There’s nothing like real-world testing when it comes to designing portable communications devices, says Motorola.

LOOKING at the myriad of shapes and sizes that consumer electronics devices and handheld equipment come in, you can’t help but wonder how much study goes into the designing of such products.

Ask telecommunications giant Motorola and it’ll tell you that there’s more to such designs than the eye can see.

It has even taken a new approach to designing its professional products, especially its mobile radios and two-way transceivers (better known as walkie-talkies).

“We have moved far beyond traditional research methodology,” said senior director of design integration for Motorola, Bruce Claxton.

“We consult with psychologists, anthropologists and work with other relevant professionals to create technology that is second nature to people using our products.”

For example, said Claxton, at one of Motorola’s research centres, an actual police patrol car is used to test the designs of mobile radios while active duty policemen help test prototype walkie-talkies, so that Motorola designers can integrate equipment and users as seamlessly as possible.

“We call this our ‘mission critical’ design process,” Claxton said. “We even have our engineers follow the policemen (and sometimes firemen) out into the field to get a first hand look at what they go through and what they need out there in terms of our communications equipment.”

Motorola’s Penang branch is growing in importance as the company dishes out its latest line of professional walkie-talkies.

The design department at this office, established about six years ago, has a permanent staff of eight and is one of only four design and prototyping centres that Motorola has worldwide, including its US headquarters.

“Our Penang office is a very serious contributor to the design and development of Motorola products,” said Shirish Kaner, industrial design manager for Motorola Technology Sdn Bhd.

Claxton notes that although Motorola’s design offices have different responsibilities, they are all vital to the production process.

“All our research, development and design centres are connected in real time,” Claxton said.

“This ensures that we get different perspectives and that we can work around the clock.”

The information collected by Motorola is also not just used by the company to develop its technology. A study conducted by its “mission critical” designers pertaining to ‘high-velocity human factors’ has been featured in a police equipment and advice website.

The site, www.policeone.com, uses the study to assess where the ideal position for the police radio and other relevant equipment should be in the patrol car.

Motorola said this kind of attention to detail has helped its walkie-talkie designs win numerous awards in recent years, including the coveted Red Dot Award for its TLKR (pronounced talker) radio in Germany last year.

It is also quite proud of its latest model, the Mototrbo (pronounced Moto-turbo), which it said is the first of its kind in the world.

On top of having the traditional walkie-talkie function, the digital device can make Voice-over-Internet Protocol calls to Mototrbo users in other countries, function as a GPS (global positioning system) unit, and send SMSes.