Kickstarters for Smarter People
- Ideas include anything from films, games and music to art, design and technology.
- If a project meets its funding goal, the Kickstarter can continue to develop the project and bring their end product to the consumer market.
- To date, 44% of projects have reached their funding goals.
- Since they launched in 2009, 6.5 million people have pledged $1 billion, funding 64,000 creative projects.
Imagine coming home in the evening and parking your car. As you step out, the doors automatically lock. You walk towards your front door and just as you reach for the knob, it unlocks. Your security alarm turns off as you walk in. Lights go on. You are carrying milk in your grocery bags because your fridge told you to pick it up on the way home. Up until this point, you have not used your hands once. You have not had to fumble for a key, press a button, or turn on a light. You are living in a smart home and become part of a growing trend in New York and the global technology known as "the Internet of Things."As part of the World to NYC fall program: Sustainable & Smart Cities, we have taken a closer look at some of the products and systems that are being developed in an effort to reduce a city's environmental impact and become more resource-efficient. Crowd-funding sites like Kickstarter are enabling entrepreneurs to develop and release their inventions to the world.We compiled some of the most successful Kickstarter projects focusing on connected devices, smart systems, and energy efficient technologies that enable people to live smarter, better connected, and more resource efficient lives.
Pebble
Backers: 68,929$10,266,845 pledged of $100,000 goalBy Pebble TechnologyAfter initially being rejected by venture capitalists, Pebble was successfully funded on Kickstarter in May 2012, receiving over ten million dollars. The product is a customizable smart watch that connects to smartphones using Bluetooth technology. Users can install apps directly to Pebble and control their smartphone using the watch. It alerts users to incoming calls, emails, and messages with a silent vibration. The watch is waterproof and its battery life lasts for nearly a week before needing to be charged. The newest version, the Pebble Steel for Mercedes, provides information about mileage, fuel, and tire pressure even when you are not near your car. While driving, it will vibrate to alert you of nearby events such as upcoming heavy traffic. In addition to displaying apps, texts, and other notifications, it also has three buttons which can be configured to perform quick actions of your choice. The product is available for $150.
SCiO: Your Sixth Sense
Backers: 12,958$2,762,571 pledged of $200,000 goalBy Consumer Physics, IncSubmitted by an Israeli company, Scio was successfully funded in June 2014. The device enables users to scan virtually any item in their surroundings and receive instant information about the item’s chemical make-up to their smartphone. The molecular sensor fits in the palm of a hand and with a click of a button provides relevant and instant information about medicine, food, oil and fuels, plastics, wood and plants among others. The company encourages users to scan everything they interact with and consume on a daily basis in order to build a database of knowledge about things in our physical surroundings. When the product becomes publicly available, users will be able to analyze soil or hydroponic solutions, tell exactly how much fat and sugar certain foods contain, and authenticate medications among other uses. The product is available for pre-order at $249 on their website.
SmartThings: Make Your World Smarter
Backers: 5,694$1,209,423 pledged of $250,000 goalSmartThings was successfully funded in September 2012 and was recently featured in Time magazine as the leader of the pack in the evolution of smart homes and the Internet of Things industry. SmartThings enables users to easily connect things in the physical world to the Internet. Using a “SmartThings hub” and an app, users can monitor, control, and automate virtually anything in their physical surroundings using their smartphone.Users can adjust thermostats, monitor temperature, control lights, and turn small appliances on and off remotely. The starter kit can be purchased at $199 at their website.
Heatworks Model 1: Your Next Water Heater!
Backers: 1,398$436,594 pledged of $125,000 goalBy ISI technologyThis Kickstarter project was successfully funded in February 2014 and the product made runner-up at this year’s TechCrunch Disrupt NY event. The Heatworks Model 1 claims to be the most reliable, energy efficient water heater available. The product is a tankless electric water heater that produces instant, endless hot water providing up to 40% more energy savings and 10% water savings. The model’s patented technology uses water’s natural heat resistance to heat itself. The heater works with consumers’ current water heater and the “smart grid” connectivity to the Internet of Things results in enhanced power and temperature control. The product is available for pre-order at their website.
WaKa WaKa Power: Compact solar power station & light
Backers: 5,622$419,472 pledged of $50 000 goal.This project, submitted from a company in the Netherlands, was successfully funded in January 2013. The WakaWaka Power is a personal solar power station that allows you to fully charge any type of smartphone or tablet in two hours. The product is a pocket-sized mini power station with super efficient solar cells and a power management system which ensures efficiencies up to 200% better than any other product on the market (according to the company). In addition to charging the smartphone, it also functions as a light source providing more than 40 hours of light after one day of solar charge. The WakaWaka power can be purchased through their website.Want to know more about smart homes and smart cities? Check out our overview here or read why Copenhagen is one of the world’s smartest cities.