Home SMART 100 (2013) QuickFire (NSW) – 2013 Anthill SMART 100

QuickFire (NSW) – 2013 Anthill SMART 100

3

Like this innovation? Show your support by tweeting it, ‘liking’ it on Facebook, or leaving a comment below.

1. THE BEGINNING

This innovation came to life when…

Elite Fireworks became frustrated with the limitations of current fireworks initiation systems. Existing hand-initiated or cabled systems could be dangerous, and were limited in the scope of displays that could be created. Elite Fireworks brought the problems to LX, and in response we designed the QuickFire system. Using wireless mesh technology we created a safe, reliable and flexible initiation system that could potentially have almost unlimited firing boxes over a large area. QuickFire has more than exceeded their expectations and we are now looking forward to the launch of this exciting new system into the pyrotechnical display market.

2. WHAT & HOW

The purpose of this innovation is to…

Provide a safe, reliable and flexible fireworks initiation system. It needed to overcome the limitations of cable length or hand initiation, and be more flexible than point-to-point wireless systems. Music integration and interoperability with existing systems were key planned features.

It does this by…

Using wireless mesh technology to extend the range of the system and overcome limitations on the number of firing boxes that point-to-point wireless can support. Fail-safes and alert systems built into the software/firmware, and hardware fail-safes such as a dead man switch make QuickFire safe for both operators and observers. Music integration allows for displays synced with music.

3. PURPOSE & BENEFITS

This innovation improves on what came before because…

Wireless initiation systems were only just beginning to be used in the industry, and most used fairly primitive point-to-point wireless systems. Wireless mesh technology means each firing box is also a signal booster, so range and therefore the scope of shows can be extended almost indefinitely. Automatic recovery systems mean displays can re-sync and continue in the event of interruption.

The benefits to the customer/end-user include…

The ability to put on large-scale geographically dispersed fireworks displays that are both reliable and extremely safe. The new music synchronisation function is just one of the exciting new features that open up many design possibilities for pyrotechnical displays.

4. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

In the past, this problem was solved by…

Wired or hand-initiation systems. Hand initiation is obviously dangerous, and wired systems have risks with cables catching fire or being water-damaged. Also, cables limit the distance and conditions in which systems can be used — for example, a display on barges down a river would be very challenging to successfully synchronise as each barge would initiate separately.

Its predecessors/competitors include…

Fireone, Pyromate and Pyrodigital are all competing products. Most are expensive and while they may have some of QuickFire’s features like limited music integration or wireless initiation, none have QuickFire’s combination of features and safety, with a simple user interface.

5. TARGET MARKET

This innovation is made for…

Pyrotechnicians and fireworks display designers, which is a small market. QuickFire was designed to have a lower price point than competing systems while still maintaining a significant profit margin. Interoperability with existing systems is an advantageous feature as it allows users to ingrate with existing equipment. This means new users don’t have to commit to the massive investment of completely changing equipment. QuickFire was also designed to be extremely robust in a variety of environmental conditions, and rigorous testing shows it should be reliable for use in the extremes of heat, cold and humidity, both within and outside Australia.

6. DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY

It is available for sale through…

Industry trade shows, and will be distributed both here and overseas through their website. The fireworks industry is not large, so Elite Fireworks will also be leveraging their industry knowledge and directly contacting companies in their industry for targeted sales.

Our marketing strategy is to…

Make use of Elite Firework’s industry knowledge and contacts. Brochures are used at trade shows where interested parties are examining the system. There are also demonstration events for those in the pyrotechnical industry, and great interest has already been generated at events in Goulburn and Tumut. An example will also be given to one of Australia’s largest companies for use.

Your Turn — VOTE!

If this SMART 100 innovation wowed you, why not get the word out?

  1. Tweet it: Top left of each page
  2. Trigger a Reaction: Facebook ‘Like’, etc.
  3. Leave a Comment: Anonymous comments excluded.

We’ll use your vote to create the 2013 SMART 100 Readers’ Choice Index. Learn more here!

FINE PRINT
This SMART 100 profile and the information it contains is a duplication of content submitted by the applicant during the entry process. As a function of entry, applicants were required to declare that all details are factually correct, do not infringe on another’s intellectual property and are not unlawful, threatening, defamatory, invasive of privacy, obscene, or otherwise objectionable. Some profiles have been edited for reasons of space and clarity.