Portable Vehicle Mounts Provide Mobility For Utility's Rugged Computers

USAT Corp. (Chapel Hill, NC) is a field computing systems integrator that works frequently with utility companies on the Atlantic seaboard. The integrator was recently contacted by a large, mid-Atlantic electric utility company to help develop a portable mount solution for its mobile computing workstations.

Like many other electric utility companies, this utility, which powers more than 2 million households across 22,000 square miles, has cut back on field service crews over the past few years. As a result, utility workers from surrounding states are often called in on a temporary basis to help restore power when a major thunderstorm hits. The out-of-state crews arrive ready to work nonstop, clearing live downed wires, climbing utility poles, and toiling under hazardous conditions to get the lights back on. They also are confronted by unfamiliar terrain, and they have little knowledge of the local power grid. So, visiting teams rely on mobile computers with specialized mapping applications to work through these handicaps. However, there's neither time nor inclination for visiting utility teams to drill and install permanent computer mounts in their trucks. Instead, the utility asked USAT, which had previously installed permanent computer mounts in 750 of the utility's trucks, to help it develop a more flexible solution for the visiting crews.

Address Customer Needs In Computer Mount Design
USAT worked with mount manufacturer Gamber-Johnson (Stevens Point, WI) to design a new, portable mount for the Panasonic (Secaucus, NJ) Toughbook rugged mobile computers that the utility uses. "It was difficult to design because a rugged laptop is a much heavier computer," explains Beverly McRae, national sales and marketing director for USAT. "We experimented with different-sized arms and base components to find the right balance between stability, ergonomics, and safety." The mount design also had to account for a docking station, wireless data modem, printer, mobile beta radio, and the radio antenna. "In essence, we were designing an entire portable workstation," she says.

The mount that USAT created is made from a tough polyethylene substrate and consists of a base unit with an arm. The base unit rests on the passenger seat and tucks between the seat and seat back for a secure fit. The seat belt shoulder harness provides extra stability. Workers place an antenna magnetic mount on the roof of the vehicle and are ready to roll in as little as 3 minutes. "We made the units as intuitive as possible to install," says McRae. "It has to be simple and fast. The workers who are using them are under tremendous stress, working 12-hour shifts in dangerous conditions. The last things we want them to worry about are hardware and mounting issues."

USAT developed several prototypes for the utility to test. After field testing, USAT made several refinements. Equipment cables were being jostled when the mount and equipment were being removed, and there was a potential for damage to the serial ports. "We actually redesigned the base to make sure that all of these connection points were better protected," says McRae.

Portable Mount Design Opens Door To Sales In Other Verticals
The utility company purchased 35 portable mounts, fully loaded with all equipment, at a cost comparable to permanent mount units. The portable mounts passed their first trials during Hurricane Isabel in September 2003, which knocked out power to more than 3.3 million households in North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., and cost an estimated $3 billion in damage. But utility company vehicles aren't the only potential market for the mounts.

"We're interested in taking our mobile mounting system to other industries," says McRae. "There are many companies that rely on a mobile workforce, many of whom use privately owned vehicles. They require an efficient, ergonomic computing workstation but don't want to drill holes in their cars. This solution is ideal for them."