By Lewis Kwarcianyi
WHILE many of us are happy to drive off into the sunset and enjoy the fruits of retirement, Ian and Judy Hall are not one of them.
In fact, driving off into retirement – or perhaps, driving off and then reversing slowly – was just the catalyst to turn around and create an entirely new product they say will ‘revolutionise reversing’ for many drivers.
Frustrated at the challenges of relying on the animated hand signals of a partner while trying to reverse into a tight camping spot, the couple set about thinking about solutions.
Cut forward two years of painstaking design and development and the Halls have now brought to market a product they call ‘RearView 170’.
It’s a solar-powered and innovative wireless camera system that can be installed in about 10 minutes and is suitable for everything from your small hatchback to caravans, delivery vans, horse floats, farm trucks and trailers.
“We like to say we’re two geriatrics who helped revolutionise reversing forever,” Ian explains with a smile. The couple have been married for 58 years and are prime examples of a couple thriving in their senior years.
Ian, 84, explained the idea hit him when they were on a road trip and he noticed how many caravans didn’t have reversing cameras.
The traditional method of installing an after-market camera can be very costly and complicated, so Ian and Judy got to work on developing their idea into a fully-fledged product.
Ian laughs when he tells the story of how he tried to retire but he got too bored and was “losing it” mentally, and needed something to keep his mind active.
With decades of experience in the solar industry and a wealth of business knowledge behind them, the couple are showing no signs of slowing down in their senior years.
The 170 aspect is important because the 170-degree viewing angle is much wider than almost every other camera on the market.
“170 degrees is almost seeing around corners,” Ian said. You can also turn the camera on at any point to see what is behind you – not just when reversing.
They love to meet new people and invite interested customers to have an in-person demonstration at their house in Glass House Mountains.
Their catchphrase is “see behind while driving forward”.
Call 5438 7750.