Soberkey

Personal Breathalyzer

Client

Soberkey

Project

Personal Breathalyzer

Year

2021-2023

Client

Soberkey was founded by John, a Hong Kong entrepreneur whose background in manufacturing alcohol sensors gave him a deep understanding of the competitive landscape of the Asian breathalyzer market and inspired his idea for a smart breathalyzer for the North American market.

Purpose

John wanted to leverage his family business' sensor manufacturing expertise to break into the North American market. What he needed was a team with North American design expertise to build a better product than his competition.

Disciplines

Hand drawn conceptual and industrial design sketches of miscellaneous objects

Conceptual Design

Mechanical Engineering

Circuit board assembly resting on an electrical circuit schematic blueprint

Electrical Engineering

Lines of multicolored computer code on a curved monitor fading off into the distance

Firmware Development

Man holding a tablet monitoring data from manufacturing equipment seen in the background

Prototype + Mfg Support

Client

Soberkey

Project

Personal Breathalyzer

Year

2021-2023

Client

Purpose

Disciplines

Conceptual Design

Mechanical Engineering

Electrical Engineering

Firmware Development

Prototype + Mfg Support

Client

Soberkey

Project

Personal Breathalyzer

Year

2021-2023

Client

Purpose

Disciplines

Conceptual Design

Mechanical Engineering

Electrical Engineering

Firmware Development

Prototype + Mfg Support

Our Role

Working in close collaboration with Soberkey, our role in this project was to conduct competitive research and develop multiple conceptual designs, generate photorealistic renderings of what the product could look like and eventually completing the full detailed mechanical design of their smart breathalyzer product.

Mood board with an assortment of image thumbnails of various high-tech products and unique materials and color combinations

Ten early concept sketches for the Soberkey breathalyzer illustrating the thought process behind, and evolution of, the design

Hidden Display

A key design element of this product was the desire to have a display that remained completely invisible when not in use. Through a combination or design, materials, colors and finishes we were able to achieve the desired effect.

Close-up image of the front display when on

Display is seamlessly integrated into the case to remain invisible until turned on.

Close-up image of the front display when off

Ergonomic Design

An ergonomic one-handed design was desired to make the device easily usable on the go. Both sample collection tube and power button are located on the side to enable this, while leaving the primary face of the device clutter-free.

Rear angle view of three Soberkey breathalyzers in front of a blue backdrop showcasing black, green and grey color options

Side view of three Soberkey breathalyzers in front of a blue backdrop showcasing black, green and grey color options

Simple Construction

All system components were carefully designed to be low-cost to manufacture and simple to assemble and service.

Exploded assembly of a breathalyzer prototyping revealing the internal mechanical and electronic components

Rear angle view of a grey and black breathalyzer fully assembled with the battery door removed, revealing battery compartment

Why Work with Us?

If you're an entrepreneur with an idea for a new product, improvement on an existing one, or opportunity to expand into a new market, let's work together to make it happen. We can support you with market research and all the technical expertise needed to design, manufacture and launch your product so you can focus on marketing and finding your first customers. By leveraging our team, Soberkey was able to focus on their key strengths in sensor development and manufacturing to get to market fast without the risks of hiring a team or trying to do it alone.