40 Most Innovative Kickstarter Projects
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Twine project on Kickstarter
CREDIT: Kickstarter |
Kickstarter is the world’s largest funding platform, a place for people to go and present their ideas to see if they can get funding for their projects. Others can contribute funds in exchange for a sample of the product or experience. The ideas range from the ridiculous to the genius. Check out what we thought were the 40 most innovative products to be found on the site.
Twine: Funded
Much like its namesake, Twine has the ability to tie multiple appliances in your home wirelessly. The easy to program device can be set up to email, tweet or text you when your laundry is done. Twine can even be used to give you updates on your home while you are away.
Filabot: Funded
Recently, 3-D printers have been used to print furniture, clothing and even buildings, but materials and costs do not make it a typical home activity. That all may change thanks to the Filabot, which grinds up recyclables such as milk jugs and soda bottles and then uses the resulting filament for 3-D printing projects.
B Squares – Modular Solar Powered Electrics: Funded
B-Squares take power sources to a whole new level. The individual squares are solar powered and can be snapped together – connected by their magnetic corners – to create a larger power array, which then can be used to power anything you would like. B-Squares creators have used the devices to charge batteries, ipods and more. The squares are available in multiple forms, and with multiple connectors, making it possible to connect various devices.
Biofuel for Everyone: Funded
The search for effective biofuel has not ended at the ocean, algae has proven to be an excellent source of fuel, now it is just a matter of harvesting it. That is where BEAR Oceanics comes in, they have developed self-sustaining vehicle for the collection and processing of algae. The robot uses a small wind turbine and solar power to move throughout the ocean farming algae. The farm has the ability to create 5 gallons of biofuel a day.
SurfEasy – Plug in Privacy: Funded
Internet privacy has become a major concern for anyone who uses a computer these days, there is no guarantee that most of the Internet browsers you use every day are secure. SurfEasy solves that problem with one USB stick, which holds your own personal web browser and Internet connection encryption software. The USB, which fits into a credit card sized holder, enables you to get to sites that may otherwise be blocked, encrypt all your web browsing, carry all your browser preferences and passwords with you at all times and leave no personal information behind.
Protei – Oil Spill Cleaning Robot: Funded
In recent years, the damage that ocean oils spills can cause has been displayed over and over again. While clean up methods have come a long way, there is still work to be done. Protei is a low-cost open-source oil-collecting robot that sails upwind, intercepting oil sheens going downwind with its oil absorbing ‘tail’. Eventually, the hope is that a fleet of the robots will work automatically as a swarm, remotely controlled by coastal residents and on-line gamers.
TurboVote – Vote From Home: Funded
It is only a matter of months until the next presidential election, a time when the future of our country comes down to votes. Inconveniently, many people lack the motivation to actually get out there and vote, which is where TurboVote comes in. The people at Democracy now have developed a ‘Netflix for voting’, all the information and ballots are sent to your home, for you to fill out and then send in. In addition, the service sends out texts and emails to remind you of upcoming elections, all so you can make sure to take your part in some democracy.
BioCurious – A Hackerspace for Biotech: Funded
BioCurious is a community designed to promote collaboration among different disciplines. It works as a collective lab where members can take or teach their own classes, designed to provide new insight into different areas of the sciences. The creators hope that eventually, by bringing together molecular biologists, mechanical engineers, computer programmers, and artists that new ideas can be developed to advance science as a whole.
+Pool: Funded
+Pool is an initiative to build a floating pool in the Hudson River. The pool would be available to anyone in the city and would be filed with filtered river water. The pool’s walls will be constructed of a specially designed filter, which allows the water to flow through the pool while simultaneously making sure it is clean enough to actually swim in. The pool will be divided into four sections, a sports pool, kids pool, lounge pool and a lap pool.
Greenaid – SeedBombs: Funded
In a guerilla effort to make the nation’s cities greener and a bit nicer to look at, the people at Greenaid have created Seedbomb vending machines. Dropping 50 cents in the repurposed gumball machines and out rolls a ball of clay, compost and seeds. Then its up to you to decide where to toss the ball and then the seeds takes care of themselves, eventually sprouting and beautifying a vacant lot or highway median. At the moment the machines are only found in L.A., but creators hope to spread them across the country, filled with seeds local to the area.
WindowFarms: Funded
Local produce is all the rage these days, and how much more local can you get than vegetables grown in your own windows, even if you live in a tiny apartment. The Windowfarms are made from plastic and wire, which can easily be snapped together, and all the nutrients and baby plants are provided for you, it is just a matter of finding a good window and getting everything in place.
Freight Farms: Funded
By repurposing old freight containers, Freight Farms has created a high volume farm that can be easily operated in any environmental conditions and can provide fresh produce for an entire community. Through the addition of some insulation and a filtration system, the containers are self-sustained, automated and can be used to grow crops year round. By installing a Freight Farm in a community, it will increase access to local fresh food, create a local food economy, while still keeping money in the community and finally decrease the carbon footprint of food production.
SEED: Funded
Every year, more people around the world are migrating to cities to find better work and living situations for themselves and their families. SEED has a solution to all the housing problems that arise from this migration. The SEED home can be quickly constructed and is designed to be self sustaining and affordable. In addition, SEED houses can be built so that multiple houses can be connected to form a community.
Adopt A Farmbox: Funded
Focused on teaching kids in New York City healthy eating habits, Adopt a Farmbox provides schools and community centers with custom made farm boxes so they can grow their own produce. In addition to the 100 percent recycled farm boxes, the organization also provides all the supplies and teachers cooking and nutrition classes to various communities throughout New York City.
PocketFuel Naturals: Funded
For those who have tried any of the various energy on the go options, it is evident that flavor is not the first consideration for the manufacturers. This is where PocketFuel Naturals is different; their portable almond butter mixes make sure you get your energy, but that you don’t sacrifice taste in the process. The butters are contained in refillable pouches that are easy to consume whether your walking the dog or running a marathon.
Minimal Surface Chair: Not Yet Funded
The creators of the Minimal Surface Chair have decided to reinvent the chair as we know it. Their design is intended to take up the least amount of space possible while still being able to support the weight of an adult. The chair will require less material than other chairs being produced today, while still being able to support users. The Minimal Surface Chair still has 28 days to reach its goal of $20,000.
The Bergstead – Ocean Colonization: Not Yet Funded
If you’ve always imagined life at sea would be more your style, the Bergstead could be the perfect future housing situation. It is a permanently moored concrete structure that enables users to live ‘beyond the territorial boundaries of existing nations’. Each unit would be self-sustaining and allow users to have their own personal island, wherever they chose. At the moment, the Bergstead is just in the development phase, but those who are interested in getting in on the ground level have 42 days to help developers reach their $25,000 goal.
Underfuse – Performance Pocket: Funded
The Underfuse is an iron on pocket that can be added to work out gear to hold keys, wallets and cell phones. The pocket is designed to keep everything close, so that nothing jostles around during your workout. The pockets can be placed anywhere you want with the application of an iron. It is be designed to bond specifically with high performance textiles and will stay put no matter how much you sweat.
The SkyLight: Funded
Microscope cameras can be pretty expensive, and are far from the easiest thing to setup. The Skylight makes the process that much easier and affordable by enabling you to connect a smartphone to just about any microscope to get the pictures you need. The SkyLight’s universal compatibility allows previously owned microscopes to be upgraded to the digital age with the use of the widely available smartphone. The device could be of great use to medical researchers, as well as in the classroom.
The Planet Kit: Not Yet Funded
The Planet Kit takes board games to the next level. Within this one kit there are 25 different possible games to play, and you get to design the board yourself. To play this game, you construct your own world, and customize the games to meet your needs. The board even extends to three dimensions. The Planet Kit is still 33 days away from reaching its funding goal of $88,000.
45 LED Packlight: Funded
The Packlight easily puts all other flashlights to shame. The one centimeter thick light features magnets so it can be stuck to metal surfaces, high strength shaping wire, so it can be bent into any shape, and a USB rechargeable battery. The Packlight is the perfect tool for any outdoor activities and is perfectly designed for easy transport.
The Hub: Not Yet Funded
Everyone knows what a pain it can be to deal with the various cords that go along with all the gadgets that have become part of our daily lives. The Hub is a sleek and easy way to manage the cords without having to replace the ones you have. It is made from high quality aluminum and can retract your cords with the push of a button. Once your cords are placed inside the Hub they’ll stay put and remain untangled. For those interested, there are still 38 days to help the developers reach their goal of $30,000.
The Uni: Funded
The Uni is a portable, open air, reading room that can be placed out in public areas, providing people with access to books and other educational resources. The entire thing is self-contained, including seating areas, and can be used for classes as well. The Uni is a custom designed infrastructure – constructed from individual cubes – that can be built to fit any space or environment.
My Pup and I Leash: Funded
The My Pup and I leash makes controlling an unruly dog that much easier. As opposed to the single handhold that most leashes have at the end, this leash has a second, lower down hold. This second loop makes it that much easier to control a dog who may get a bit too excited when around others.
Hiya – Green Tea on the Go: Funded
Brewing iced tea usually involves a few hours of cooling in the fridge, but for those who want their green tea on the go, Hiya is a specially designed teabag that can be dropped into any water bottle and shaken for instant iced tea. The leaves are hand picked to ensure that they provide the best and freshest taste possible.
Coffee Joulies: Funded
Coffee Joulies are every coffee lovers dream. Once dropped in your coffee, these little silver beans absorb heat, bringing the beverage to a drinkable temperature in half the time it would normally take. They do not stop there though, once that heat is absorbed, the beans hang on to it, and when the coffee starts to cool, they release it keeping the drink warm twice as long as it would be otherwise.
Cryptek USB: Funded
For those who are not content with the security provided by password locked USB drives, there is the Cryptek. This aluminum alloy storage device physically locks and requires a personalized five-letter combination to be opened. The actual USB stick in stored within the alloy rings and is inaccessible without the combination.
Spirare – Sustainable Surf Craft: Funded
Conceived as a way to reuse some of the trash floating in our oceans, Spirare surfboards are made from recycled materials – foam and wood – that their creator finds washed up on shore. Unlike the classic surfboard, these are 100 percent renewable, and they last ten times as long.
Throw to Grow: Funded
Throw to Grow is a composting project which focuses on an alternative way of composting known as Bokashi Fermentation. The process works by using a blend of beneficial microorganisms that are mixed with the food waste to ferment the organic waste instead of oxidizing it, which is what normal composting does. Throw to Grow is working on creating a large scale Bokashi Fermentation project which they hope will one day be used to divert almost 100 percent of food waste away from landfills.
Truck Farm: Funded
The Truck Farm is a mobile education center, designed to not only provide fresh produce but to also teach school children about healthy eating and where food comes from. Every spring, with a freshly planted bed, the truck drives across the country, stopping in major cities and spreading information.
KixTix: Funded
There are some who cannot live without that spicy kick in their food, KixTix are designed for those who carry their own bottle of hot sauce around. Smothered in habanjero sauce these little sticks can be dipped in sauces or used to inject some heat into a meat dish.
Saving the Honeybees: Funded
The plight of the honeybee has been popping up a lot recently, the population is dying off and scientists aren’t sure why. Saving the Honeybees is a bee keepers attempt to develop a new strain of honeybee and beekeeping methods in order to save the country’s bee population. By expanding the bee population, this apiarist hopes to find a strain that will have an easier time surviving.
Balloon Mapping: Funded
For a close aerial view of the world around you, balloon mapping is the way to go. Balloons can fly as low as they like while still capturing quality high definition images. During the oil spill in the Gulf, residents of the coast used balloons to survey the damage in places that planes and helicopters weren’t allowed to go. By piecing the images together, the community that funds the balloon mapping kits has already created complete images of major cities around the country.
earthCell – Renewable Batteries: Funded
EarthCell is a solution to all the waste produced by traditional batteries. Over three billion batteries end up in landfills every year, but earthCells last longer and are designed to be used multiple times. Each pack comes with a prepaid envelope, once the batteries are used up, you send them back to earthCell and they are ‘revitalized’ and put back into the market.
Smart Radiation Detector: Funded
After the earthquake in Japan last year, radiation exposure became a major concern for people. A device like the Smart Radiation Detector makes it possible for someone who only has access to an iphone or ipod to be able to determine if an area might be safe. The device is so simple and compact it can fit inside a matchbox.
JeepNeed: Funded
JeepNeed is a program that turns old jeeps into mobile science and tech lab that drives around so that kids in remote areas of the Philippines can have access to a better science education. The Jeeps are refitted with lab equipment, supplied with materials for experiments and filled with books.
Finding Sacred Ground: Funded
Developed in collaboration with Devil’s Tower National Monument, Finding Sacred Ground provides an augmented reality tour designed to raise awareness of native peoples and their traditional lands. The tour is narrated by native elders and storytellers and hopes that by combining story telling, multimedia, song and augmented reality the user’s will develop a new perspective of the land and what must be done to protect it.
Building Open Source Bussard Fusion Reactor: Funded
Bussard fusion reactors are capable of providing inexpensive, abundant and clean energy. Researchers in Brooklyn are attempting to develop an open source model for designing your own Bussard reaction so that anyone can benefit from the inexpensive and clean energy that it provides.
Intelligent Appliance Energy Recovery Unit: Funded
By collecting excess energy from appliances, it is possible to save hundreds of wasted Kilowatts a year, which is exactly what this project intends to do. By designing an inexpensive active heat exchanger, the creators hope to eventually make it possible for anyone to reclaim energy being lost from their appliances.
The Methane Midden: Funded
The Methane Midden uses compost to create methane gas that can be used to heat homes. By creating large piles of compost, and burying steel drums within those piles to capture the heat and gases that are formed, it is possible to heat enough water for a household. This project is attempting to prove that all of this would be possible to set up in any suburban household.
