Hi everyone,
The CNY holiday period started, and we rushed to send the 140-unit batch to our regional WH in the US and EU before it. Last Friday was the deadline given by our logistic partner to collect the units in the warehouse in SZ; after that day, any other order will leave the Chinese port till the end of the month. So, even when some backers still needed to confirm some data, we sent 140 units. Then, we can use the two weeks' travel to the US and EU ports to confirm the last-mile address. We expect these units will be delivered to the backers' doors in about three weeks.
The first 10-unit batch already reached the port, and it is in the customs clearance process. This batch helped us understand the process and timelines and devise any possible documentation problems. After some adjustments in data and formats, the batch should be clear by next week, travel to the logistic warehouse in San Diego, and then be delivered to the backers, which is the kickstart to the beta phase.
After assembling all the boards for the 150-unit batch, the most demanding task was to prepare every chess piece for them. Our partners at the factory carefully inspect and detail every single piece. They reviewed over 5,000 units in less than two weeks. At the same time, we established testing steps to avoid sending units that don't match the standards.
One of the most critical things in the chess pieces is the magnet placement to ensure we have the proper polarity on the right side. As a first step, our supplier sends every magnet marked so the assembly technicians can do it well. As a double-safe, we have a sensor array that can validate the polarity even when the pieces are already in their package. We need to replicate this jig for the scale-up batch.
Once the pieces were ready, every board was packaged and prepared for shipping. This batch will also help us validate the packaging design, from the foam protection to the cardboard thickness. We balanced the design between product protection with minimal weight and dimensions to avoid high shipping costs and the risk of dropping units.
Once the packages were collected, the manufacturer started documenting and storing all the residuals to prepare for the holidays and have everything ready once they returned. During this holiday, we will entirely focus on keeping the firmware and app details. Also, we are focused on preparing the proper tools to receive valuable and direct feedback from our beta testers. I will post how we manage these once we complete the information diagram.
What's next?
As you may have noticed, we only sent 140 units, as we kept ten units for testing in-house and further software development. Also, three pieces are marked as the golden standard for assembling and manufacturing. If any issue arises during the following assembly stage, we have a piece with the exact assembly and adjustment for comparison.
We will charge cards for shipping to our Beta testers by the end of the following week once we have the final list.\xa0
Finally, a friendly reminder to those backers who are missing to complete their survey, or for those not in the beta test phase, you are still on time to change your address in the following link:https://phantom-the-robotic-chessboard-made-of-...
Best,\xa0
The Phantom Team\xa0
