23 smart crowdfunding campaigns you may want to back this week

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Every Friday, we’re taking 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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Makerarm

This robotic arm is a complete fabrication system that enables Makers to do everything from print to plot. Makerarm is currently seeking $349,750 on Kickstarter.

TailTalk

This wearable tracks and translates tail wagging so that you can better understand your dog. DogStar Life is currently seeking $100,000 on Indiegogo.

Eyecatcher

This smart bracelet fuses art, fashion and technology by displaying custom images, slideshows, app notifications and other information. LOOKSEE LABS has already well surpassed its $70,000 goal on Kickstarter.

CleverDrive

This intelligent car system evaluates driving behavior and shares how to drive in a more eco-friendly and fuel-efficient manner. Ascora GmbH is currently seeking $146,299 on Kickstarter.

HUDWAY

This universal accessory turns your smartphone into a head-up display for your car. HUDWAY is currently seeking $100,000 on Kickstarter.

moodLight

This small USB-powered lamp beautifully emits a twirl of color based on the emotions of Twitter users. Connor Nishijima has surpassed his goal of $935 on Kickstarter.

Jabber

This smart toy for kids is designed to be hit, smashed, kicked, and tossed. Jabber’s World is currently seeking $45,000 on Kickstarter.

Keyforall

This door system combines a traditional deadbolt, Bluetooth Low Energy, Wi-Fi and the cloud to seamlessly make access to your home simple for you and your guests. Random Wire Technologies is currently seeking $25,000 on Kickstarter.

Ozmo

This smart cup measures your water intake, tracks your coffee consumption and reminds you to hydrate. Groking Lab is currently seeking $25,000 on Kickstarter.

Lapa 2

This Bluetooth tracker helps you stay connected with your things, all from its accompanying app. Lapa Studio has nearly tripled its Indiegogo goal of $35,000.

Mogees

This attachable sensor transforms anything into a musical instrument, giving you an entire world of new creative possibilities. Mogees has already reached its Kickstarter goal of $30,325.

Eleven 3D Printer

This affordable, open source 3D printer features a big build area to create even bigger ideas. ISG3D is currently seeking $8,402 on Kickstarter.

WallJax

This wireless charger declutters your house and helps you remain organized. WallJax is currently seeking $125,000 on Indiegogo.

Biopod

This smart microhabitat lets you grow vegetables and plants, as well as make a rainforest-style home for your pets. Jared Wolfe is just shy of tripling his $22,000 Kickstarter goal.

PillBox

This connected pills dispenser ensures that the right person takes the right dosage at the right time. Indie Designers is currently seeking $55,000 on Kickstarter.

Ollinlift

This sensor-laden wearable device provides accurate, real-time feedback as you work out. Ollinlift is currently seeking $45,617 on Kickstarter.

AlwaysHome

This portable, space-shifting solution allows you to enjoy the access rights of your home or office network, irrespective of your physical location. AlwaysHome is currently seeking $40,000 on Kickstarter.

VV-Box

This Wi-Fi-enabled container accurately keeps track of daily medication and supplement intake, then sends customized reminders or voice messages according to your schedule. Xiaohe Intelligent Technology is currently seeking $20,000 on Kickstarter.

Modoo

This wearable gadget gives mothers-to-be the ability to monitor their babies’ heart rate and movement 24/7. ExtantFuture  is currently seeking $50,000 on Indiegogo.

Plug & Plant

This wall-mounted smart pod system not only organizes your indoor plants, but collects environmental data and suggests tips for optimal growth. Team Plug & Plant is currently seeking $50,000 on Kickstarter.

Adam

This all-in-one machine for Makers can 3D print, laser cut, engrave and scan. Northype is currently seeking $112,405 on Kickstarter.

EVI InWall

This board installs behind your existing switches and outlets to make them smart and controllable from your smartphone. Mark Snyder is currently seeking $80,000 on Kickstarter.

The BuzzClip

This small, discreet wearable device helps the blind or visually impaired to detect and safely navigate around objects in their path. iMerciv is currently seeking $50,000 on Indiegogo.

Did you happen to miss last week’s notable campaigns? If so, you can check them out here. Also, if your project is powered by Atmel MCUs and you’ve been featured on our blog, be sure to download the respective badges here for use in your ongoing marketing efforts. 

Makerarm is a versatile robotic arm for Makers

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Makerarm is a complete personal fabrication system crammed into a single, beautifully-designed robotic arm for your desktop. 

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While a handful of robotic arms have emerged onto the scene recently, we’ve been holding out for one that was brought to our attention back in May. And the time has finally arrived! Now live on Kickstarter, the aptly named Makerarm is a complete personal fabrication system packed into a sleek robotic arm that sits right on your desktop.

The affordable gadget, which has an impressive work area of 378.5 square inches, is equipped with interchangeable heads for various applications. These include 3D printing both filament and resin, plotting on any surface, CNC milling at high speeds, engraving with a 500mW laser and soldering PCBs, among countless others. What’s more, Makerarm boasts a reach of 15.7 inches and is capable of assembling electronics by picking parts up and placing them down using either vacuum pump coupled suction cups, electromagnets or grippers.

Makerarm is being billed with many of the components you would expect from today’s most popular 3D printers, namely a 10″ Z-axis and the ability to extrude an assortment of materials. The modular tool also comes with features like auto-leveling to ensure consistency and Wi-Fi connectivity for wireless control. Plus, it can work in coordination with other Makerarms to accomplish specific tasks.

The impressive SCARA robot is built around an ATmega2560 responsible for handling the I/Os and motion control, as well as another MPU that serves as its brain. Makerarm comes with its own browser-based software, which allows remote management from any device via Wi-Fi. This means you’ll be able to do things like view Makerarm in 3D, train it to perform repeated actions, load designs and models for one-click 3D printing, milling and engraving, connect third party apps, and even create custom apps of your own through its hardware development kit and API.

On top of all that, Makerarm’s UI can detect which head is attached and will only display options and information relevant to that particular function. And, should you wish to use your favorite CAD/CAM and tool path generation program such as Autodesk Fusion 360, you can go right ahead!

Is this the piece of machinery you’ve been dying to have on your workbench or desktop? Then head over to Makerarm’s Kickstarter campaign, where the team is currently seeking $349,750. Units are expected to begin shipping a year from now.

Makerarm is a complete fabrication system

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This all-in-one personal fabricator can 3D print, laser engrave, mill and more. 

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While the 3D printing world has provided us with some pretty remarkable creations thus far, from robots extruding structures to machines whipping up chocolate treats, one Austin-based startup may be raising the bar even higher. That’s because the Techjango team is about to unveil one of the slickest projects yet. Even better, we’ll be able to get a firsthand look right at Maker Faire Bay Area.

Dubbed Makerarm, the gizmo is exactly what it sounds like: a personal fabrication system packed into a sleek robotic arm that sits on your desktop. The modular device, which boasts a build envelope of 32 inches and an arm reach of 30 inches, is equipped with interchangeable heads for various applications that extend well beyond just 3D printing. These include plotting, engraving with a 500mW laser, milling at incredibly high speeds, PCB assembly for electronics, among several others. Future plans even entail pick-and-place capabilities using suction, electromagnetic or gripper heads.

We first saw Techjango’s proof-of-concept nearly a year ago — you too can see it in this video. And from the looks of the clip, though in very rudimentary form, it would appear to be driven by some sort of Atmel based Arduino.

The Makerarm is being billed with many of the components one would expect from today’s desktop 3D printers, including a 10″ Z-axis. What’s more, it comes with features like auto-leveling (particularly useful as it’s meant to be mounted), Wi-Fi for wirelsss connection, and even expandability through add-on compartments. The impressive gadget is built around the versatile ATmega2560 MCU, tasked with handling the I/Os and motion control.

Safe to say after watching its teaser reel, the Makerarm is surely not what most of the DIY community has been accustomed to with conventional Cartesian or Delta-style machinery. While most of the project remains under wraps, we can’t wait to see it in action — that’s for sure!