GUARDIAN US MVP SPEC v1.1
The fewest features required to legally deploy on federal-aid projects, generate subscription revenue, and begin accumulating WZDx data credibility. Everything else is a Phase 2+ unlock.
GUARDIAN is the US commercial identity for TAS's intelligent portable AFAD (Automated Flagger Assistance Device). Same hardware platform as MINIBOOM, rebuilt for US regulatory environment, positioning, and data infrastructure.
Tagline: "One GUARDIAN. One less worker in the line of fire."
Mission: "We believe no American construction worker should stand in live traffic to keep traffic moving."
10× lighter than the lightest US competitor. Gate arm: 3.2m telescoping. MUTCD 6E compliant. Native 4G + WZDx output.
| Element | AU (MINIBOOM) | US (GUARDIAN) | Action Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Signal head standard | AS 2144 | ITE VTCSH LED Circular Signal | ITE testing — $15–30K, 30–60 days |
| Cellular module | Quectel EC25-AU | Quectel EC25-AF (AT&T/T-Mo/VZW) | Module swap; confirm with Joel pre-June |
| Crashworthiness | IP45/55 | MASH 2016 Cat 4 portable analysis | Computer sim — $20–40K, 60–90 days |
| Product identity | TZ30 / MINIBOOM / Towards Zero | GUARDIAN / Safe System / Vision Zero | Brand rebuild — done |
| Data platform | TASTrack AU | TASTrack US + WZDx feed | Sam builds — 60–90 days |
Everything else (boom arm, LiFePO4, 77GHz radar, IoT processor, die-cast housing, GPS) is identical. This is a certification and branding exercise, not a redesign.
| Total weight | <20 kg (boom + head + base combined) |
| No single component | >10 kg (operator safety) |
| Boom arm | 3.2m extended, 3-stage telescoping, stowed 1,150mm |
| Stability legs | Adjustable wind-out, pivoting foot, folds flush |
| Gate arm | Retroreflective striping, breakaway per MUTCD 6E |
| Carry case | Aluminium, wheeled, fits standard US pickup bed |
| IP rating | IP65 (die-cast ADC12 aluminium) |
| Wind rating | 100 km/h with legs deployed |
| Setup | <10 min, single operator, no tools |
| Size | 200mm (8 inch) ITE VTCSH |
| Aspects | 3-aspect Red/Amber(Yellow)/Green LED |
| Compliance | ITE VTCSH + NEMA TS-5 environmental |
| Visibility | Retroreflective board + hoods included |
| Configuration | R/Y lens type AFAD per MUTCD 6E |
| Battery | LiFePO4, 12–15Ah, 12V DC |
| Solar | 80–120W in carry case lid / deployable |
| Runtime | Indefinite (solar); 3+ days standalone |
| ⚠ Thermal | US deployment (Northeast winter) requires battery thermal mgmt |
| Processor | STM32H7 + Linux SoM edge compute |
| Cellular | Quectel EC25-AF, 4G LTE, Hologram MVNO |
| GPS | Standard, 3m, updates every 30s |
| Radar | 77GHz mmWave (TI IWR1443) — counting + speed |
| Camera | 2MP IR (IMX291/307) — passive in MVP |
| Fallback | 4G primary, BLE remote, LoRa low-connectivity |
| Feature | Ver-Mac | Wanco | Horizon | GUARDIAN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | 91 kg | 397 kg | 197 kg | <20 kg |
| Portability | Truck hitch | Trailer towed | Hand-winch cart | One-hand carry |
| Signal head | 12" LED | 12" LED | 12" LED | 8" ITE LED |
| Sensors | Basic siren | Optional radar | Microwave presence | 77GHz mmWave |
| Connectivity | Optional modem | Local radio | Optional bridge | 4G Native Cloud |
| Software | JamLogic | Local only | Horizon Plus | TASTrack (WZDx) |
- GPS tracking + 30-second updates
- Pre-start compliance (operator ID + photo + GPS stamp)
- Job logging per deployment
- Automated compliance PDF export
- Subscriber fleet dashboard
- Ed25519 digital signature on every payload
- Automated WZDx Work Zone Feed at pre-start
Unit Pairing: Ed25519-signed handshake between paired units.
Comm Loss: Heartbeat lost >5s → both units default to Red (Stop).
Radar Interlock: Vehicle intrusion while Red → local siren (110dB) + TASTrack logs "Intrusion Event" with GPS/Timestamp.
Active Clearance: Radar monitors zone; Yellow phase extends until clearance confirmed empty.
Work Zone Feed (MVP):
- Native GeoJSON v4.2+ via HTTPS REST
- Auto-generated at pre-start
- Required fields: device_type, signal_state, gate_status, milepost
- Registered with FHWA before ATSSA Convention
Device Feed (Phase 2):
- Live 30-second updates per unit
- Discoverable by all 25 WZDx-active states
- Unlocks DOT direct sub contracts
| Feature | Why Non-Negotiable | Status |
|---|---|---|
| ITE VTCSH certification | Required for any state DOT approved-products list | Testing |
| MUTCD 6E compliance docs | Required before first federal-aid project | 2–4 wks PE |
| MASH 2016 Cat 4 analysis | Required for federal safety spec inclusion | Sim |
| EC25-AF + Hologram SIM | US cellular (AT&T/T-Mo/VZW) | Joel |
| TASTrack US (GPS + pre-start) | Minimum subscription value prop | Sam |
| WZDx Work Zone Feed | DOT credibility; free FHWA registration | Sam |
| US product liability insurance | Required before any US road deployment | Critical |
| US entity (Delaware) | Contract + insurance requirement | Week 1 |
| Subscription billing (Stripe) | USD weekly/monthly, tiered private | 2–4 wks |
| Feature | Phase | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| WZDx Device Feed (live continuous) | Phase 2 | Work Zone Feed is MVP unlock |
| ANPR (camera-based LPR) | Phase 2 | Camera installed but passive; legal review per state |
| DOT-facing compliance dashboard | Phase 2 | Subscriber dashboard is MVP; DOT portal is upsell |
| Data licensing (AV/nav apps) | Phase 3 | Needs 1,000+ unit density |
| Wearables mesh | Phase 3 | US-specific SKU, separate charter |
| SOC 2 Type II | Pre-Phase 2 | Required for govt direct sub; not for TM subs Phase 1 |
| US final assembly | Phase 2 | Phase 1 ships AU + import; Phase 2 triggers ≥500/yr |
US entity + provisional patent
Fabian + US attorney / IP attorney · ~$7–15K
Insurance + testing submitted
Travelers/Liberty Mutual · ITE VTCSH + MASH sim commissioned · ~$95–170K
EC25-AF confirmed + ATSSA member
Joel confirms with Jack/Fiona · ATSSA app submitted · ~$2–5K
TASTrack US + WZDx build
Sam · GPS + pre-start + Work Zone Feed + operator app · ~$80–120K
First US pilot agreement
MN or UT DOT or AWP/RoadSafe · $0
First US subscription active
Revenue live
ATSSA Convention Launch
Long Beach, CA · $10–50K sponsorship
Fundable from AU FY28 cash flow ($2.46M AUD EBITDA). No external capital required.
| Tier | Fleet | $USD/wk | Annual/Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 1–24 | $150 | $7,800 |
| Growth | 25–74 | $135 | $7,020 |
| Professional | 75–149 | $125 | $6,500 |
| Enterprise | 150–299 | $115 | $5,980 |
| Major | 300–499 | $110 | $5,720 |
| National | 500–999 | $100 | $5,200 |
| Strategic | 1,000+ | $90 | $4,680 |
Published rate: $150/wk. All other tiers private. Founding partners committing pre-ATSSA get National/Strategic rates that disappear after Feb 2027.
TM company deploys GUARDIAN at $100/day, 4 days/week, on a $125/week Professional sub:
Annual profit per unit: $14,300 USD
At 50-unit fleet: $715,000/year net profit from GUARDIAN subscriptions alone. This is the business case that closes itself.
US cost floor: ~$17–22/week blended (AU mfg + US compliance + shipping). Every tier above $22 = margin. Even Strategic at $90 = 75%+ blended gross margin.
Goal: First 150–500 US units, first $1M+ USD ARR, WZDx feed live in FHWA registry.
- GUARDIAN hardware (MINIBOOM + EC25-AF + ITE head)
- TASTrack US — operator app, fleet dashboard, compliance PDF
- WZDx Work Zone Feed auto-generated at pre-start
- Subscription billing USD weekly/monthly
- MUTCD 6E package for MN/UT/VA/TX
- ATSSA membership active; 2027 Convention booked
- WZDx Device Feed (live per-unit)
- ANPR activation
- DOT-facing compliance portal
- SOC 2 Type II
- US final assembly
Goal: 500–2,000 units, WZDx Device Feed, SOC 2 achieved, first DOT direct subscription.
- WZDx Device Feed — live 30s updates per unit, discoverable by all 25 WZDx-active states
- ANPR activation (camera was always installed — software unlock only)
- TASTrack DOT portal — state DOTs view fleet compliance in real time
- SOC 2 Type II — unlocks government direct subscription contracts
- US final assembly (Texas or NC) — triggered at 500+/yr for Buy America
- ITE CWZ Standards Committee membership
Goal: 5,000+ units, data licensing revenue layer, GUARDIAN as national work zone compliance infrastructure.
- Data licensing — HERE Maps, Waze/Google, Aurora, TomTom, INRIX
- AV manufacturer partnerships — live feed into AV navigation stacks
- GUARDIAN Safety Fund — formal charitable programme, LIUNA LECET partner
- TASTrack as independent entity evaluation
- International expansion from US base — Canada, UK, EU