21 smart crowdfunding campaigns you may want to back this week

---

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. 

---

Sensel Morph

This pressure-sensitive, multi-touch input device enables you to interact with the digital world like never before. Sensel has already well surpassed its goal of $60,000 on Kickstarter.

O Watch

This Arduino-compatible smartwatch is designed to help kids get started with hands-on programming and 3D printing. Eight-year-old Maker Omkar Govil-Nair is currently seeking $15,000 on Kickstarter.

3Dsimo Mini

This all-in-one pen can 3D print, solder, burn and cut. 3Dsimo is currently seeking $35,000 on Kickstarter.

FABtotum PRISM

This add-on module is bringing SLA 3D printing to the FABtotum personal fabricator. The Italian startup is currently seeking $50,000 on Indiegogo.

SmartHalo

This compact device attaches to the handlebar of your bike and provides you with easy-to-read GPS, distance, speed and other performance data. CycleLabs has already well surpassed its $50,649 goal on Kickstarter.

Sensly

This portable sensor can detect pollution levels and feed that data directly to your smartphone for real-time updates. Altitude Tech is currently seeking $15,699 on Kickstarter.

Westinghouse Nucli Smart Lock

This smart lock is redefining home security by enabling owners to see who is at their door and interact with them from wherever they are. Westinghouse Security is currently seeking $50,000 on Indiegogo.

The Beast

This 3D printer is so large that it can create four identical objects during a single print in completely different colors and materials. Cultivate3D  is currently seeking $7,129 on Kickstarter.

RageBridge 2

This no-frills, robust dual-channel DC motor controller is ideal for robotic and vehicular drivetrain applications. Equals Zero Designs is currently seeking $5,000 on Indiegogo.

TESPA

This Arduino-compatible, Wi-Fi development platform lets you create IoT projects in just minutes. Sharnon Tulabadi is currently seeking $30,000 on Kickstarter.

MYNT

This super thin Bluetooth tracking tag also functions as a remote control. Slightech is currently seeking $50,000 on Indiegogo.

MetaWear C

This highly-integrated Bluetooth sensor module can power solutions the size of a button and runs on a coin-cell battery. MbientLab is currently seeking $4,000 on Kickstarter.

REMOVU S1

This rainproof, three-axis gimbal for GoPro cameras is equipped with a Bluetooth remote control. REMOVU has already well surpassed its goal of $20,000 on Indiegogo.

DreamMe

This unique gadget allows you to see the time and other information projected from your smartphone on the bedroom ceiling. Yvonne Joh is currently seeking $7,971 on Kickstarter.

Butterfleye

This wireless camera connects to your smartphone and keeps you in touch with your home while you’re out and about. Butterfleye has already well surpassed its goal of $100,000 on Indiegogo.

JuiceJuice Sparks

These addressable, sound-responsive and smartphone-controlled lights enable you to turn any occasion into a dance party. Leeward Bound is currently seeking $75,000 on Indiegogo.

LumiPocket LT

This personal fabricator isn’t just a 3D printer, but a laser engraver and a PCB etcher as well. Lumi Industries is currently seeking $44,411 on Kickstarter.

GlowTie

This programmable LED bow-tie is powered by an ATmega32U4. Nagle Industries is currently seeking $88,000 on Kickstarter.

Bikiros

This smart bike accessory ensures that your children are safe while learning proper riding skills. Bikiros is currently seeking $45,000 on Indiegogo.

VGADuino

This small graphic card shield for Arduino boards can be connected to any kind of TV or monitor with RGB or AV ports. Masih Vahida is currently seeking $1,000 on Kickstarter.

Pulsar

This wearable board lets you wirelessly control bright, colorful LEDs from any PC or smartphone. Acrobotic Industries is currently seeking $5,000 on Kickstarter.

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. 

The Beast is a big 3D printer for big ideas

---

The Beast lets Makers 3D print four identical objects at the same time.

---

Typically speaking, bigger 3D printers mean bigger prices. However, thanks to one Australian startup, that may no longer be the case. Cultivate3D has developed a gigantic desktop 3D printer that rivals the cost of most existing desktop devices on the market.

Called The Beast, and rightfully so, the 3D printer boasts a number of new and innovative features compared to most others available today. Impressively, the machine is capable of printing four identical objects during a single print in completely different colors and materials, as well as constructing a single object within its massive 470mm x 435mm x 690mm build volume. At this size, Cultivate3D says that’s large enough to print two full-size basketballs, four radio-control transmitters or a small child — all at the same time.

From the looks of things, The Beast has the potential of becoming a go-to piece of equipment for anyone looking to pump out giant prints or speed up production of repeatedly printed parts. According to its creators Dan and Josh Herlihy, the machine is capable of achieving resolutions that are significantly smaller than existing desktop FDM 3D printers — 0.00125 millimeters on the Z axis and 0.00625 on the X and Y axes.

What’s more, the printer can spit out objects 10 times quicker than previous gadgets and can be made yet even faster by throwing on its optional larger nozzle. The Beast was designed with flexibility in mind, and will come with a range of add-ons to help transform its functionality.

As incredible as these specs are, perhaps the most eye-opening thing about The Beast is its price. Starting at just $1,850 for its DIY kit and $3,299 for a fully-assembled unit, Cultivate3D’s cost is dramatically less than other printers of similar size and quality.

“The Beast’s enormous build area allows users to print objects that have never before been possible on a printer with such a low price point,” the startup explains. “Our hope is for ‘The Beast’ to make many previously unattainable projects and prints possible and to make it accessible to as many makers, inventors, DIY enthusiasts and artists as we can.”

• Printer size: 690mm x 715mm x 1110mm
• Build volume
  • Single extruder configuration: 470mm x 435mm x 690m
  • Two-extruder configuration 230mm x 435mm x 690mm
  • Four-extruder configuration: 230mm x 214mm x 690mm
• Printer weight: 66 lbs. (30kg)
• Nozzle diameter: 0.25mm-1mm
• Filament: PLA, ABS (J-head model); all types available (E3D model)
• Connectivity: USB, SD card
• Power supply: 110-240V
• Software: Repetier Host and Slic3r
• Operating system: Windows, OSX, Linux

Have a big idea you’d like to print? Head over to The Beast’s Kickstarter page, where the team has already surpassed its $7,129 goal. Delivery is set for January 2016.

Atmel’s SAM4E16C drives “The Beast”

HackADay’s very own Mathieu Stephan has penned an article describing “The Beast,” an ARM Cortex-M4 based platform equipped with a plethora of communication interfaces and on-board peripherals.

“The microcontroller used in the project is the ATSAM4E16C from Atmel, which has 1Mbyte of flash and 128Kbytes of SRAM,” writes Stephan.

“It integrates an Ethernet MAC, a USB 2.0 Full-speed controller, a sophisticated Analog to Digital Converter and a Digital to Analog Converter (among others).”

Additional board components include: a microphone with its amplifier, a capacitive touch sensor, two unipolar stepper motors controllers, two mosfets, a microSD card connector, a Bluetooth to serial bridge, a linear motor controller and battery retainer for backup power.

The firmware was made in C and uses the Atmel Software Framework. And yes, the project is obviously open hardware (Kicad) and open software.

As previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, Atmel’s SAM4E16C is an ARM Cortex-M4 processor-based microcontroller (MCU) that features a floating point unit and high data bandwidth architecture. The MCU – targeted at industrial automation and building control applications – embeds 1MB Flash and boasts multiple networking/connectivity peripherals, including a 2.0A/B compatible CAN interface and an IEEE Std 1588-compatible 10/100Mbps Ethernet MAC.

Additional communication interfaces? An FS USB device, HS SDCard/SDIO/MMC interface, USARTs, SPIs and multiple TWIs. Analog features include dual 1Msps; 16-bit ADCs of up to 10 channels with analog front end offering offset and gain error correction; and 2-channel, 1Msps 12-bit DAC.

Interested in learning more about Atmel’s ARM-based MCU powering “The Beast?” Additional information about Atmel’s ATSAM4E16C can be found here.