DCI TeraTrak R1 2018-2019

Designers: Digital Control Inc. and Tactile Design Team, Tactile, Seattle, Washington, USA
Manufacturer: Digital Control Inc., Kent, Washington, USA

First of its kind, the DCI TeraTrak R1 is a real-time, terrain mapping tool for horizontal directional drilling. TeraTrak R1 easily creates continuous topography marked with utilities and waypoints, which previously used expensive survey methods. Used in conjunction with TeraTrak R1, an app is used to visualize underground hazards and the precise elevation and distance measurements along the drill path. The TeraTrak R1 streamlines job site bore planning, making it more accurate, efficient, cost-effective, and accessible to anyone.

Current bore planning in the horizontal directional drilling (HDD) industry typically involves a job site survey crew and specialized desktop software to create bore plans. Unfortunately, these bore plans often become irrelevant a few rods in as ground conditions are typically unknown. This can add time causing drill crew delays, contribute to drilling mistakes, incur cost in damages, and more importantly endanger the crew’s safety. Digital Control Inc. (DCI) recognized an opportunity for a cutting edge, real-time terrain mapping product for the drill crews that would increase efficiency by providing accurate and continuous data at all stages of the drilling process, creating a safer, more efficient, and cost-effective bore planning process. DCI TeraTrak R1 addressed the following challenges:

• A functional and easy-to-use device by anyone that also included: (a) an ergonomic, easily adjustable pivot arm adapting to the height of any user, (b) optimized portability and collapsibility allowing users to set up and break down the product easily and efficiently, (c) a universal device mounting solution providing a heads up display, paired with real-time data, and (d) a kickstand to provide hands-free use and storage.

• Create a visually stunning product built to withstand the challenging environmental elements, combining robust, rugged materials and DCI’s brand language. A discretely integrated debris guard helps to keep the tires clean while walking along wet and muddy surfaces.

• Seamless integration into the HDD workflow and DCI’s product suite, eliminate the need to deploy a separate survey crew for planning purposes. Used in conjunction with the TeraTrak app, DCI TeraTrak R1 generates continuous job site topography that can be updated on-the-go, so it never becomes obsolete. DCI TeraTrak R1 visualizes underground hazards, confidently targets waypoints to drill, measures and maps precise elevations and distances, and can be used in areas where GPS doesn’t work. Additional user benefits include:

• Determine rig placement with a rod-by-rod entry plan

• Create point-to-point bore plans as you go

• Export TeraTrak data for use in bore planners

• Faster bores

• More productive and profitable drill crews

• Fewer re-drills

• Fewer bent rods

• Simplifies the task and time of site surveys

• Allows crews to survey jobsites without hiring expensive surveyors • High accuracy (plus/minus 6 inches over 500 feet) Lastly and more importantly, safety is a critical user benefit.

Increased accuracy reduces mistakes that could potentially lead to harmful drilling. DCI TeraTrak R1 is the first of its kind in the HDD industry, giving DCI a competitive advantage over its competitors, offering a suite of products that work together to provide an unmatched HDD guidance tool set. DCI has a reputation for developing rugged, elegantly designed construction equipment that are easy to operate.

In addition to elegance, DCI’s product designs further advance them as a leading provider of lasting equipment. DCI TeraTrak R1’s primary benefits to society are safety and efficiency. The underground is getting increasingly crowded with utilities making precise drilling increasingly important with utility strikes occurring when hazards could have been avoided. Using DCI TeraTrak R1’s accuracy and on-the-go updating capabilities, it’s far less likely to run into underground hazards, leading to fewer mistakes, lower costs, and increasing the safety of the drill crew and the general populations in the areas where they drill.

DCI TeraTrak R1’s overall design aesthetics: Form: DCI TeraTrak R1’s simple silhouette and rugged details convey a feeling of durability, quality and precision while making this powerful tool not feel intimidating to use. Its timeless design is expected to withstand a 10+ year lifecycle.

Color: The design team specified a proportional amount of White and Black, adding to the overall timeless aesthetic. The Black body parts and wheels are molded using a long-fiber glass fiber Nylon which is necessary for strength and durability. Considering the outdoor use-case, Black is used for the grip handle on the upper handle and also the grip zone on the base part.

Finishes: Textured plastics and anodized aluminum and are used for durability and ensure the product maintains a quality aesthetic for 10+ years.