27 smart crowdfunding campaigns you may want to back this week

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Every Friday, we take a look at some of the smartest, most innovative projects that caught our attention on Kickstarter and Indiegogo over the last seven days. 

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LattePanda

This $79 Windows 10 mini computer features an Intel Atom Cherry Trail processor and an Arduino-compatible MCU. LattePanda is currently seeking $150,858 on Kickstarter.

Fleye

This spherical drone is not only safe, fun and autonomous, it’s fully open and programmable. Fleye is currently seeking $185,837 on Kickstarter.

Wio Link

This open source, ESP8266-based dev board lets you build IoT projects through plug-n-play Grove modules. Seeed Studio has already doubled its $20,000 goal on Kickstarter.

ShiftWear

This pair of sneakers can display custom designs on its e-paper exterior, right from your smartphone. ShiftWear has well surpassed its $25,000 goal on Indiegogo.

playDXTR

This collection of building blocks adds a layer of technology to make the old-school way of learning much cooler, and smarter. DXTR Labs is currently seeking $50,000 on Kickstarter.

SmartEgg

This egg pairs to your smartphone and allows you to control any infrared device via Bluetooth. AICO Tech is currently seeking $50,000 on Kickstarter.

Skriware

This one-click machine wants to make 3D printers as ubiquitous in our homes as more conventional 2D printers. Skriware is currently seeking $50,461 on Kickstarter.

Wuvo Spot

This unit simply sticks to your keys, wallet, glasses, luggage, headphones or whatever else you don’t want to lose, and takes care of the rest for you. Wuvo is currently seeking $15,000 on Indiegogo.

EverLights

This set of sleek, permanent and weather-resistant holiday lights are installed only once and managed straight from your phone. EverLights has more than tripled its goal of $20,000 on Kickstarter.

Brick Sound Kit

This entirely programmable toy adds motion-activated sound effects to your LEGO and Mega Bloks projects. Eight-year-old Chase and his father Chuck Freedman are currently seeking $18,000 on Kickstarter.

RaceCapture

This plug-in gadget enables you to track autocross, drift and drag racing with your friends in real-time. Autosport Labs is currently seeking $50,000 on Kickstarter.

Mokakam

This super small 4K camera features a rotating screen and magnetic snap-on battery. Raymond Wang has already well surpassed his goal of $50,000 on Indiegogo.

Pound Nine Wire

This newswire sits on your desk and continually streams headlines from your pre-selected content sources. Pound Nine is currently seeking $40,000 on Kickstarter.

YoCam

This tiny, all-in-one, waterproof camera has set out to replace your GoPro, DropCam, baby monitor and dash cam. MOFILY is currently seeking $80,000 on Kickstarter.

AON

This industrial-grade 3D printer boasts a massive heated build area and independent tool heads. AON 3D is currently seeking $48,678 on Kickstarter.

The Rever

This inexpensive and easy-to-use 3D printer will bring the joy of creativity into any household. Qubea is halfway to its goal of $120,000 on Kickstarter.

Creator Ci40

This complete IoT kit includes all the hardware, software and cloud infrastructure necessary to quickly build a wireless system. Imagination Technologies just hit its $30,000 Kickstarter goal.

QTemp

This battery-free wearable weather station measures UV and temperature while displaying the safe sun time on your mobile device. Comfable Inc. is currently seeking $26,184 on Kickstarter.

nOb

This knob precisely controls a wide range of applications. NOB CONTROL is currently seeking $55,220 on Kickstarter.

BotBotix

This open source, 3D-printed, modular robotics platform is ideal for Makers looking to explore their imagination. Rocketship Systems is currently seeking $15,000 on Kickstarter.

DuoTrac

This portable, motion-tracking, sensor-laden device can analyze and help improve swing performance and footwork with its accompanying app. Coach Labs Inc. is currently seeking $25,000 on Kickstarter.

Lola

This home automation solution lets you to command your connected objects through voice and 3D mapping. Vivoka is currently seeking $105,870 on Kickstarter.

Mantis Drone Claw

This beautifully-engineered, lightweight accessory allows your drone to automatically grab and lift small objects. Ben Kardoosh is currently seeking $7,514 on Kickstarter.

Mimoto Watch

This smartwatch is being touted as the “most reliable one for under $100.” Mimoto Tech is currently seeking $25,000 on Kickstarter.

Versa Prima

This portable and wearable LED strip is controlled via Bluetooth. Lumafi is currently seeking $25,000 on Kickstarter.

Eyesynth

This audiovisual system for the visually-impaired enables wearers to indentify shapes and spaces in unprecedented ways. Eyesynth is currently seeking $106,193 on Kickstarter.

Multi-Function SSD Shield

This shield for the Raspberry Pi 2 combines SSD, Wi-Fi, a real-time clock with battery and high-power USB. Pi 2 Design is closing in on its $15,000 Kickstarter goal.

Fleye wants to be the world’s safest drone

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Fleye is a spherical robot that you can hold, touch, push and bump without any risks of injuring yourself and others.

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While many quadcopters these days all share a common resemblance, one Belgian startup is looking to change things up a bit. Fleye, which is being billed as the world’s safest drone, is a spherical flying machine with enclosed propellers and a camera.

Since its blades are covered inside plastic protective grids, you can touch it, push it or bump into it without losing a finger. The soccer ball-like drone can be controlled via its accompanying mobile app with four flying modes: selfie, panorama, hover and manual.

In selfie mode, Fleye will record 1080p video (30 fps) as it comes back towards you. In panorama mode, the machine goes up to a set altitude, and rotates on itself to capture a 360° view. And as you would expect in hover mode, the gadget provides three-inch precision (when in range of sensors) so you can focus simply on altitude and viewing angle.

What’s more, manual mode allows you to program your own route using either its virtual touchpad or Bluetooth game controller. Or, you can even add your own RC receiver to Fleye.

At the heart of the device lies a Linux-powered, dual-core ARM A9 CPU with 512MB of RAM, as well as a pair of GPUs. A special and a bit more expensive developer edition will be available with a quad-core processor and 1GB of RAM, too.

It also supports the popular Computer Vision library OpenCV, which enables Fleye to execute missions autonomously, reacting to what it sees in its environment. In other words, it can recognize and avoid obstacles that it may encounter as it soars through the sky.

With its open API and SDK, you can program Fleye to do any number of additional tasks. This means developers can write their own custom apps to control it remotely or run directly on its on-board computer.

Measuring just nine inches and weighing no more than a pound, Fleye boasts 10 minutes of flight time with a max speed of 10 mph thanks to its 1500mAh battery. The spherical bot is equipped with an accelerometer, a gyrometer and a magnetometer, along with a pressure-based altimeter, a GPS module and sonar that can measure ground distances at up to 10 feet. Plus, there’s a bottom camera for optical flow tracking.

Sound like the next-gen drone you’ve been looking for? Fly over to its Kickstarter campaign, where the Belgian team is seeking $185,837. Delivery is expected to get underway in September 2016.