Exploring the wilds of nature can be a truly rewarding experience. Trails leading to new discoveries alongside the pleasant musk of nature helps foster memorable experiences. Until, of course, someone needs to pull out a flashlight or some other tool from deep within a backpack for some reason — nothing ruins a quaint ambience like the sound of a befuddled hiker looking for their GPS device.
While many would prefer using a smartphone as an aid during such excursions, most smartphones, on account of their poor battery life and dainty construction, can’t ably survive the rigors of outdoor exploration. The FOGO Adventure Gadget solves this problem by incorporating a GPS, walkie talkie, and a 1000 lumen LED flashlight into one rugged device. The FOGO Adventure Gadget includes an embedded digital compass which can help guide users to points of interest and other FOGO users. Further, the device’s walkie talkie feature combines voice and text messaging functionality, thereby allowing users to effectively communicate with others. Additionally, the device’s LED flashlight sports dynamic light control which adjusts the level of brightness based on the object being illuminated and, in some cases, how fast the object (presumably an animal) is moving).
The FOGO employs some neat tricks with SmartCaps, interchangeable pieces of hardware that add different capabilities. For now, the only SmartCap available is the Digital Walkie-Talkie. Notably, a satellite modem and laser range finder are both in the works. With an app based OS, an open SDK, 128MB of flash memory, and a Bluetooth LE connection, FOGO can also act as a fitness monitor along with anything else the developer community can come up with. And its 6800mAh backup battery will ensure it will stay useful and operational for much longer than a smartphone. The $200 FOGO is expected to ship in November 2015 if the $125,000 campaign is successful by March 24, 2015.
New concepts for outdoor gear are always welcome, especially when the product in question does so much to lessen the burden for outdoor explorers. The FOGO Adventure Gadget, along with the All Terrain Cover and WakaWaka, is therefore an ideal product for nature enthusiasts everywhere.