DART
Our Challenge:
Upon being challenged to take “A Closer Look!” ByteSize Cookies, considering that the majority of students take the bus to and from school, decided to create a product that targets student bus riders who have trouble navigating the bus system on their own and their parents who waste their time and worries as a consequence. In the morning there is no way to know exactly when the bus is coming, so parents waste time with their little ones at the bus stop waiting for the bus to arrive. In the afternoon, some kids have trouble remembering when to get off at their bus stop, which can create all sorts of trouble for themselves, their parents, and the bus driver, as well.
What We Wanted To Do:
Here at ByteSize Cookies, we wanted to take a closer look at this issue and find a solution so no child gets hurt or put in danger because of these problems.
ABOUT US
We’re a young and talented group of entrepreneurs and engineers from Newtown, Ct, with a groundbreaking idea that we hope will contribute towards a better tomorrow. We provide smart solutions for companies of all sizes and pride ourselves on our unparalleled, dedicated service.
At Dart, we believe that the right understanding and technological edge can lead companies towards a successful future. We always seek valuable feedback from our clients in order to learn and evolve. Contact us today to set up a meeting with one of our sales representatives or request a demo.
RESEARCH
Competition
Extensive research was conducted on innovations similar to Dart, however, none of these products were proven to be as sufficient.
Survey
We conducted a survey to collect data on parents’ experience with their child riding the bus. The data that was collected through this survey showed us that there is intact a high demand for our product.
Survey:
Zach Demeglio
CEO
Zach Demeglio boasts nearly a decade of experience in the industry. Passionate about business and innovation, Zach managed to recruit an excellent team of professionals and win the attention of investors as well as the media. He puts in endless hours to work hands on with the team and make sure the business is running smoothly.
Sam Staubly
Chief Technology Officer
While being the baby of the company, Sam joined the team bringing his experience with Arduino, C++, and App Inventor. He is an overachiever who is constantly looking for ways to go above and beyond with his ideas. Sam has put in an endless amount of hours programing and coding our products.
Kyle Shelton
Chief Marketing Officer
Kyle Shelton is a hard working humorous worker, who is always throwing new ideas at the team. Kyle is constantly looking for new ways to share and pitch all the amazing things Dart has to offer. With lots of experience in marketing, he never fails to please.
Maddie Rooney
Creative Director
A hard working entrepreneur who is always looking for the next big challenge, Maddie has been with us since starting our company. With her passion and expertise, Maddie has managed to take our company to new highs and achieve growth.
OUR JOURNEY
Jan. 2nd, 2018
Our team had its first meeting where we brainstormed possible ideas for our innovation
Jan. 9th, 2018
After brainstorming ideas through a shared google doc, the team decided on a bus stop app and paired wearable that tracks school buses on their bus routes so parents/kids will be notified when bus is arriving to pick them up and when they’re at their stop, ensuring they arrive home/school at the right time.
Jan. 9th-Feb. 9th, 2018
Our kickstarter month was incredibly difficult due to the enormous amount of snow days. We lost touch with each other due to so much time off from school and decided that we should meet online with group calls through a service called Discord.
Feb. 16th, 2018
We met in person and decided on some logistics regarding how our innovation works. We decided on an RFID scanner to put on a wearable that alerts parents with timestamps of when kid gets on/off bus.
Feb 23rd, 2018
We came up with our problem and solution, as well decided on a name for our innovation: Dart.
Feb 27th, 2018
We split up into groups and assigned different tasks to each group. We had groups for research, social media, arduino, and journaling/white paper writing.
March 2nd, 2018
We decided that Discord calls were just not working for us, so we came up with a plan to meet on Fridays after school. We found that meeting in person was easier and more productive than over the phone.
March 9th, 2018
We decided to create and send out survey to parents in order to collect data for our app. Sam Staubly joined our team and started working on the app as well as the Arduino hardware with Zach Demeglio. Sam and Zach decided to meet every Monday and Friday to work on Arduino and the app together.
March 12th, 2018
Sam and Zach worked on Arduino and app.
March 16th, 2018
Over the course of the past month, we lost a lot of team members. At this point, we are down to 5 team members, making the workload bigger and the time crunch more stressful. We re-evaulated the situation and assigned tasks once again since the big loss of members. We became more determined now than ever to complete this challenge. Giving up was not an option.
March 19th, 2018
Sam and Zach started using RFID in conjunction with Arduino.
March 23rd, 2018
We started discussing writing white paper and finishing up the powerpoint presentation.
March 30th, 2018
Zach started creating a simulation showing how the Arduino uno, RFID reader, breadboard, and flora BLE will fit inside a box.
April 6th, 2018
Maddie begins working on the white paper as well as taking over the Facebook page. Kyle takes over the website and Twitter page.
April 13th, 2018
Anticipating April Break, we got as much as we could done in each of our designated tasks to make up for the lost week of work.
May 4th, 2018
After losing touch for a little bit again after a whole week off due to Spring Break, we came together, re-focused on the task at hand, and we decided to work harder than ever to get our tasks done
May 14th, 2018
The team had an in-school field trip all day to finish up our project before the big Expo Fest in just a few days. Maddie finished the white paper and kept up with the Facebook Page. Kyle worked on the website and Twitter page. Zach and Sam worked on the app, Arduino, and the simulation. It was a day of productivity and accomplishment.
OUR INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY
Advanced Solutions
At Dart, our tech team was able to blend together numerous technologies such as the Arduino uno, Adafruit feather, RFID technology, a breadboard, and MIT's App Inventor 2. By blending these technologies, Dart has developed a way for schools and families to ensure that their children can use the bus system safely.
"These kids have big dreams and big ability, so I think they're going to be able to pull it off."
The Newtown Bee
OUR APP
