Another year, another batch of graduate startups from HAXLR8R. The hardware accelerator is based in Shenzhen, China, aiming to bring young entrepreneurs from around the world closer to the best place to start building a new gadget.
The 10 graduates, which presented at the fifth HAXLR8R demo day yesterday in San Francisco, are mainly from North America and Europe. Their first products are some really fun, smart gadgets. Three of them are crowdfunding now, while the others you’ll probably see raising funds online pretty soon.
1. Clarity
This is a very simple wearable that serves as an air quality monitor. It’s accompanied by an app that collates data from these gadgets, forming a sort of Waze for air quality. However, you can get air quality readings from a variety of free apps, so I’m a bit skeptical about its value-add for users until we get to see it in action.
It’s designed for China, India, and other polluted places.
2. Form
Crowdfunding campaign: now on Kickstarter
Form’s Point is designed to be “a smart house sitter” that listens for intruders and sniffs out smoke, all without needing a complex system of cameras – it’s just one minimalist gadget that looks like a funky speaker. It supports IFTTT, so that could help it give you notifications in a way that you like, or to tie it to other smart gadgets that support IFTTT, such as Philips Hue lights.
The cheapest crowdfunding option gets you one Point for US$69. The Scandinavian startup team has already sailed past its US$50,000 goal and has raised US$62,000 at the time of publication.
3. Katia
This crew is working on an industrial robotic arm for consumers like you and I that can be programmed by touch. The sole demo image looks more like a stylish desk lamp at present, so we’ll have to wait to see it in action.
4. Keyi
The Keyi team is working on the Keyi Cell Robot, which is a modular robotic toy.
5. Linkitz
Linkitz is a smart friendship bracelet for kids. It’s modular, connecting via each segment’s headphone jack, and can be programmed with lights and sounds. It won’t just look cute – kids could also program it via an app to emit secret messages that only a buddy understands.
6. OpenTrons
Crowdfunding campaign: now on Kickstarter
OpenTrons is producing something a lot more complex, and it’s definitely not a toy. The OT.One is a lab robot designed for liquid handling in biotech environments.
The cheapest purchase option on Kickstarter is US$2,000. The team is seeking to raise US$100,000 and has so far secured US$36,000 from early backers, with 23 days still to go.
7. Petronics
Crowdfunding campaign: now on Kickstarter
Petronics has created Mousr, which claims to be “the first robotic cat toy that can see and react to a cat’s movements just like real prey.”
The cheapest Mousr package now available on Kickstarter gets you one for US$120. The startup is seeking to raise US$100,000, but might miss the mark with US$17,000 pledged so far with just 28 days to go.
Here’s an early video of a Mousr prototype in action:
8. Prynt
Prynt is a case for smartphones that prints out pictures instantly, sort of like those old Polaroids.
9. Robo
Robo is an educational toy for kids that designed to spur their interest in logic, programming, and robotics. It looks a bit like Lego, which is a good thing.
10. Voltera
Voltera is working on a relatively affordable circuit board printer that should cost somewhere in the region of US$1,500.
See: Chinaccelerator: “It’s the Silicon Valley experience in Shanghai”
This post These 10 fun, new gadgets just came out of HAXLR8R’s hardware accelerator appeared first on Tech in Asia.
These 10 fun, new gadgets just came out of HAXLR8R’s hardware accelerator
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