Against the heady backdrop of what some scholars are calling the Golden Age of Innovation, an era in which new technologies and innovations converge in a digital revolution that is transforming entire industries, CENTURION has innovated a fully-intuitive gate automation solution that is pushing the boundaries of speed, intelligence and technological sophistication to create a superior user experience at all interface levels.
Our aim was to create an innovative sliding gate operator that would globally transcend the boundaries and constraints of existing sliding gate solutions and exploit the massive potential of wireless connectivity working in concert with advanced functionality and supported by smart hardware to deliver a product that was holistically intelligent and met the needs of installers and end-users alike.
At an interface level, the D5 SMART aligns with the salient characteristics and traditions of the Information Age and the Internet of Things in that it is highly intuitive, interactive and innovative and uses sophisticated technology as the dominant change agent.
We asked some of the visionaries behind the design, production and promotion of this disruptive innovation to weigh in on why the D5 SMART is on course to change the face of access automation forever.
Mark O’Brien (marketing manager): [We wanted to] leverage the potential of smartphones and [mobile] app-based features to enhance the user’s experience of the product, bringing gate automation fully immersed into the IoT. We took our flagship D5-Evo [sliding gate motor, released in 2009], and completely upgraded every facet of the product. Every feature of the D5 SMART has a compelling reason for its innovation that is used to solve both our target markets’ needs.
Michael Blackman (mechanical manager, Research and Development): As a company, Centurion Systems prides itself in the fact that we are driven by innovation. During the development of the D5 SMART sliding gate operator, we needed to innovate in order to solve numerous problems that would have a positive impact on various stakeholders [installers and end-users] of the value chain.
Richard Rohman (Centurion Systems managing director): We are constantly interacting with installers and end-users in our field [of access automation] and from this we realised that our existing range of sliding gate motors was lacking in many aspects which impact the installation and usability of the product. [This is seen through] the eyes of both the installer and the final end-user. We then embarked on a comprehensive market research phase to confirm our doubts about our existing sliding gate operators, our flagship operator being the 500kg D5-Evo operator. The research was then used to uncover the real problems we had to solve.
CENTURION mechanical manager in the R & D department, Stuart Kirkman, provides some insights with regards to the various mechanical and electronic advancements found on the D5 SMART gate motor, and how these innovations are being used to solve the challenges faced by installers and end-users in their interactions with the broader security and access control context.
Stuart Kirkman: The innovative height adjusters were crucial to the design, as they allow the installer to easily and quickly adjust the height [of the motor] from the top.
He goes on to say that the reputation of CENTURION gate motors for being easy to install and one of the most reliable motors on the market has led to a demand for them on the black market and has made them a popular target for thieves.
Stuart Kirkman: The R and D team focused our efforts around the theft issue and both the mechanical and electronic departments innovated solutions. These solutions [electronic and mechanical] were so compelling that we implemented them both.
Further technological innovations unique to the D5 SMART include a patented theft-deterrent cage, built-in vibration sensor for break-in detection and notification, dedicated accessory trays and a permanent override feature.
Taking what we’ve learned through more than 30 years of being the market leader in access automation, we are bringing the market a solution that gives them everything from intelligent reporting to easy, mobile app-based setup and configuration, as well as time-saving installation thanks to smart hardware. With unsurpassed convenience and control at their fingertips, everyone will love using the D5 SMART.
