Specter

The connected bike experience.

Specter interface

CONTEXT

Specter is an ambitious Belgian startup creating the most advanced s-pedelec ever. Aaltra operates as their technological partner, giving Specter the necessary input for the perfect start.

The bike quickly became a connected experience that seamlessly blends with our daily routines, thanks to our work. We never compromised on quality and features while laying the technical foundations for the future.

The startup paradox

Startups often depend on funding. And to get funding, you need to have a budget. To have a budget, you need a roadmap. And so on, and so on…

Unless you know how to build your idea yourself, you need to rely on external partners. You need help creating the roadmap, selecting the technology and estimating the budget. And since you’re not sure your idea is viable, you need to be careful about the budget.

Infographic

We helped Specter validate the business idea, write the roadmap and compose the budget. We have a product validation service to answer 3 questions as soon as possible.

architecture

We created a system architecture that responds to every startup's primary challenges: an optimal balance between scalability and budget.

The IoT back-end, created with Blockbax, securely stores and visualizes all sensor data uploaded by the bikes. Next, we made it possible to directly connect to the bike from a mobile app over Bluetooth.

Infographic

the HUD

What if we could offer a user experience similar to one of the famous car manufacturers?

The hub is the homebase of your Specter bike. Its responsive UI shows all essential parameters and has a GPS that you can operate via your smartphone. It will automatically advise the best route and give weather updates or information on your battery life.

Specter applicatie op smartphone

The mobile app

Thanks to our technical skills and design knowledge, we created a top-notch user experience.

Together with Specter, we delivered a solid and future proof design system that allows the business to grow and evolve rapidly. The mobile app is created in Flutter, letting us develop once and natively compile for iOS and Android.

Novy applicatie op smartphone
Novy applicatie op smartphone

Strategy

We had several strategy-related workshops with Specter to explore the e-bike market, analyze competitors, scope ideas, and explore all technological approaches.

These workshops resulted in a clear functional definition, a solid roadmap and a transparent budget until the MVP release. We’re proud to say that Specter is now truly future-proof!

Flexible design system

Specter is all about going fast and having fun. We embedded this deeply into the user experience of the bike. We selected a high-quality display capable of rendering high fps animations and fluent transitions. And we designed a clean yet joyful interface that ensures maximal readability in all conditions.

Speed, fun and flexibility

Secondly, Specter is a startup, which undoubtedly means the UI & UX will drastically evolve in the years to come. Therefore, we created a flexible design system giving Specter the freedom to expand features quickly.

Carefree experience

Aaltra created a connected experience for Specter. Thanks to our IoT back-end (using Blockbax) and the onboard 4G + Bluetooth connection, the bike is securely connected at all times. This connected experience allows for features like auto-unlock with your smartphone, remote configuration and easy maintenance scheduling.

Always safe

The bikes connectivity and onboard GPS also allow us to create some state of the art security features. From the iOS or Android app we developed, users can track the bike's location at any time. Additionally, the bike has onboard motion sensors to warn the user of any suspicious movement.

Engagement boost

Specter is a new brand, and we know brand experiences thrive on engagement. So we planned a lot of other features to be added to the app helping the Specter owner get the absolute maximum out of their bike. We started with some basic but insightful metrics. And next, we are adding gamification to create even more fun and engaging Specter bike experiences.

THE RESULT

  • Helped define the budget for funding
  • Found partners and took project management
  • MVP in under 12 months

Want to learn more about this case?

Get in touch with Pieter.