Group Buy: L'Aigle Exoskeleton

[Pierre Davezac]

Looks good. If that wrap around waist plate is metal, maybe add some threaded 1/4-20 holes to allow attaching stuff.

Hi Galen, Take a look at the belt, there is indeed a series of holes to attach anything you might need :

 

[Terry VerHaar]

I get excited for this every time I look at the video. Still trying to figure out exactly how it interfaces with your hands/wrists/arms in the latest incarnation.? Does it still have the additional hand units as shown in the video? Since I'll be using it with a Helix, I am wondering if I can drop one hand and lower the Helix to "suitcase" mode (dangling from one arm). I hope we can see it in action soon. And with Helix if at all possible.

Thnx.

 

[David E. Rogers]

I didn't order a pelvic girdle!!

 

[Terry VerHaar]

I didn't order a pelvic girdle!!

It comes free with your exoskeleton! :smiley:

 

[Ned Wilson]

Hi Ned, you can trust our 20 months experience in testing exoskeletons in every possible configurations and environments. This is really the best possible way of relieving your arms (and wrists, and hands).

My main concern is does this design allow the operator to retract or extend their reach? This would help for body control when moving fast to slow or slow to fast - such as going from walk to run. Also extending and retracting opposite arms initiates pans or retracting both for squeezing into tight quarters (behind bars, through tight doorways, etc). Perhaps most importantly, this effects the operator's balance. I can't imagine being on rollerblades or doing moves on uneven ground with both arms extended out in front. Just my two cents from twenty five plus years operating cameras.

 

[Galen Rath]

My only concern was does this design allow the operator to retract or extend their reach. This would help for body control when moving fast to slow or slow to fast. Such as going from walk to run.

Yes, that is pretty important, in fact essential.

 

[Jens Jakob Thorsen]

Still no news from Pierre about the people that where caught out because of his faulty website and the payment issues on it.

We where told to wait by Carey, and we where told by Pierre that the issue would be resolved, in the next few days, but as we know, It did not.

I did not get a fair chance to pay the deposit on the 31th of december, or the following days.

I wrote him a PM asking politely if it was still possible to get in the GB, but the answer was no.

His persistent unwillingness to address this issue makes me think of the fact that reaching the 100 mark in the group buy(from the current 96), would cost him €5.000 in lost revenues(96x#2000 vs 100x€1870 )+ the production cost of 4 units...

This conduct is not worthy of a reduser group buy, in my opinion.

(On another note it would have been good business to sell me a unit, as I would probably have been able to facilitate another 8-10 units here in Denmark at full price, by reputation and demonstration).

 

[Pierre Davezac]

I did not get a fair chance... This conduct is not worthy of a reduser group buy, in my opinion.

Jens, that’s very nice to end our private communication in public. Appreciated.

The website was by no means faulty in any way. It was up and running from the first to the last moment it had to be: 10th to 31st, 3 weeks to “get a fair chance" to be part of it!
People continued to place their orders until the last moment, even without paying their deposits. No problem.

Now it is not fair nor serious to circumvent what was agreed. 95 people got organized to register on time.

I’m never closed to discussion. But I’m not a partisan of unfair public prosecution.

 

[Pierre Davezac]

My main concern is does this design allow the operator to retract or extend their reach?

Ned, that's actually a very good question. I cannot comment too much, even if we protected our design in any possible way worldwide. But be sure this main issue has been addressed!

 

[Terry VerHaar]

I post this with all sincerity and much appreciation for the quality of the product we are being shown. However, most satisfying business relationship are based on the activity that occurs "around the edges." What I mean by that is that the basics usually go pretty well, but the details make the difference between "so-so" and extraordinary. Personally, I don't think 95% is a very high number for measuring customer satisfaction. Of course, I can't speak to any specific dealing here because I haven't been involved in any but my own. I do observe, however, htat there was a good deal of confusion that occurred around the Paypal then no Paypal, then refunds, then waiting for credit card capability, then told it wouldn't come and finally be told that each person would be contacted to clear things up. To suggest that people had "3 weeks" is disingenuous. By the time the dust cleared on the confusion, many had a couple days, at best. If they waited for confirmation or were confused, they lost out. Again, 95% isn't a very admirable number, IMO.

What is discouraging to me, and others, too, it would seem, is the fact that by closing out a few confused individual buyers - who, even as we speak, with no delivery date in sight, would still like to participate - the group buy has fallen short of the best discount by just these few units; enough to go "over the top." Is this a deliberate manipulation? Hard to tell. But it doesn't feel good. It's one thing if we were 10 or 15 units short. But, falling just a few units short with willing buyers being shut out, is likely to make this transaction a mere "95 percenter" at best, for most of us.

I would encourage Pierre and L'Aigle to open up a short window of opportunity to those people who have already demonstrated a desire to purchase; to place orders/deposits and see where we end up. I really don't see how that can be a problem since it appears that the product isn't yet ready to be shipped anyway. I think the end result would be a 99.9+ percent feeling of good will with the group buy.

Thank you.

 

[Ned Wilson]

Ned, that's actually a very good question. I cannot comment too much, even if we protected our design in any possible way worldwide. But be sure this main issue has been addressed!

Thanks. Look forward to how the design evolves.

 

[Austin Glass]

I echo Terry's sentiments

 

[Vassili Spiropoulos]

+1 for Terry's thoughts...

 

[David Dvir]

I post this with all sincerity and much appreciation for the quality of the product we are being shown. However, most satisfying business relationship are based on the activity that occurs "around the edges." What I mean by that is that the basics usually go pretty well, but the details make the difference between "so-so" and extraordinary. Personally, I don't think 95% is a very high number for measuring customer satisfaction. Of course, I can't speak to any specific dealing here because I haven't been involved in any but my own. I do observe, however, htat there was a good deal of confusion that occurred around the Paypal then no Paypal, then refunds, then waiting for credit card capability, then told it wouldn't come and finally be told that each person would be contacted to clear things up. To suggest that people had "3 weeks" is disingenuous. By the time the dust cleared on the confusion, many had a couple days, at best. If they waited for confirmation or were confused, they lost out. Again, 95% isn't a very admirable number, IMO.

What is discouraging to me, and others, too, it would seem, is the fact that by closing out a few confused individual buyers - who, even as we speak, with no delivery date in sight, would still like to participate - the group buy has fallen short of the best discount by just these few units; enough to go "over the top." Is this a deliberate manipulation? Hard to tell. But it doesn't feel good. It's one thing if we were 10 or 15 units short. But, falling just a few units short with willing buyers being shut out, is likely to make this transaction a mere "95 percenter" at best, for most of us.

I would encourage Pierre and L'Aigle to open up a short window of opportunity to those people who have already demonstrated a desire to purchase; to place orders/deposits and see where we end up. I really don't see how that can be a problem since it appears that the product isn't yet ready to be shipped anyway. I think the end result would be a 99.9+ percent feeling of good will with the group buy.

Thank you.

I also +1 Terry's thoughts. Seems like we had to wait a very long time for the renders while we were told shipping would have started last week. So the reality is I don't expect to receive my units (I have paid deposits for 3 of them) until March at the earliest. I fully understand delays in manufacturing so I am not really surprised or upset, though.

The real disappointment is the cost of paying 3 x the difference from the second to top tear VS the top tear. We are very close and the extreme difficulty and challenge with getting these deposits in was almost certainly cause for a lack of enough people to not make the deadline. Given the delays and the frustrations it seems a small gesture to re-open the group buy and gather 10-20 more people to participate.

Otherwise I'm very near a decision to back out myself. It does not really make me feel comfortable moving forward with L'Aigle if the event I have any issues or require any customer support. Aside from cost I want to ensure I am dealing with a business I can rely on in the future. Just my thoughts..

 

[Kwan Khan]

I would encourage Pierre and L'Aigle to open up a short window of opportunity to those people who have already demonstrated a desire to purchase; to place orders/deposits and see where we end up. I really don't see how that can be a problem since it appears that the product isn't yet ready to be shipped anyway. I think the end result would be a 99.9+ percent feeling of good will with the group buy.

Thank you.

++!

I really don't see how that can be a problem since it appears that the product isn't yet ready to be shipped anyway.

Me too,
why L'Aigle can't take more deposit hit 100+ and offer REDuser's a 100+ (as promised) discount.

 

[Roy Rossovich]

Really, we are not hitting the 100 mark on this??

 

[Terry VerHaar]

Really, we are not hitting the 100 mark on this??

To my knowledge, we don't absolutely know, one way or the other. But there are two interrelated issues:

1) Achieving this max discount level, and
2) Fair treatment for everyone who wants in - and tried in earnest to make their deposit.

Hopefully, we can get to both these goals.

 

[Kwan Khan]

Hopefully, we can get to both these goals.

I certainly agreed and 100+ discount (as promised) should be echoed without ignoring (like it has been previously).

Let's make it happen and call it "deal of the day"

 

[troyword]

Based on the Euro to Dollar exchange rate the current group buy price of 2000€ is actually $4 less today than the 100+ group buy price of 1870€ on Dec 17th. Looking like it may be even cheaper by the time of delivery. Pretty extraordinary deal in my opinion!

 

[Terry VerHaar]

Based on the Euro to Dollar exchange rate the current group buy price of 2000€ is actually $4 less today than the 100+ group buy price of 1870€ on Dec 17th. Looking like it may be even cheaper by the time of delivery. Pretty extraordinary deal in my opinion!

I, for one, am completely aware of this as I have been watching closely since early December. However, it really is a separate matter from the issue swe are discussing. L'Aigle is working within the euro economy so it is, perhaps, the loss of an exchange rate winfall as much as anything else. If the company has concerns about this, perhaps it would be best if they identified them as such and dealt with them directly.

And, consider this: The drop in the exchange rate will make euro products much more attractive on the world market. If you combine the fact that many of the 100 group buy units will be in the U.S. "promoting" this high quality product PLUS it is that much more affordable to U.S. buyers - even at full price - it is a double win for L'Aigle!