Cool Crowdfunding: Bits, Bots, and Bananas
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.
PolyCast5 – Multitool Everything Remote
PolyCast5 is a compact, open source multitool for controlling wireless devices. Created by Justin Atkins of RoboticWorx, it packs in five different types of control (so you didn’t miss out on the first four PolyCasts) plus an add-on RF relay for AC hardware. There’s a lot of automatic scripts planned, so it should be fun to play around with when it launches.
bUniProbe
For testing all the parameters and testing them quickly, there’s bUniProbe. Made by Bitmerse of WiSer fame, bUniProbe is an open source, hardware testing multitool that allows monitoring SPI, I²C, UART, CAN, GPIO, ADC, and DAC from a single browser. It’s always nice to see tools made by people who use them, and it explains why bUniProbe sports clever details like remote logic level voltage switching and granular resistor control.
Glitch Boy: 8-bit Video Instrument & Chiptune Synth
If you think vintage games less of a toy and more of a medium, you might enjoy Glitch Boy, a chiptune synth by aptly-named Melted Electronics and inspired by hacked/broken/dusty video games. The box tweaks video and audio with mods based on actual hardware malfunctions. The campaign page says it was “built by intentionally breaking a NES emulator,” which sounds like the right approach.
Banan-a-Synth
Once upon a time there was the Makey Makey, a board that let you turn anything conductive into an input. This opened up an array of weird control possibilities, and one common fun one was turning bananas into a MIDI keyboard.
MicroKits, maker of Synth-a-Sette, has decided to emphasize this epitome of experimental input with the Banan-a-Synth, a 1:1-scale-banana-shaped board with built-in sounds and speaker so you can make an instrument out of bananas or any splittable fruit, no computer needed.
Coglet – Open-Source, 3D-Printable Robot Companion Kit
We’ve featured the incredible work of Will Cogley before. His animatronic eye design has ended up in projects galore. If you’ve been thinking about building your own two-eyed companion bot for a while, this looks like a great time to jump in. Coglet is an expressive, open source robot kit. The bot features a camera in each eye with an option for eyeballs far more detailed than what home printers can achieve.
ElectroForge 3D
ElectroForge3D is a 3D-printed electronics workshop kit by Mateusz Kłeczek of Krakow, Poland. When some of us start tinkering on electronics, we put up with whatever scrap “tools” we have around. Kłeczek put together a more refined kit by making 3D-printed trays, racks, and part holders.
What’s interesting to me is not just the variety of tools in this crowdfunding campaign, but also that the business model is one we’re seeing more of: the first tier gets you the files, but a higher level gets you a commercial license to print and sell the physical products. The project closed in February but you can still pledge and receive the digital rewards.
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