The idea for GPS-SAFE did not originate in an office or a fancy meeting room. It started out in the countryside, in a machine shed – at Lene’s parents’ farm.
Like many other farmers, Lene’s father, Henning, uses GPS equipment on his tractors to work more precisely in the field. But there was one major problem. GPS antennas are expensive – and unfortunately also a popular target for thieves.
As a result, Henning had developed a routine: every single day the antenna had to be mounted, and every single day it had to be removed again when the tractor was parked in the evening.
This often meant climbing onto the tractor several times a day – onto areas that were not designed for climbing.
Henning is in his early 60s, and he had started to think more about safety in his daily work.
He says:
“If I fall onto the concrete floor, I don’t even want to think about the consequences at my age. And not just at my age – if you’re unlucky and land the wrong way, it can have serious consequences.”
So it wasn’t just the risk of theft that concerned him. It was just as much about the safety risks of constantly climbing up and down the tractor.
One day, Henning discussed the problem with Dan – his son-in-law, who is married to his daughter Lene.
Dan and Lene run the company Noovall, which designs and develops interior products and furniture. On the surface, this may not seem related to tractors or agriculture. But Noovall also has a well-equipped workshop with laser cutters, press brakes, CNC machines, and other production equipment – making it possible to develop and manufacture a wide range of products.
And Dan has always had an inventor’s mindset.
So Henning asked him directly:
“Can’t you come up with some kind of lock for that GPS?”
Dan took on the challenge.
After three prototypes, they succeeded in developing a solution – a mechanical security device for the GPS antenna. A simple, robust, and effective lock that allows the antenna to remain mounted on the tractor without the need for constant removal and reinstallation.
A solution that simply did not exist on the market.
Typically, farmers and contractors try to protect their equipment with additional surveillance or GPS trackers. The problem is that once the equipment is stolen, it is often very difficult to recover.
The theft leads to significant costs and operational disruption – especially during peak season, when work in the fields cannot wait.
GPS-SAFE was therefore developed from a simple idea:
The best theft is the one that never happens.
And sometimes, a great invention simply starts with a farmer who is tired of climbing up and down his tractor. 🚜
Effektiv Landbrug featured GPS-SAFE in an article in 2024.