I agree completely on the need for lap counting aide to figure out what is really fast or not.
On the other part, I'm pretty sure you mean "proprietary". Last I checked it worked wonders for Microsoft and Sony
As for the r/c industry and proprietary systems, how about Futaba, Airtronics, Spektrum, KO Propo, JR, and Hitec all with separate 2.4GHz proprietary systems? Still not convinced? Check AMB and their stranglehold on proprietary lap counting systems throughout the full range of r/c racing, to motorcycles, karting, all the way up to F1. Proprietary is a way of life for businesses that want to hit more sales points to each customer; just sucks for the consumer. Not everything can be open source
Personally for <$400 I will get one of these systems if I can get others with similar cars to race together. Heck an AMB system costs like $3000 and $110 for each personal transponder and that doesn't include software at $400+. This thing looks like a bargain to me.
Now as for what will kill dNano is the exorbitant pricing. Few of us would be crazy enough to pay top dollar for a car that is extremely tiny and very difficult for most humans to work on. Man, the $21 for the aluminum front parts and another $20 for the aluminum hubs and they are all specific for each body!! Jeez, even $32 for a plastic "fitting kit" that should come with any of the $42 Autoscale bodies? This is what will kill this brand before it ever gets wide acceptance. Makes me scratch my head if the general Japanese hobby public even has this kind of expendable cash let alone kids in the US.
All that said, it is very cool... if you've got the extra coin.