Development Status
This page provides an update on the development of Pylot as we prepare to ship. You can also join us on Discord to ask questions and get more updates.
February 16, 2024
We are getting close.
We are no track to ship in May. We have made a number of modifications to the band based on feedback during beta testing, with a focus on improved comfort. We are confident these changes will deliver on the improvements we are after, and we are in the process of getting prototypes made to test. All going well, we will then move to mass production.
December 19, 2023
We're thrilled to share that Pylot's beta phase is in full swing with 25 dedicated users currently piloting our product. The engagement has been phenomenal, and we're gaining invaluable insights every day.
Our beta testers are truly integrated into the Pylot experience, diligently using the product and not shying away from giving us the full spectrum of their feedback—the good, the bad, and everything in between.
The consensus so far? We're on the right track, but there's room to elevate the experience. Comfort is key, and we're zeroing in on the band design to ensure Pylot can be comfortably worn all day, without even noticing it. Our engineering team are on the case, devising enhancements as we speak.
Beyond the hardware, we have received plenty of suggestions and questions on the app, helping us shape Pylot into a more robust and feature-rich tool.
Thanks to the beta users who are helping as make Pylot what we all want it to be.
November 21, 2023
Beta units have been shipped to our first group of beta users, with more going out next week.
We have done some initial testing of them internally and are excited by the data quality we are seeing. It is holding up to the accuracy we would expect from the sensors.
There are plenty of little imperfections that we are working to address, but nothing that looks to be a major issue at this stage. Examples are: the strap is longer than needed, two of the band pieces don't join as nicely as we would like, etc.
Feedback from the beta testers will dictate when we are happy to proceed to mass production. We will keep you posted.
October 13, 2023
Beta is just moments away…..
We are finally approaching external beta testing. The video below shows the first beta unit in action. The bands are on their way to be assembled after some delays for fixes. They will then be sent out to all our patient beta users.
We have already identified a couple of minor band fixes needed. After adequate beta testing we will move to production and then onto launch.
August 15, 2023
The August update:
Hardware - we are behind schedule on the beta headbands. This is mainly because our chosen manufacturer wasn't able to deliver on sewing the velcro onto the silicon band, and other options were less robust. So the bands are now being made by a alternative partner.
Software - We are in a solid testing block for both Windows and Mac apps. Both are fully functional, both undergoing daily QA.
Beta testing - as soon as the headbands are back from the manufacturer, we will be shipping out beta units to 12 external testers. This will be shortly followed by another 15 units for external testing.
Launch date - we are still working towards an October shipping date. There is still a few things to fall into place, but things are getting pretty close now.
The headband also had a couple of minor design changes, as shown below. This was to provide a more minimalist look.
July 18, 2023
Here is a quick update for mid-July.
Hardware - after a number of tweaks to the headband design and they are off to the manufacturer. We are keen to get units ASAP as we have 20 sensor boards ready to build into bands, and another 20 coming.
Software - We have had substantial progress on the Mac app and backend data handling. Lots of small improvements to come but things are generally in good shape.
Beta testing - as soon as the headbands are back from the manufacturer, we will be shipping out beta units to 12 external testers. This will be shortly followed by another 15 units for external testing.
Launch date - we are still working towards an October shipping date. There is still a few things to fall into place, but things are getting pretty close now.
Our goal is to manufacture as much of the product as possible in New Zealand. While this is more expensive, it gives us greater quality control. We expect to have the bands and packaging made in NZ. The sensor boards and the overall product will be assembled in NZ.
July 3, 2023
The first update for July. It has been a big couple of weeks, so here is the current status:
Hardware - our second batch of sensor boards have been manufactured and are testing well (see image below). The headband itself is on it's way to be manufactured and will be combined with the sensor boards to be beta testing units.
Software - the Windows app has moved to the Microsoft Store platform for easy distribution and updates. It is now pretty robust but needing a few UI tweaks. The Mac app is getting a lot of developer love at the moment and is looking for some solid testing prior to beta.
Beta testing - we expect beta testing to start in late July. This will be given to selected pre-order customers.
Launch date - we still don't have an exact shipping date, but realistically, we expect this to be October.
Pre-ordering a product with a flexible shipping date may not give you confidence. For this reason we offer all pre-orders a 25% discount and free shipping, as well as a full refund if you change your mind before shipping.
June 21, 2023
Doesn't time fly when you are having fun. It is mid-June already. Here is our latest status update:
Hardware (electronics) - our second batch of sensor boards have arrived and are testing well. So far, so good.
Hardware (the band) - we were a bit behind schedule on the band itself, but that has progressed well and new samples will go to the manufacturer at the end of this week.
Software - still lots of small UI tasks and edge cases to manage on the desktop apps, but they are functional and being used daily by our alpha testers.
Beta testing - external testing of the sample hardware and apps will begin in mid-July.
June 6, 2023
Our first update for June:
Hardware - we are still waiting on our second round of board samples to be manufactured. We expect the previous issues to have been fixed and have made the board 0.1mm quicker to reduce defects.
Software - our alpha testers have been using Pylot daily and getting benefits while identifying bugs for us. Our Windows app still needs UI work and bug fixes, mainly related to handling when the band disconnects from the PC. On the Mac, the team are building out the full app UI and data management.
Beta testing - we will look for ~10 beta testers once the new sensor boards are tested and ready to go into a headband.
The shipping date will be dependent on these new board samples. If they test well, we can start preparing for mass production.
May 22, 2023
The team hit some good milestones in the last few weeks. The highlights:
The sensor boards have arrived (as shown below). This is what lives inside the headband, plus a battery. They are small and flexible to ensure the band stays slim. Testing identified a few changes needed, and manufacturing of the next samples has begun.
On the software side, the desktop app now has auto-start so as soon as you put your Pylot band on, the app starts recording. A small change but a massive improvement in ease of use.
We are also testing live recommendations, which allow the app to suggest deep work, shallow tasks or a break based on your current cognitive performance.
Still, plenty of work to do, but things are taking shape nicely.
May 8, 2023
It has been a month since the last update, and we have made good progress.
We are receiving the first sensor boards from the manufacturer next week which will be built into test units. These will be the first functional units in the new form factor.
Our apps for Windows, iOS and Mac are all functional but undergoing some UI improvements to better present the data and feedback.
The Android app is also close to completion but needs some solid testing and alignment with the UI adjustments on iOS.
We are using the prototype hardware internally along with the apps and finding it very beneficial for our own work scheduling. As shown below, I need to focus on my deep tasks in the morning with a break every 90 minutes or so.
April 8, 2023
It has been a productive couple of weeks in product development, with the highlights being:
Our sensor boards starting the manufacturing process. This is a small run to build and test the final hardware. Prior to this we have been using a prototype which was a less convenient form factor
Android app development getting close to completion
March 24, 2023
MaddCog tracks mental performance to help workers enhance their productivity.
MaddCog started in early 2019; it took two years to develop the algorithms to accurately track mental performance and involved capturing thousands of hours of controlled, and real-world data.
Since then, we have developed our own sensor bands and apps. The team has developed a fully functional iOS and Windows app, and we are currently manufacturing v2 hardware samples.
What do we still need to do:
Test the hardware prior to mass production
Complete Android development
Add the manual recording mode to the Windows app
Development Status
This page provides an update on the development of Pylot as we prepare to ship. You can also join us on Discord to ask questions and get more updates.
February 16, 2024
We are getting close.
We are no track to ship in May. We have made a number of modifications to the band based on feedback during beta testing, with a focus on improved comfort. We are confident these changes will deliver on the improvements we are after, and we are in the process of getting prototypes made to test. All going well, we will then move to mass production.
December 19, 2023
Beta is just moments away…..
We are finally approaching external beta testing. The video below shows the first beta unit in action. The bands are on their way to be assembled after some delays for fixes. They will then be sent out to all our patient beta users.
We have already identified a couple of minor band fixes needed. After adequate beta testing we will move to production and
November 21, 2023
Beta is just moments away…..
We are finally approaching external beta testing. The video below shows the first beta unit in action. The bands are on their way to be assembled after some delays for fixes. They will then be sent out to all our patient beta users.
We have already identified a couple of minor band fixes needed. After adequate beta testing we will move to production and
October 13, 2023
Beta is just moments away…..
We are finally approaching external beta testing. The video below shows the first beta unit in action. The bands are on their way to be assembled after some delays for fixes. They will then be sent out to all our patient beta users.
We have already identified a couple of minor band fixes needed. After adequate beta testing we will move to production and
August 15, 2023
The August update:
Hardware - we are behind schedule on the beta headbands. This is mainly because our chosen manufacturer wasn't able to deliver on sewing the velcro onto the silicon band, and other options were less robust. So the bands are now being made by a alternative partner.
Software - We are in a solid testing block for both Windows and Mac apps. Both are fully functional, both undergoing daily QA.
Beta testing - as soon as the headbands are back from the manufacturer, we will be shipping out beta units to 12 external testers. This will be shortly followed by another 15 units for external testing.
Launch date - we are still working towards an October shipping date. There is still a few things to fall into place, but things are getting pretty close now.
The headband also had a couple of minor design changes, as shown below. This was to provide a more minimalist look.
July 18, 2023
Here is a quick update for mid-July.
Hardware - after a number of tweaks to the headband design and they are off to the manufacturer. We are keen to get units ASAP as we have 20 sensor boards ready to build into bands, and another 20 coming.
Software - We have had substantial progress on the Mac app and backend data handling. Lots of small improvements to come but things are generally in good shape.
Beta testing - as soon as the headbands are back from the manufacturer, we will be shipping out beta units to 12 external testers. This will be shortly followed by another 15 units for external testing.
Launch date - we are still working towards an October shipping date. There is still a few things to fall into place, but things are getting pretty close now.
Our goal is to manufacture as much of the product as possible in New Zealand. While this is more expensive, it gives us greater quality control. We expect to have the bands and packaging made in NZ. The sensor boards and the overall product will be assembled in NZ.
July 3, 2023
The first update for July. It has been a big couple of weeks, so here is the current status:
Hardware - our second batch of sensor boards have been manufactured and are testing well (see image below). The headband itself is on it's way to be manufactured and will be combined with the sensor boards to be beta testing units.
Software - the Windows app has moved to the Microsoft Store platform for easy distribution and updates. It is now pretty robust but needing a few UI tweaks. The Mac app is getting a lot of developer love at the moment and is looking for some solid testing prior to beta.
Beta testing - we expect beta testing to start in late July. This will be given to selected pre-order customers.
Launch date - we still don't have an exact shipping date, but realistically, we expect this to be October.
Pre-ordering a product with a flexible shipping date may not give you confidence. For this reason we offer all pre-orders a 25% discount and free shipping, as well as a full refund if you change your mind before shipping.
June 21, 2023
Doesn't time fly when you are having fun. It is mid-June already. Here is our latest status update:
Hardware (electronics) - our second batch of sensor boards have arrived and are testing well. So far, so good.
Hardware (the band) - we were a bit behind schedule on the band itself, but that has progressed well and new samples will go to the manufacturer at the end of this week.
Software - still lots of small UI tasks and edge cases to manage on the desktop apps, but they are functional and being used daily by our alpha testers.
Beta testing - external testing of the sample hardware and apps will begin in mid-July.
June 6, 2023
Our first update for June:
Hardware - we are still waiting on our second round of board samples to be manufactured. We expect the previous issues to have been fixed and have made the board 0.1mm quicker to reduce defects.
Software - our alpha testers have been using Pylot daily and getting benefits while identifying bugs for us. Our Windows app still needs UI work and bug fixes, mainly related to handling when the band disconnects from the PC. On the Mac, the team are building out the full app UI and data management.
Beta testing - we will look for ~10 beta testers once the new sensor boards are tested and ready to go into a headband.
The shipping date will be dependent on these new board samples. If they test well, we can start preparing for mass production.
May 22, 2023
The team hit some good milestones in the last few weeks. The highlights:
The sensor boards have arrived (as shown below). This is what lives inside the headband, plus a battery. They are small and flexible to ensure the band stays slim. Testing identified a few changes needed, and manufacturing of the next samples has begun.
On the software side, the desktop app now has auto-start so as soon as you put your Pylot band on, the app starts recording. A small change but a massive improvement in ease of use.
We are also testing live recommendations, which allow the app to suggest deep work, shallow tasks or a break based on your current cognitive performance.
Still, plenty of work to do, but things are taking shape nicely.
May 8, 2023
It has been a month since the last update, and we have made good progress.
We are receiving the first sensor boards from the manufacturer next week which will be built into test units. These will be the first functional units in the new form factor.
Our apps for Windows, iOS and Mac are all functional but undergoing some UI improvements to better present the data and feedback.
The Android app is also close to completion but needs some solid testing and alignment with the UI adjustments on iOS.
We are using the prototype hardware internally along with the apps and finding it very beneficial for our own work scheduling. As shown below, I need to focus on my deep tasks in the morning with a break every 90 minutes or so.
April 8, 2023
It has been a productive couple of weeks in product development, with the highlights being:
Our sensor boards starting the manufacturing process. This is a small run to build and test the final hardware. Prior to this we have been using a prototype which was a less convenient form factor
Android app development getting close to completion
March 24, 2023
MaddCog tracks mental performance to help workers enhance their productivity.
MaddCog started in early 2019; it took two years to develop the algorithms to accurately track mental performance and involved capturing thousands of hours of controlled, and real-world data.
Since then, we have developed our own sensor bands and apps. The team has developed a fully functional iOS and Windows app, and we are currently manufacturing v2 hardware samples.
What do we still need to do:
Test the hardware prior to mass production
Complete Android development
Add the manual recording mode to the Windows app
Development Status
This page provides an update on the development of Pylot as we prepare to ship. You can also join us on Discord to ask questions and get more updates.
February 16, 2024
We are getting close.
We are no track to ship in May. We have made a number of modifications to the band based on feedback during beta testing, with a focus on improved comfort. We are confident these changes will deliver on the improvements we are after, and we are in the process of getting prototypes made to test. All going well, we will then move to mass production.
December 19, 2023
We're thrilled to share that Pylot's beta phase is in full swing with 25 dedicated users currently piloting our product. The engagement has been phenomenal, and we're gaining invaluable insights every day.
Our beta testers are truly integrated into the Pylot experience, diligently using the product and not shying away from giving us the full spectrum of their feedback—the good, the bad, and everything in between.
The consensus so far? We're on the right track, but there's room to elevate the experience. Comfort is key, and we're zeroing in on the band design to ensure Pylot can be comfortably worn all day, without even noticing it. Our engineering team are on the case, devising enhancements as we speak.
Beyond the hardware, we have received plenty of suggestions and questions on the app, helping us shape Pylot into a more robust and feature-rich tool.
Thanks to the beta users who are helping as make Pylot what we all want it to be.
November 21, 2023
Beta units have been shipped to our first group of beta users, with more going out next week.
We have done some initial testing of them internally and are excited by the data quality we are seeing. It is holding up to the accuracy we would expect from the sensors.
There are plenty of little imperfections that we are working to address, but nothing that looks to be a major issue at this stage. Examples are: the strap is longer than needed, two of the band pieces don't join as nicely as we would like, etc.
Feedback from the beta testers will dictate when we are happy to proceed to mass production. We will keep you posted.
October 13, 2023
Beta is just moments away…..
We are finally approaching external beta testing. The video below shows the first beta unit in action. The bands are on their way to be assembled after some delays for fixes. They will then be sent out to all our patient beta users.
We have already identified a couple of minor band fixes needed. After adequate beta testing we will move to production and
August 15, 2023
The August update:
Hardware - we are behind schedule on the beta headbands. This is mainly because our chosen manufacturer wasn't able to deliver on sewing the velcro onto the silicon band, and other options were less robust. So the bands are now being made by a alternative partner.
Software - We are in a solid testing block for both Windows and Mac apps. Both are fully functional, both undergoing daily QA.
Beta testing - as soon as the headbands are back from the manufacturer, we will be shipping out beta units to 12 external testers. This will be shortly followed by another 15 units for external testing.
Launch date - we are still working towards an October shipping date. There is still a few things to fall into place, but things are getting pretty close now.
The headband also had a couple of minor design changes, as shown below. This was to provide a more minimalist look.
July 18, 2023
Here is a quick update for mid-July.
Hardware - after a number of tweaks to the headband design and they are off to the manufacturer. We are keen to get units ASAP as we have 20 sensor boards ready to build into bands, and another 20 coming.
Software - We have had substantial progress on the Mac app and backend data handling. Lots of small improvements to come but things are generally in good shape.
Beta testing - as soon as the headbands are back from the manufacturer, we will be shipping out beta units to 12 external testers. This will be shortly followed by another 15 units for external testing.
Launch date - we are still working towards an October shipping date. There is still a few things to fall into place, but things are getting pretty close now.
Our goal is to manufacture as much of the product as possible in New Zealand. While this is more expensive, it gives us greater quality control. We expect to have the bands and packaging made in NZ. The sensor boards and the overall product will be assembled in NZ.
July 3, 2023
The first update for July. It has been a big couple of weeks, so here is the current status:
Hardware - our second batch of sensor boards have been manufactured and are testing well (see image below). The headband itself is on it's way to be manufactured and will be combined with the sensor boards to be beta testing units.
Software - the Windows app has moved to the Microsoft Store platform for easy distribution and updates. It is now pretty robust but needing a few UI tweaks. The Mac app is getting a lot of developer love at the moment and is looking for some solid testing prior to beta.
Beta testing - we expect beta testing to start in late July. This will be given to selected pre-order customers.
Launch date - we still don't have an exact shipping date, but realistically, we expect this to be October.
Pre-ordering a product with a flexible shipping date may not give you confidence. For this reason we offer all pre-orders a 25% discount and free shipping, as well as a full refund if you change your mind before shipping.
June 21, 2023
Doesn't time fly when you are having fun. It is mid-June already. Here is our latest status update:
Hardware (electronics) - our second batch of sensor boards have arrived and are testing well. So far, so good.
Hardware (the band) - we were a bit behind schedule on the band itself, but that has progressed well and new samples will go to the manufacturer at the end of this week.
Software - still lots of small UI tasks and edge cases to manage on the desktop apps, but they are functional and being used daily by our alpha testers.
Beta testing - external testing of the sample hardware and apps will begin in mid-July.
June 6, 2023
Our first update for June:
Hardware - we are still waiting on our second round of board samples to be manufactured. We expect the previous issues to have been fixed and have made the board 0.1mm quicker to reduce defects.
Software - our alpha testers have been using Pylot daily and getting benefits while identifying bugs for us. Our Windows app still needs UI work and bug fixes, mainly related to handling when the band disconnects from the PC. On the Mac, the team are building out the full app UI and data management.
Beta testing - we will look for ~10 beta testers once the new sensor boards are tested and ready to go into a headband.
The shipping date will be dependent on these new board samples. If they test well, we can start preparing for mass production.
May 22, 2023
The team hit some good milestones in the last few weeks. The highlights:
The sensor boards have arrived (as shown below). This is what lives inside the headband, plus a battery. They are small and flexible to ensure the band stays slim. Testing identified a few changes needed, and manufacturing of the next samples has begun.
On the software side, the desktop app now has auto-start so as soon as you put your Pylot band on, the app starts recording. A small change but a massive improvement in ease of use.
We are also testing live recommendations, which allow the app to suggest deep work, shallow tasks or a break based on your current cognitive performance.
Still, plenty of work to do, but things are taking shape nicely.
May 8, 2023
It has been a month since the last update, and we have made good progress.
We are receiving the first sensor boards from the manufacturer next week which will be built into test units. These will be the first functional units in the new form factor.
Our apps for Windows, iOS and Mac are all functional but undergoing some UI improvements to better present the data and feedback.
The Android app is also close to completion but needs some solid testing and alignment with the UI adjustments on iOS.
We are using the prototype hardware internally along with the apps and finding it very beneficial for our own work scheduling. As shown below, I need to focus on my deep tasks in the morning with a break every 90 minutes or so.
April 8, 2023
It has been a productive couple of weeks in product development, with the highlights being:
Our sensor boards starting the manufacturing process. This is a small run to build and test the final hardware. Prior to this we have been using a prototype which was a less convenient form factor
Android app development getting close to completion
March 24, 2023
MaddCog tracks mental performance to help workers enhance their productivity.
MaddCog started in early 2019; it took two years to develop the algorithms to accurately track mental performance and involved capturing thousands of hours of controlled, and real-world data.
Since then, we have developed our own sensor bands and apps. The team has developed a fully functional iOS and Windows app, and we are currently manufacturing v2 hardware samples.
What do we still need to do:
Test the hardware prior to mass production
Complete Android development
Add the manual recording mode to the Windows app
