SCOUTEE is the world’s first smart speed radar

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This smart device transforms your phone into a real speed radar.

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Miha Uhan was a baseball player and former member of the Slovenian national team. Turns out, he was also quite the Maker and entrepreneur. Having been around the game for quite some time, he realized that despite advancements in technology, pitching speeds are still measured using traditional radar guns and jotted down with a pen and paper. That was until now.

Meet SCOUTEE, the world’s first smart radar which uses your smartphone to record speed, capture video, save and analyze pitch parameters, monitor progress, and share results. The solution itself, which is much more convenient, compact and reliable than its conventional counterparts, is comprised of two parts: a hardware device and an accompanying mobile app.

The gadget, which is no larger than a bar of soap, can be easily placed on a tripod, clipped onto a fence, held in your hand, and even snapped onto your phone with a small magnet sticker. Once situated, its built-in Doppler radar technology can measure the speed of the ball and relay the data over to the mobile app via Bluetooth. From there, you can select pitch type, location and result right from on screen. The data is also saved so that you can keep tabs on your progress over time. What’s more, it even records video with pitch data overlay, making it super easy to share your talent with friends, coaches and scouts — ideal for creating those college recruiting videos!

As a former pitcher, Uhan was aware of how imperative it is for young players to protect their arms and train responsibility, so he insisted on including a customizable “pitch limit warning” feature that alerts a user whenever they’ve exceed their count. Additionally, SCOUTEE can be an invaluable tool for coaches to keep track of their players’ performance and stats.

The device is equipped with a pair of ARM Cortex MCUs — one tasked with communication, the other for running its Digital Signal Processing (DSP) algorithms — along with Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity, a range of up to 130 feet, an accuracy of +1/-1 mph, and a battery life of six hours with continuous use.

“Over multiple development phases we evolved the radar and processing part of the product dramatically. We started with simple of-the-shelf Doppler radar sensor combined with simple low-cost speed detection processing in our first working prototype. But to meet the final range and accuracy demands of the product we ended up with high-performance Doppler radar transceiver together with high-gain low-noise IF amplifying stages,” its creators reveal.

Are you a baseball player, coach or scout? Then you may want to head over to SCOUTEE’s Kickstarter campaign, where the team is currently seeking $50,000. Units are expected to begin shipping in April 2016 — just in time for opening day!

Fotokite Phi is a GoPro-carrying drone on a leash

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The Fotokite Phi is essentially a flying selfie stick that eliminates the need to pilot a camera-mounted drone. 

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Oxford Dictionaries declared “selfie” the word of the year in 2013. Selfie sticks became the must-have item of 2014. Now, one Swiss startup is hoping that airborne selfies will become the major trend of 2015.

Now live on Indiegogo, the Fotokite Phi is a smart, tethered flying camera that anyone can deploy in a matter of seconds. While camera-mounted drones are nothing new, the intelligent kite eliminates the need of learning how to pilot a quadcopter. Not to mention, you’ll no longer have to worry about losing control of your expensive UAV and having it end up in the water or shattered to pieces on the ground. Just turn it on, point it where you want it to go, give it a twist and let out the retractable leash.

Its creators are touting the product as a “no-frills aerial camera,” and it is exactly that. It should be noted, though, that you will first need to have a GoPro device in order to operate the Phi. The Fotokite features two buttons on its leash handle that communicate to the drone over Bluetooth. A button on its back turns on the ‘copter and then starts up the attached camera, while another enables hand gesture commands that move the leash in the direction you want it to go.

And unlike other drones, it doesn’t rely on GPS or radio signal to get around. Instead, it works by using the tether tension as a positioning guide, as well as the motions of your wrist to adjust the viewing angle. The housing can be aimed straight down for shots directly overhead or tilted up for getting out in front or behind a subject.

Designed with portability in mind, the Fotokite Phi can be easily folded and slipped inside its Pringles-like carrying tube. With a GoPro in place, the smart kite weighs a little over 12 ounces in total. The Phi’s tether is 26-feet long, which is plenty for taking aerial photos or some pretty incredible selfies, but probably not enough to capture the kind of bird’s-eye view videos that have become common among drone users. Since it’s tethered, there’s no need for GPS or other sensors to keep the Phi hovering in place. The leash control system is equipped with an ARM Cortex processor at its core along with an ATtiny43 and sensors to constantly measure the angle of the tether relative to you.

“The Fotokite Phi is built for the hobby photographer, the action sports enthusiast, the guerrilla journalist and the gadget aficionado. Thanks to its small size and foldability, you can take the Fotokite Phi anywhere – whether you’re hiking in the mountains, going to a festival, visiting an archaeological site or sledding,” its makers write.

At the moment, the Phi’s flight time is only around 15 minutes. Sure, you’ll be able to capture some pretty remarkable shots, but unfortunately don’t expect it to last more than three songs at a concert or the first quarter of a sporting event. However, the device can be charged either by USB or via removable batteries.

Intrigued? Fly over to its official Indiegogo page, where the Fotokite team is currently seeking $300,000. The first batch of units are expected to begin shipping in March 2016. In the video below, you can see how easy it is to pass around, from person to person, and how safe its soft propellers are to touch. The best part? It costs less than $350.