From artistic expression and social causes to charity and business building and yes, great new gear, crowdfunding is having a deep impact everywhere. Backerjack covers the world of crowdfunded product innovation, showing you the gadgets of tomorrow today.
1. The Monbaby sleep analyzer
The Premise. Baby monitors haven’t changed much for decades, partially because they haven’t had to serve any other purposes. But what if a baby monitor could report on a child’s sleeping patterns and whether or not they were safe in their crib?
The Product. The Monbaby sleep analyzer is a small button that can be clipped onto any article of clothing and monitors how much a child is moving during sleep, whether or not they have woken up, and even if they’ve fallen. This data is sent to the companion iPhone app, which reports all of this information as well as whether a child has rolled onto their stomach or back, and can provide customizable alerts depending on certain variables. It can provide this data for users of any age, but in the early stages of the technology, it is being tailored specifically for newborn children.
2. The Pawda
The Premise. Dogs can be some of the most loving and compassionate partners a person can ever have. They’ll be by your side through every corner of life, but sometimes tragedy strikes and they wander off. Losing a pet is one of the worst feelings a person can experience, but what if endless search parties and calls to the local pound were unnecessary? What if we could always know where our pets wandered off to?
The Product. The Pawda is the perfect solution that allows you to give your pet the freedom to roam, yet the peace of mind to always find them if they wander too far. The idea lies within a simple GPS tracking system that attaches to your pets collar. Designate a safety zone, and you’ll not only get notifications if your pet leaves the area, but you’ll also be able to track their exact location in the built-in map. The Pawda is also waterproof and durable so it can withstand all the adventures your pet embarks upon, but the battery life only lasts up to seven days.
3. The LifePrint
The Premise. Photo sharing has never been easier with the growth and ease of using social networks like Facebook, Instagram, and even Snapchat. While it’s great to see photos of your family, friends, and favorite activities all around the world, almost all the photos we see are through a screen. Tangible photo albums and pictures are mostly things of the past because printing out high quality photos isn’t really convenient on a traditional home printer, and going to a convenience store just takes too much time.
The Product. The LifePrint is a compact wireless printer built for your smartphone that allows you to send and receive high-quality photo prints to anyone in the world instantly. Just like your typical social networks, you can connect to your family and friends who mean the most to you. But instead of posting it for them to “Like” on a computer screen, you can send them a picture they’ll love with the LifePrint. The sentiment of a hard copy photo is now much more accessible because the LifePrint only requires a cellular connection. A 3G connection is all that you need to open up the LifePrint app and print from anywhere in the world; it's unclear what the monthly charge would be for the LifePrint's connectivity.
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