The Parent Who Built a Baby Monitor from Walkie-Talkies
The Parent Who Built a Baby Monitor from Walkie-Talkies
Vera was exhausted from checking on her baby all night. She taped a walkie-talkie transmitter to the crib and spent months fixing every problem she found, unknowingly designing the feature list for the first commercial baby monitors.
When her daughter was born, Vera had no baby monitor.
When her daughter was born, Vera had no baby monitor.
She lived in a two-room apartment and spent half the night walking back and forth between her room and the baby's room to check if everything was all right.
She lived in a two-room apartment and spent half the night walking back and forth between her room and the baby's room to check if everything was all right.
After two weeks of broken sleep, Vera had an idea.
After two weeks of broken sleep, Vera had an idea.
She had a pair of cheap walkie-talkies she used for hiking.
She had a pair of cheap walkie-talkies she used for hiking.
She taped down the push-to-talk button on one of them so it would transmit continuously.
She taped down the push-to-talk button on one of them so it would transmit continuously.
She placed it next to the crib.
She placed it next to the crib.
She carried the other one with her.
She carried the other one with her.
Now she could hear the baby from the kitchen or from her bedroom.
Now she could hear the baby from the kitchen or from her bedroom.
She did not have to keep walking.
She did not have to keep walking.
But the system had problems.
But the system had problems.
The neighbor's walkie-talkie was on the same channel.
The neighbor's walkie-talkie was on the same channel.
She could hear strangers talking.
She could hear strangers talking.
The battery died quickly because the button was always pressed.
The battery died quickly because the button was always pressed.
The sound was fuzzy at the far end of the apartment.
The sound was fuzzy at the far end of the apartment.
Vera kept a notebook.
Vera kept a notebook.
She wrote down every problem and tried to fix each one.
She wrote down every problem and tried to fix each one.
She changed to a less common channel.
She changed to a less common channel.
She bought a battery pack that lasted longer.
She bought a battery pack that lasted longer.
She experimented with where to place the transmitter to get the clearest sound.
She experimented with where to place the transmitter to get the clearest sound.
After a few months, her system worked well.
After a few months, her system worked well.
Her friends who had new babies asked her to help them build the same thing.
Her friends who had new babies asked her to help them build the same thing.
She helped five families set up their own versions.
She helped five families set up their own versions.
Years later, the first commercial baby monitors appeared in shops.
Years later, the first commercial baby monitors appeared in shops.
Vera read the packaging.
Vera read the packaging.
The features listed were exactly the ones she had added to her notebook: long battery life, private channels, adjustable volume, and a low-battery warning light.
The features listed were exactly the ones she had added to her notebook: long battery life, private channels, adjustable volume, and a low-battery warning light.