Gytis Mikuličius
Expert Contributor:
Gytis Mikuličius
Estimated read time: 10 min.
In a modern hunter’s kit, thermal imaging technology holds a significant place. By making it possible to observe wildlife in challenging weather and terrain conditions, Pulsar devices champion ethical hunting – where clear visibility allows for precise and calculated decisions, ensuring safety for both animals and hunters.
In this interview, Gytis Mikuličius, a Pulsar mechanical engineer, discusses the challenging yet inspiring journey the team undertakes to transform an initial idea into a tangible, functional product for customers.
Interview
What is the source of inspiration for your creative product team? How do you decide when it’s time for a new product, and what decisive role do Pulsar Ambassadors and customer feedback play at this stage?
It’s a very collaborative process, so the demand can originate from various departments, including marketing, sales, competitor analysis, or engineering. The marketing and sales teams work directly with the Ambassadors. Information and feedback about the products first reach them, and then it is passed on to us – the people who are directly creating the product.
We take the feedback and suggestions seriously, always striving to take them into account and find a way to implement them. Of course, it’s not always easy to deliver on certain requests. However, to create a successful product, feedback is especially crucial. During the product creation process, the office can become somewhat of a “bubble,” making it harder to spot the product’s strengths and weaknesses. The people who use these products in real conditions can clearly identify inaccuracies and help us find solutions to problems. Therefore, feedback is always a positive asset that allows us to avoid unnecessary discussions and quickly lay out the required plan of action to achieve our goal.
For instance, at one point, Pulsar devices needed an improvement to a simple but crucial display auto-off function. Previously, a 3-second timer was implemented, meaning that a user looking through the device had to wait three seconds for the display to turn off automatically before they could move the device away from their eyes, aim at a target, or take other actions without being noticed. After a while, we received feedback that this time delay was not working effectively in real conditions because the sudden light flash scared the animals away. It became obvious that three seconds was too long, so we had to implement an update that makes the display turn off instantly with a button press. Very often, even a fraction of a second can be critical in the field.
How does the entire process, step-by-step – from the initial idea sketch to the final, market-ready product – look?
First, ideas are generated during various workshops and seminars where we meet with trusted partners and representatives from other countries, review our product range, and analyze competitor actions. From the full list of ideas, we filter out the main priorities: what we will do first, what comes next, and what can wait until we have the necessary resources or technical capabilities to implement it.
Once the priorities and resources are clear, the work begins. We take one specific idea, perform a deeper market analysis, evaluate competitors’ products, and decide what we need to do to be superior: in terms of specification, criteria, price, appearance, functionality, and so on. This is how the product development plan begins, starting with initial prototyping, which later turns into a dimensional model that can be physically assessed. If that meets our satisfaction, we proceed with even more detailed work on the model components (or model assemblies), deciding where the battery will be, what the key will look like, its operating principle, and so on.
Next comes the engineering design work, aimed at meeting all those expectations. Naturally, this often doesn’t succeed on the first attempt; it requires many iterations. For example, we want a more powerful sensor but don’t have space to fit it, so we must change the components again, create a new circuit diagram, and then print and test it all over again.
Sometimes this process feels like two steps forward and one step back, but we are slowly moving toward the final product. Then comes the design stage, ensuring the product is not only functional but also attractive. The designers are already aware of the product’s internal structure and its limitations, so their task is to “dress” the mechanical system with an aesthetically pleasing housing, find a place for the logo and markings, apply finishes, finalize mounting, etc. With the final design, we can approve the detailed documentation – the 2D/3D drawings – which are crucial for the parts manufacturing. This takes a significant amount of time and investment.
Finally, we can assemble the first real batch of products, usually up to 100 units. This is followed by the product testing stage, where we test the device’s durability and functionality. At this point, additional refinements may be introduced: just as the design process moves in certain cycles, so does the final assembly before mass production. All this is done to ensure the final result meets our set quality standard and that the Pulsar brand is associated with a premium quality that exceeds customer expectations. Once the realization of one product is complete, the team moves on to the next one, and the process continues in the same way.
Interview
How long does this process take? How often do you have to start over?
To make it easier to understand, the process can be broken down into projects that are similar to, say, the launch of a new phone, where only an update is planned (e.g., more cameras, a more powerful processor), but the product concept remains the same. Such a project can take up to six months.
In contrast, when we create a product from scratch, and it becomes clear during the design process – for example, that it will be too heavy – we may have to start completely from the beginning. In such cases, the process can last up to two years.
There have been instances where a product was already designed and had a suitable appearance, but a decision was made to postpone it because it was deemed no longer profitable. There have also been cases where a product developed over a couple of years was taken to an exhibition, and representatives during a closed viewing said it was not needed and suggested doing it completely differently. For example, a seemingly simple product of ours, like the Axion Compact, was also the result of multiple attempts.
In general, I’ve noticed that the lifespan of a product is eventually getting shorter. The reason is very simple: competition. For example, some competitors base their production on copying. Copying a product and creating it from scratch are two distinct processes, each requiring different resources and time. While you could copy a product in as little as six months, it takes us significantly longer because we are developing it entirely from scratch. We can say that after releasing a new product, we can expect a competitive response from our rivals within a year. Naturally, we don’t rest either: when a product is finalized but not yet released for sale, we start working on the next one that might eventually replace the previous version.
How is the testing of Pulsar products performed? What tests must the devices pass to be suitable for harsh outdoor conditions?
Testing starts very early in the development stage, where we test the mechanical aspects and the software. Before involving external people, we go out ourselves at night to test the product in real conditions. For external testing, we use trusted individuals who also provide us with feedback.
How do you ensure the balance between attractive design and impeccable technical quality? What challenges do you face?
To be honest, we are constantly searching for the optimal balance. We are not working in a vacuum, so we pay attention to what competitors suggest. However, technological limitations are always a factor, so finding a compromise is essential.
Interview
What role does software play in Pulsar devices?
These days, especially in our products where digital technology is heavily involved, having a large and strong team is paramount. The mechanical part, which I am most closely associated with, determines how and from what parts the product will be assembled. The electronic part, which involves working with sensors, circuit boards, displays, and so on, can be divided into hardware and software segments. This area is becoming increasingly important in the development of a successful product.
The latest example: competitors are using artificial intelligence to improve image quality. Thermal scopes do not use a simple sensor like a camera that captures an image; rather, they use a sort of thermometer where a single pixel measures the incoming radiation. Naturally, the image quality is not comparable to what we are used to seeing on smartphones or other optical devices. To enhance the image, additional tools must be utilized. It is known that some competitors use artificial intelligence, which, upon identifying a tree in the image, details it by drawing in small branches. This is a deception that doesn’t correspond to reality, yet because the user cannot check what is truly hidden in the distance, it creates a perception of quality. Users lacking experience may quickly decide that because it looks good, it must be high quality. So, I believe that the importance of electronics will not diminish; it will only grow in the future.
Which Pulsar device do you personally find the most innovative and a source of the greatest pride?
The most innovative product is the one that is yet to come. The one we are currently working on and which is not yet available for sale.
But choosing from the current Pulsar assortment, it would probably be the thermal binoculars, as they are technically complex. Why? Binoculars are like a platform onto which many things can be attached. Compared to monoculars, which are easier to design and might have, say, 50 metal parts, binoculars can have a hundred. Riflescopes also feature complex construction because they must withstand high recoil loads during a shot, so durability must be ensured to hold up even after a thousand shots.
Let’s recall the beginning of thermal imaging in Lithuania: Pulsar was one of the first companies to introduce thermal technology. What impact did this innovation have on Pulsar as a brand, and what market innovations can we expect in the future?
If I’m not mistaken, that monumental thermal imaging innovation in Lithuania happened around the same time as the 2008 financial crisis. Like other companies, Pulsar was forced to seek more interesting solutions and dare to take risks. In this way, surrounded by skepticism and disbelief from the outside, we introduced thermal scopes. For the company, this was a huge step forward because there was no competition at the time. Undoubtedly, this led to a major expansion of thermal technology, which allowed competitors to adopt the idea and offer their own versions. When we started, there were probably no more than three or four companies offering thermal devices, and today we can easily count them in the dozens.
However, I believe that in the near future, after the market becomes saturated, another stage will begin where the number of competitors starts to decrease. For now, we are seeing relatively minimal updates. It’s difficult to say what the next groundbreaking change will be that will shake the market the way the introduction of thermal imaging did.
Before purchasing any night or thermal vision device, please make sure you adhere to the local legislation and only use it when it is allowed. Our ambassadors come from various countries and travel a lot, which allows them to test different devices. We do not encourage or support the illegal use of our devices in any events. If you wish to learn more about export and sales restriction policy, please visit the following link: Export and Sales Restriction Policy.