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North Sense box content: 

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- A North Sense

- Anchoring system

- 1 micro USB cable

- The connectors come in two sizes.  You have three of each size.  The difference is very small but if you place them side by side you should see the difference.

What do I do First?

  • Charge your North Sense for about 1.5 hours. 

  • Read this guide and follow the instructions.  Do not skip a step.  

  • Download the app.

Download the North Sense App

Download the North Sense App

Cyborg Nest ID

  • When you join the Cyborg Nest you are given a unique Cyborg Nest ID. Your North Sense will not function correctly until you register your Cyborg Nest ID.

  • The purpose of the Cyborg Nest ID is to store your North Sense and any future senses we design in a single place. This will ensure the security of your data and the operability of the senses.

  • There is one more level of security.  The North Sense ID and the Cyborg Nest ID are linked to your phone’s serial number.  This is intended to prevent another device connecting to your North Sense.

  • If you change your phone you should inform us so we can delete the old one from our database and add the new one.

  • Do not connect your North Sense to more than one phone.  It will compromise the integrity of your Cyborg Nest ID.   

The North Sense App

The purpose of the app is to allow you to personalise your North Sense. You will not need to use the app often.  It is primarily for calibrating the North Sense to your body. Once that is done you will only go back to it if you feel that you need to adjust the parameters.

  • The app is activated via Bluetooth. Ensure that this function is enabled on your phone.

  • Make sure the North Sense is close to your phone (no more than 20-30 cm). We deliberately kept the range of the Bluetooth to a minimum for battery savings and device security.

  • Turn the North Sense App ON.

  • Close the app once finished. Bluetooth is a battery killer.

  • The Bluetooth is automatically activated when connected to a power source.  We recommend to do most of the app work in this configuration.

  • After disconnecting the power source cable, the BLE enters sleep mode in few seconds.

  • The North Sense also has an option to wake the Bluetooth while not connected to a power source. To activate the Bluetooth gently tap on the North Sense twice. Keep in mind that using this option might cause the BLE to stay awake for a long time, which will significantly shorten your battery life.

Vibration Intensity & Length

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Please keep in mind that the higher the intensity and the longer the vibration, the shorter the battery life. The vibrator consumes more battery than any other part of the North Sense.  

Airplane mode​

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The Airplane mode allows you to disable the North Sense for any reason.  

Sense update

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  • This function updates the firmware on your North Sense. This is not an app update. It updates the firmware on the North Sense.

  • To activate, press on the Sense Update button. A meter starting at 0% will run until it reaches 100%. If for some reason it starts over it typically means that there was a problem with the connection.

  • It is important to keep the North Sense very still and in close proximity to your phone while the update occurs.  

  • This function will be locked unless there is a firmware update.  The color will change and you will also will receive an email notification with instructions

Calibration

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  • The calibration process determines how the North Sense functions specifically on your body.    No two people are the same and it is important to calibrate the North Sense just for you.  

  • The North Sense needs to be calibrated on the body.  Gently hold it against your body exactly where it will be anchored.

  • Once activated, the calibration button will blink and you will feel a short vibration.  Keep going.  Do not stop the calibration process until you feel another short vibration and the button stops blinking and turns solid green.

  • The North Sense was designed to fit as many people as possible regardless of body shape. If you are not getting satisfactory results while calibrating it with the USB entrance at the bottom, flip it so that the entrance faces up.  Then try calibrating again in this position. We created an angle in the mold (as you can see the board is floating in a slight angle in the silicone coating) so that you can choose between these two positions.  

  • NOTE: If your North Sense stops working because the battery is depleted turn on the app on your phone before putting it back on your body.  Since your personal calibration settings are stored on the app they will restore the settings on your North Sense. You will not need to recalibrate.

  • NOTE: Do not get pierced before calibrating the North Sense on your body to ensure it functions well in that spot.

  • Note: The North Sense will not detect north while connected to the USB cable.

  • View the video to learn about the calibration.

Practice calibrating the North Sense while it is connected to the power source then remove it and calibrate it on your body. The North Sense will not detect north while connected to the USB cable.

Battery

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​The battery life will change from day to day depending on things such as the number of times you faced north, the intensity and length of the vibrator settings and generally how much you moved during the day.  Just as we all maintain our biological senses (we blow our nose, clean our ears, wipe the sleep from our eyes) you will now need to have a maintenance routine for your North Sense which includes daily charging.

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  • The North Sense is charged via the waterproof micro USB entrance at the top.  You can’t miss it.  The charging time is about an hour or maybe a bit more.

  • Charging the North Sense while mounted on the body is strongly discouraged. Charging should only occur while the North Sense has been removed from the anchoring system.

  • When you connect your North Sense to a power source it should slightly vibrate once.  It should slightly vibrate once again when you disconnect it. 

  • ​Do not expose the North Sense to extreme heat. If at any time you feel it heating up, remove immediately.

Water Resistant​

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The North Sense is water resistant. It can go as deep as 10 meters for 3 hours. Do not exceed these limits.

How does it work?

  • If you are already facing north, the North Sense will not vibrate if you make small changes in direction.  If you are facing north and you want to feel the vibration again you need to turn 45 degrees away and then turn back to north.  

  • The North Sense does not vibrate continuously.  It is often in sleep mode. It goes to sleep if you stop moving for a period of time. It wakes up when you start moving again. Sometimes you need to walk a few steps to wake it up.  This prevents it from vibrating with every small movement.  

  • The North Sense was designed to vibrate a few degrees before you face magnetic north.  This allows a more natural experience as you move into range.  So if you are turning left and about to hit magnetic north it will vibrate at around 2 degrees .  If you are turning right and about to hit magnetic north is will vibrate at around 358 degrees.  This gives your brain an extra fraction of a second to process the information.

  • The North Sense might not always have the same results when turning from both sides (clockwise or anticlockwise) as the magnetic values might not be the same from both directions.

  • The North Sense goes into sleep mode while you sleep. 

  • The North Sense is as accurate as any of our biological senses.  We didn’t build a perfect robot.  We created a new sense. The North Sense can be affected by your environment just like a biological sense.  If you are in a noisy place it is hard to hear a conversation.  If you are in a very dark room it is hard to see.  And if you are in a place where there is interference with the earth’s magnetic field your North Sense will be affected. For instance, sometimes it will vibrate when it shouldn't.  You will get used to this and adjust accordingly.  

  • The North Sense is not a navigation tool.  It is a sense.  It will add to your sense of orientation and experience of spaces. Trust it. It’s you new body part.

Fitting the anchoring system

How to choose your piercer

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  • After you have verified that the North Sense functions and you have decided where you will place it on your body it is time to start fitting the anchoring system on your body.

  • It is very important not to compromise. This is your body. Do not choose your piercer based on price.  Choose based on their expertise in surface piercings.  Having the right professional do this will play a significant role in the experience.  Get it right and the experience will be amazing.

  • Identify piercers that hold surface piercing certificates.  This means that they have been trained on this very specific procedure.

  • Another important consideration is to see a portfolio of healed surface piercings. Please make sure your body piercer shows you pictures of healed surface piercings he/she did.

  • Patience plays a major part in the process. The process doesn't start when you get to the studio.  It starts with the first phone call or meeting. Please find a person who has time to talk to you and understand what you need so that they have enough information before you get pierced. 

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Where to place it on the body

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  • We recommend attaching the North Sense to the upper part of your chest. The North Sense is a directional sense so having it placed where it is connected to your existing forward facing orientation may be helpful.   

  • Very Important: As mentioned in the calibration video, please fit the bars in an area that is perpendicular with the ground.  They should be as close to a 90 degree angle with the ground as possible.  First choose the general location of the body (i.e upper chest) and then decide on the exact spot where the angle is just right.

  • The two 25mm surface barbels need to be fitted vertically with a 29mm difference between them. Please take the North Sense with you to the Body piercing artist so he/she could see if this 29mm proposed gap fits your own body or you might need to adjust it. 

  • Please make the placement decision based on function.  This is not an aesthetic decision.

  • Don’t stop the aftercare too soon.  The healing process takes many months.  Continue to follow the aftercare instructions even when you feel the healing process looks good.

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Healing time

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  • Surface piercings have longer healing times than other piercings such as ear piercings. We recommend to wait a minimum of 9 weeks before attaching your North Sense.  Consult your body piercer to verify that it is healed sufficiently and ready to attach.   Although there is a longer healing time and higher risk of rejection, this type of piercing is the best way to anchor the North Sense.  If you allow the healing process to complete you will enjoy a better final result. We know waiting is the hardest part but you have to respect nature and understand that part of the cyborg transition is healing time.

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You are a Cyborg

You are a pioneer.  You chose to take a step into the future and sense something that is invisible to all but a few humans that are part of our community.  Our community has a responsibility to pave the way for the people that follow.  We are more than a community.  We are a family.

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Photos, videos, blogs.  Track your journey from the time you receive the North Sense and share your experiences with us.  And if you feel comfortable you should share with the rest of the world.  One day this will be commonplace but people have to see what we are doing first.

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Thank you.  We are so grateful that you are part of our family.  We are here for you. We are more than happy to schedule a Skype video or FaceTime call to assist you in this important process.  We are here to help.

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