine for a first buisness proposition.