Building the electronics and remote control system for a spike strip that deploys from 100 metres away
Client: PROspike
Industry: Automotive / Critical Systems / Smart City / Public Safety
Service: Electronic Design, Embedded Software, Control Systems, RF Communication
Certification: TüV Netherlands QA CE
PROSpike STINGER hardware and software allows for remote, delayed, and repetitive launch, for traffic control involving border checkpoints, roadblocks, security perimeters, or other remote environments where unauthorized vehicle entry is not allowed.
Our team was trusted to develop and build the hardware, the Central Processor Unit (CPU), the battery, and the remote control that provides continuous system status about battery capacity, pressure, and possible disturbances on the LCD screen of the remote control.
Client and Goals
The PROspike Stinger is a deployable spike strip system used at border checkpoints, roadblocks, and security perimeters to stop unauthorised vehicles. The core idea behind the product is operator safety: rather than placing and triggering a spike mat from the roadside, a position of real physical risk, an operator can set up the system and control its deployment from up to 100 metres away. PROspike needed a trusted engineering partner to design and build the electronics that made this possible: the CPU, battery management system, and the remote control unit that gives the operator live system status throughout.
Challenges
A remotely operated safety-critical system has to meet a higher bar than most electronics projects. If a spike mat fails to deploy when commanded, a vehicle gets through. If it deploys unexpectedly, it becomes a hazard to authorised traffic or the operator. There is no acceptable middle ground, the system has to respond correctly, every time, under the field conditions it will actually encounter.
Wireless communication at up to 100 metres across unpredictable outdoor environments introduces its own complexity. Radio signals are subject to interference, multipath reflections, and varying propagation conditions depending on the terrain, weather, and any other RF activity in the area. The communication link between the remote control and the CPU had to be reliable enough that an operator could trust a command to get through, and know immediately if something was wrong with the link before attempting a deployment.
At the same time, the system had to be physically practical. A device used at checkpoints and roadblocks needs to be portable, the Stinger weighs just 24 kg, liftable by a single person without equipment. The electronics, battery, and CPU all had to fit within that constraint while still providing continuous monitoring of battery level, system pressure, and potential interference on the remote control's LCD screen. And the entire system had to pass TüV Netherlands QA CE certification, which meant rigorous documentation, testing, and adherence to environmental and occupational health and safety standards throughout the development process.
SPINNOV’s Solution
SPINNOV designed and built the full electronics system for the PROspike Stinger, from the central processing unit and battery management to the RF communication link and remote control interface. The result is a system that passed TüV Netherlands certification and is deployed in real security and traffic control environments. Specifically, we:
Designed and built the Central Processing Unit (CPU) managing deployment logic, sensor inputs, and communication
Engineered the battery system including charge management and real-time capacity monitoring
Developed the RF communication system providing reliable command and status transmission up to 100 metres
Built the remote control unit with LCD display showing live battery level, system pressure, and RF interference status
Implemented remote, delayed, and repetitive deployment modes in the embedded firmware
Designed for portability and field durability within the 24 kg total system weight target
Supported the full TüV Netherlands QA CE certification process, including documentation, testing, and compliance validation
1 / Designing around the operator's safety
The entire product exists to keep people away from danger
The fundamental requirement of the PROspike Stinger isn't stopping vehicles, it's doing so without putting the operator in harm's way. That framing shaped every decision in the electronics design. The remote control had to be genuinely reliable at range, because an operator who isn't confident in their remote is an operator who moves closer. And the system status information on the LCD had to be meaningful and current, because an operator making a deployment decision on stale data is an operator taking an unnecessary risk.
We designed the remote control interface around what an operator actually needs to know before triggering a deployment: is the battery charged enough to complete the operation, is the system pressurised correctly, and is the communication link clear? These three things are surfaced continuously on the LCD, not buried in menus, not requiring any interaction to access. The operator looks at the screen and knows whether the system is ready.
2 / RF communication and control system
Making wireless reliable in the field
RF communication over 100 metres sounds straightforward. In practice, outdoor environments at security checkpoints, hard surfaces, vehicles, infrastructure, varying weather, create RF conditions that require careful design to navigate reliably.
We selected and implemented a communication protocol suited to the link budget and interference environment, with the antenna design and transmission power chosen to provide reliable coverage at the specified range without excessive complexity or power draw. The protocol was designed with acknowledgement and status reporting built in, so the remote control can confirm a command was received and acted upon, or flag if the link has degraded before a deployment is attempted.
The deployment logic itself was implemented with deliberate safeguards: remote activation, delayed activation, and repetitive deployment modes each required distinct command sequences to prevent accidental triggering. The CPU validates commands before acting on them and provides confirmation back to the remote control.
4 / Final deliverables
A certified, field-ready system
The PROspike Stinger is deployed at security checkpoints and roadblocks where stopping an unauthorised vehicle is a genuine operational requirement. The electronics at its core have to work, without hesitation, without ambiguity, and without putting the person operating them in danger.