This week’s rapidly funded Kickstarter projects can all be described as revolutionary in some shape or form. Each of these campaigns aim to improve on something old (and in one case relatively new), making it better and easier to use. All of these projects will help many different people save time with a little help from Kickstarter and the dedicated inventors and creators behind each project. My favorite is #6!
View our last article on trending Kickstarter projects here.
#1. M-SHIRT: FIRST DRESS SHIRT THAT CLOSES ITSELF!
Creators: YouareU
Amount Funded: $17k+
Number of Backers: 77+
Average Pledge per Backer: $229
Duration: Nov 20 2014 – Dec 31 2014 (42 days)
The M-Shirt is a casual dress shirt that can close itself with the help of a flexible, interchangeable, and removable magnet. The project was created by an inventor who found himself wasting valuable time struggling with dress shirt buttons. Made by a team of designers and engineers, YouareU is creating a revolution in fashion using a magnetic closure system to save time and money. The shirt comes in several different styles and colors, with versions offered for men and women (added after the creator’s wife kept stealing his prototype!)
#2. Spark Notebook: a place for your life plans and great ideas
Creators: Kate Matsudaira
Amount Funded: $40k+
Number of Backers: 1,000+
Average Pledge per Backer: $38
Duration: Nov 20 2014 – Dec 20 2014 (30 days)
Throughout her career as a technology executive working for companies like Microsoft and Amazon, Kate Matsudairshe struggled to find a notebook that has a high functionality and professional appeal. After observing that many successful contacts were very organized and that reviewing notes and goals was a good strategy for success, she launched this Kickstarter project to help spread that success to others. The notebook has some great features, including many different layouts (goal, meeting, and project plans, calendars, etc.), perforated pages for sharing, lies flat for a good writing surface, uses high quality paper so ink won’t go through the pages, and it has a sophisticated black cover.
#3. Pantelligent: Intelligent Pan – Cook Everything Perfectly
Creators: Humberto Evans
Amount Funded: $39k+
Number of Backers: 200+
Average Pledge per Backer: $161
Duration: Nov 18 2014 – Jan 6 2014 (49 days)
Pantelligent is a new creation that is looking to revolutionize the way we cook things in a pan! The pan itself looks average, but inside the handle is integrated technology that includes a temperature sensor. When paired with the Pantelligent smart phone app (which includes recipes), cooking restaurant-quality food at home becomes a breeze. The app instructs you on how to cook and adjusts the temperature so your dishes turn out perfectly every time. There is also a freestyle mode if you dislike using recipes.
#4. The Playground: the mat for park lovers & mess makers
Creators: Jeni & Mare
Amount Funded: $34k+
Number of Backers: 400+
Average Pledge per Backer: $70
Duration: Nov 18 2014 – Dec 18 2014 (30 days)
The Playground is a mat created by mothers and tested by their children for indoor and outdoor use. Each mat is made from high quality bonded leather. They feel good, are flexible, and easy to clean. The mats come in several different sizes including micro (great for changing diapers!), mini, midi, and maxi. They make great surfaces for beaches, parks, picnics, the car, the home, or anywhere else you can think of. This is a great product for families, and will be an invaluable replacement to blankets, which are much bulkier and not spill-proof.
#5. Trunkster: Zipperless Luggage with GPS + Battery + Scale
Creators: Trunkster
Amount Funded: $200k+
Number of Backers: 600+
Average Pledge per Backer: $383
Duration: Nov 18 2014 – Jan 16 2014
The Trunkster is a new type of luggage looking to bring more convenience to a generation that is always traveling and on the go. Featuring zipperless entry, integrated power (with a USB so you can charge on the go), a built-in scale (to avoid going over weight limits), a sturdy handle, and location tracking (GPS), the Trunkster will make traveling much more convenient. The team is offering the Trunkster at early bird pricing as well as discounted Kickstarter prices ($200 or more off the retail value!), other travel swag, nap kit, travel wallet, and also a curated travel list and tips in PDF format.
#6. DIY Virtual Reality Open Source Future
Creators: Patrick Buckley
Amount Funded: $3-k+
Number of Backers: 600+
Average Pledge per Backer: $51
Duration: Nov 17 2014 – Dec 10 2014
With this campaign, Patrick Buckley invites the public to take part in the DIY Virtual Reality revolution in the hopes of keeping the world of virtual reality “open and free just like the internet.” Their plan is to ship this product out to backers by Christmas. The product is made in their own factory in the US, and is made for use with any touch screen android or iPhone. They have drastically simplified the hardware needed for the virtual reality device and have teamed up with Tony Parisi to create GLAM, the open source software behind the project.
Conclusion
Most of these projects have taken things that are fairly standard at this point and changed them to fit our technology-filled, busy modern lives. The DIY Virtual Reality project is the only one that stands out to me as taking something that is new and trying to make it more available to the public, much like we’ve seen in the 3D printing industry recently.
What project is your favorite? Leave any questions or comments below!
