Cool Crowdfunding: Playing, Creating, and Hacking

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. 

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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BUG ethical hacking device

First up is BUG, an AI-powered, voice controlled ethical hacking device.

In a package the size of a thumb drive, BUG acts like a HID and emulates human typing to run payloads. It smashed through the funding goal in minutes. Open source firmware and a buyer’s choice of MCU speak to the intended customizability. Not content to stop there, it also promises to use ChatGPT for voice commands, and to generate payloads without coding. I can’t tell if it’s a dream automation tool or a great gift idea for vibe hackers.

Roll Cam Camera Man

Are you a budding youtube creator looking to show off your projects? Are said projects so big they need a mobile camera while you walk around them? You could hire a videographer, but instead here’s Roll Cam, a robot tripod that’ll follow you around and always show up on time. Originally built to show off a house, Berkshire Computing expanded the feature set to be useful for various creators, adding an orbit mode, pattern repeat, and SDK for people to add their own features.

I envision this would be useful for any solo creators who want to dynamic movement in their shots.

Pipo wireless sensors

Some people love digging into hardware, some love tweaking software, but some just want to create. Pipo is for performance artists in the third category. These tiny boards are designed to turn sensor input into MIDI output as frictionlessly as possible. The project reminds me of Makey Makey, but with accelerometers, proximity detectors, and grove sensors. Parameters can be adjusted on-the-fly in a mobile browser. This feature feels borne out of experience, I’m guessing the team has presented live projects before. They seem perfect for interactive instruments or alt-controller projects. They aren’t cheap, but it’s no fun dealing with last-minute troubleshooting headaches.

EDGForge precision metal lathe

EDGForge is an adorable little lathe that fits the niche for anyone curious about metal turning, but who can’t justify the space of a big machine. A built-in cover helps it fit in a mixed-use space, and a digital micrometer ought to be appreciated by a budding watchmaker. There’s a little wobble on the tailstock in the demo video, but I still want to try it.

Whitewings paper airplanes

This wholesome project is bringing back Whitewings paper airplane kits from the 80’s-90’s, and are ideal for any young maker who’s into planes. The paperboard patterns that you cut and glue together fit somewhere between traditional paper planes and balsa gliders. Though all crowdfunding is a risk, the ease of manufacturing and proven success of the product gives me more confidence than usual.

If you can’t stand the wait, you can make similar paper airplanes yourself.