Cool Crowdfunding: AI, Darts, and Cheaper Chips

Ideally making is about giving your unique ideas form and bringing them to life in the physical world. But a lot of times it ends up being about collecting cool new tools instead.

We receive so many pitches for crowdfunding projects. Since crowdfunding is a bit of a gamble, it is always hard to determine just how to write about these projects, considering that many of them may not ever deliver. Cool Crowdfunding is our way of sharing some of the ones that catch our eye and that we think readers should know about. 

Remember, some of the crowdfunding projects from our previous Cool Crowdfunding collections may still be active! Go back and check them out to see if there’s anything you shouldn’t miss.

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Wafer.space – Silicon manufacturing made simple

Custom chip manufacturing traditionally needs millions of units. The goal of Wafer.space is to make it accessible to anyone at a cost that makes sense for a mere 1,000 units. They’re hoping to be OSH Park for silicon. Funders will buy space on a shared wafer, to do with as they please. The 1st run closes Nov. 28.

MAKER KNIFE II – The world’s most customizable knife

It wouldn’t be a crowdfunding roundup without something EDC. If you’ve watched @GiacoWhatever, you know the first version of this knife. Now Giaco’s back with an update. Maker Knife II features new colors, accessories, and the ability to quickly adjust the length of exposed blade. They’ve already smashed their goal with over $500k pledged so far. Closes November 7th.

Ubo Pod – Hackable, personal AI assistant

Ubo Pod is out to address privacy issues around smart tech with an open source, developer-friendly AI assistant. The open device is built around a Raspberry Pi, and can be configured with a built-in GUI and set up terminal-free. The open source software is available now. The campaign for hardware with an aluminum and veneer enclosure closes November 7th.

MOAB Kit – The ultimate 3D-printable dart blaster project

This tool is useful for those particular times when you want your childhood dreams to come true. I won’t pretend a massively-overengineered dart gun is practical, but there’s no denying it’s awesome. In addition to the outstanding feat of engineering, I like the manufacturing model here. GatlingTommy has taken care of sourcing hardware and PCBs. But 3D printable parts are left to the user, with extensive documentation and support to ease the build process. It’s a great balance between avoiding crowdfunding pitfalls and setting realistic expectations for digital fabrication. Ends November 14th.