Best crowdfunding projects of 2016 according to Lifehacker

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-13 00:26

Thanks to Kickstarter and other similar platforms, bold and non-trivial goods and services regularly appear in the world. And the outgoing year was no exception. Lifehacker and cashback service have selected the most interesting among all crowdfunding projects over the past 12 months.

Portable air purifier

The Wynd mobile device analyzes the composition of the air and cleans it of pollen, pet skin fragments, smoke and other nasty things. As soon as the sensor detects foreign particles, Wynd notifies the owner using mobile apps for Android and iOS.

According to the developers, the gadget can work up to 8 hours without recharging and is capable of purifying 8 liters of air per second.

Nerve Calming Toy

You may have noticed yourself flicking a pen or fiddling with a ring when you are nervous or trying to concentrate. A toy designed specifically for this purpose turned out to be so in demand that it raised a crazy $ 6.5 million from 150 thousand Kickstarter users.

The Fidget Cube lets you click, twirl and press the buttons and wheels on it as much as you want. And thanks to the silent details, it won't disturb others.

Convertible jacket for different weather conditions

Smart Parka can be the perfect jacket to keep you from being caught off guard by the capricious winter weather. The designers have provided a detachable hood, lining and bottom, as well as an integrated scarf, hat and gloves for touchscreen displays. There are pockets for gadgets and glasses, and the jacket itself is covered with a waterproof material.

There are three male and four female models to choose from. What could you want more from a jacket?

Laptop running smartphone

Modern smartphones are in many ways more convenient than desktop computers, but the small display and lack of a full keyboard make them unsuitable for office tasks. Superbook should solve this problem. This laptop-like accessory is activated when an Android smartphone is connected to it and performs all the functions of a desktop computer.

Superbook allows you to work with applications from Google Play in a multitasking mode. The gadget is equipped with a multi-touch trackpad and 11.6-inch display with a resolution of 768 or 1,080p, depending on the version. Why not just buy a laptop, you ask? Because the Superbook is so much cheaper.

Electric Bicycle Wheel

GeoOrbital can turn almost any traditional bike into an electric bike. This is a set of a control panel, which is installed on the steering wheel, and wheels with a battery and an engine attached to it.

According to the developers, assembling GeoOrbital on a bicycle takes less than a minute and does not require special tools and skills. On its own traction, such a structure can travel 30 kilometers at a speed of 30 km / h, and in combination with pedaling - 80 kilometers.

Convenient food storage case

If you take homemade food to work, check out Prepd. This is a lunchbox with cutlery and a set of containers for different dishes. Each container is made of food grade materials and is hermetically sealed. And the case itself has the optimal size and looks stylish.

In addition, the authors of the project have developed apps for Android and iOS with recipes and a calorie counter for Prepd owners.

Folding e-bike

The Mate, unlike GeoOrbital, does not complement a standard bike, but is a ready-made e-bike. This bike also supports several riding modes: electric, pedal and combination.

The Mate is capable of accelerating to 32 km / h and traveling up to 80 kilometers on a single charge. And the foldable design makes it easy to transport. But the main feature of the Mate is its relatively low cost.

Smart Bluetooth headphones for instant translation

Simultaneous translator Pilot is one of the most intriguing crowdfunding projects of recent times. This is a system of two wireless headphones connected to an automatic translation service. With their help, two people can communicate in different languages.

Pilot has raised over $ 3 million on IndieGoGo and is gearing up for first shipments next May. By then, the system will have to support English, Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese. Over time, they promise to add others, including Russian.

Digital-to-analog notebook

Drawing diagrams and making sketches on the display of a gadget is not as convenient as on paper. But digital images are much easier to erase, edit, and send to friends. The Rocketbook Wave combines the benefits of old and new technologies with a dedicated pen and paper, and apps for Android and iOS.

You can scan your drawings from Rocketbook Wave with your smartphone camera and use special markup to quickly send them to cloud services such as Dropbox. And when the notebook runs out of sheets, you can put it in the microwave - this will make them clean again (seriously).

Smart glasses disguised as ordinary

In order not to be confused by the futuristic design, Vue smart glasses do not differ in appearance from the traditional ones. Moreover, the buyer can choose lenses with diopters, ordinary or sun-protection glasses.

Vue glasses connect to your smartphone and allow you to answer calls, track your activity and listen to music - the sound is transmitted to the inner ear through the bone. These functions can be controlled using the sensor arm.