In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you’d like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with “Insert Coin” as the subject line.

Romotive co-founder Peter Seid’s tweet read “I build robots powered by smartphone” — that was just the incentive we needed to go check out his and business partner Phu Nguyen’s creation while on a recent trip to Seattle. Romo is a simple and affordable tank-like robot platform that uses basic analog electronics to trigger two motors via any device’s headphone jack. The circuit is tuned to specific frequencies for each motor — playback the right tones, and you control the hardware.

With a smartphone as its brain, all of Romo’s logic and behavior live in the software. Three apps will be available at launch for both iOS and Android. RomoRemote lets you control the robot from another phone over WiFi, complete with remote live view and public address. Romo Kart is a mixed-reality version of Mario Kart, including digital attacks designed to slow down your adversaries. The Drag and Drop Programming Module makes it easy to program Romo directly from your handset with instant results.

During our visit with the folks at Romotive, we got a chance to try the RomoRemote app in person using a couple iPhones — not only is Romo adorable, but it works like a charm. The best part? Peter and Phu plan to make a complete SDK and libraries available to iOS and Android developers. While there are several amounts you can pledge, $78 lets you have Romo and the three aforementioned apps sometime in February 2012. The project is already halfway to its $32,000 goal with 42 days to go.

Take a look at our gallery above, then hit the break for our hands-on video and the all important Kickstarter link.

Continue reading Insert Coin: Romo, the smartphone robot (video)

Insert Coin: Romo, the smartphone robot (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 09 Oct 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you’d like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with “Insert Coin” as the subject line.

We’ve seen the Arduino platform used to do some very, very cool things. You can pick up one of these incredibly versatile contraptions for well under 100 bucks, putting it within reach of the entire gamut of advanced hardware developers. But as simple as it may be to use for the technically inclined, there’s still quite a bit of programming required, and you’ll probably need to know your way around a soldering iron as well. The Teagueduino sets out to simplify the process, replacing intimidating code with simple drop-down menus, which you can adjust in realtime, giving you instant feedback as you make adjustments to your ‘coding’ handiwork. The second piece of the puzzle is the Teagueduino board itself, which includes snap-enabled inputs and outputs (yes, that means you can leave the finger-melting soldering iron to the pros).

The hardware/software duo first made an appearance this spring, but it just popped up on Kickstarter, which means the Teagueduino could be making its way to a DIY project near you in the not-so-distant future. Unfortunately it’s not cheap — you’ll need to pledge $160 to get a fully assembled kit, while $260 adds extra I/O terminals. The Teagueduino is nearing the halfway point of its $22,000 funding goal with 27 days left to go, and if all goes according to plan, you should have your kit by November. Jump past the break for an overview with the designers.

Continue reading Insert Coin: Teagueduino solderless electronic board

Insert Coin: Teagueduino solderless electronic board originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 10 Sep 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you’d like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with “Insert Coin” as the subject line.

It’s difficult to imagine what life would be like without the ability to see. You wouldn’t be reading this article, for one, and that can of soup you had for lunch — well, you probably wouldn’t have been able to distinguish chicken noodle from cranberry sauce, until it came out of the microwave you wouldn’t have been able to operate on your own. “Assistive tech junkie” Karina Pikhart is working to improve at least some aspects of life without sight. Developed while she was a student at MIT, her 6dot labeler prints Braille onto standard DYMO tape using an embossing mechanism. The 6dot was named for the six dots used in the Braille system, and includes a built-in Braille keyboard for people familiar with the writing system, and the option to connect a standard QWERTY keyboard — with characters converted in real-time, allowing the rest of us to print Braille labels as well. This incredibly practical system could literally end up being a life-saver for some blind people, who may not be able to distinguish between household chemical bottles and food, or identify pills that include only non-textured markings.

Pikhart has turned to Kickstarter to fund her project, seeking $50,000 in pledges to get the Braille tape rolling. A $1,000 donation lands you one of the first available 6dot labelers, while lesser pledges will be rewarded with a variety of custom Braille souvenirs. Jump past the break to see it in action, or hit up the source link for the full scoop from 6dot.

Continue reading Insert Coin: 6dot Braille labeler (video)

Insert Coin: 6dot Braille labeler (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Aug 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The age of lugging around a pricey DSLR kit just to capture casual fisheye, wide-angle and macro photos may be nearing its end — for some of us, at least. Designed by a startup duo in California, the Olloclip was the first project featured in our Insert Coin series, and we were thrilled to learn not only that it was successfully funded, but that the device is ready to ship to both early supporters and new customers just two months later. The accessory brings the functionality of all three lenses to the iPhone 4, and it does so well enough to warrant leaving your pro kit at home on occasion — assuming, of course, that your photographs aren’t responsible for putting food on the table.

While a bargain compared to its professional equivalents, $70 is a lot to spend on any iPhone accessory, so the lens’s price tag may not sit well with some users. Also, design limitations mean you won’t be able to use the lens with other devices, and there’s no way to guarantee compatibility with future iPhones as well. Nonetheless, we had a blast shooting with the Olloclip, and we think you will too. Head past the break to find out why.

Continue reading Olloclip three-in-one lens for iPhone 4 review

Olloclip three-in-one lens for iPhone 4 review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Jul 2011 13:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you’d like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with “Insert Coin” as the subject line.

Nobody with binocular vision would consider replacing a functional natural eye with a digital camera. But Tanya Vlach’s vision is monocular, after losing one of her eyes in a car accident. A matching ocular prosthesis gives the San Francisco native a normal appearance, but it’s unable to provide vision — in its current state, at least. Vlach turned to Kickstarter for donations that would allow her to install a unique, waterproof in-eye camera, theoretically capable of transmitting 720p HD video wirelessly to a mobile app, and zooming and capturing still images using a blink-activated sensor. Features also on the wish list: facial recognition, a dilating pupil that changes based on light, infrared / UV capture, and geotagging, just to name a few.

The embedded camera obviously can’t replace a natural eye, but it certainly brings more life to an otherwise useless cosmetic shell. Vlach needs to raise $15,000 by August 3rd in order to achieve her funding goal and commission an engineer to design the new optic. Donations of less than $5,000 will be rewarded with a variety of small-ticket items, while a pledge greater than that amount will net the donor their very own “souvenir eye camera” — whatever that means. You can jump past the break for a video explanation from Tanya, who may very well be on her way to being the first human to use a digital pseudo-bionic eye.

Continue reading Insert Coin: Prosthetic eye digital camera (video)

Insert Coin: Prosthetic eye digital camera (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 10 Jul 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you’d like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with “Insert Coin” as the subject line.

It’s been a year since we last heard about Social Bicycles (SoBi), the bike sharing concept that has potential to revolutionize the way we rent, ride, and lock bikes. Now the New York-based startup is working on a very promising second prototype, and is turning to Kickstarter for funding. The new version is still a few weeks out (that’s a rendered version in the image above), but we pedaled over to SoBi HQ in Brooklyn to take a look at the first model, which is already far more efficient than systems we’ve seen implemented in Europe and select US cities, including Denver. Both versions feature a main rear-mounted lock unit, containing a U-lock, rear wheel immobilizer, GPS tracking chip, GSM modem, and a hub dynamo electrical generator. The new version’s unit will be much more compact, two-thirds lighter, and will include an integrated solar panel for keeping the electronics powered up even when the bike isn’t moving.

SoBi interfaces with a mobile app, which lets you locate and unlock unreserved bikes around the city (you’ll use your PIN to control the lock during the reservation period). Users pay a monthly fee to subscribe, which will include an hour of free riding each day. The system implements a clever financial incentive to have bikes returned to strategically located hubs, charging a fee for users who prefer to leave bikes elsewhere, then offering the same amount as a credit for riders who rent that bike and return it to a hub. Because the SoBi will be a rental service and you won’t be buying a bike to own, early supporters will receive a future credit in exchange for a Kickstarter donation. Donations of $50 or more also include a slick AR-enabled t-shirt, which displays a “3D” model of the bike on your mobile device. Jump past the break for a hands-on with the first Social Bicycle, and a behind-the-scenes look at the company’s shared workshop in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

Continue reading Insert Coin: Social Bicycles bike sharing system (video)

Insert Coin: Social Bicycles bike sharing system (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Jun 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you’d like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with “Insert Coin” as the subject line.

We’re not sure proper air guitarists would ever consider adding a bonafide pick to their cherished imaginary pastime, but what if a petite plastic plectrum could turn those strokes into stringed acoustics that more than just you can hear? That’s the idea behind Air Guitar Move, a $50 motion-sensing guitar pick that pairs with a dedicated iPhone app using a single dock-connected string. The minds behind Move aren’t new to product design — Colin Karpfinger created Thumbies, a suction cup-based gaming control accessory for iPhone, and Ronald Mannak has launched other freestyle electronic toys, including the V-Beat AirDrums and AirGuitar — so if they meet their $25,000 funding goal, we imagine that we’ll have a very solid iPhone accessory on our hands.

A $39 pledge gets you a single Move with a 20 percent discount, and a pledge of $49 will net you a pick from the first shipment, so you’ll be strumming away a month before folks in the first group. The creators have yet to commit to a ship date, but head over to Kickstarter if you’d like to make a pledge, or jump past the break for the intro video and an update on our last featured product, ZionEyez.

Continue reading Insert Coin: Air Guitar Move for iPhone (video)

Insert Coin: Air Guitar Move for iPhone (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Jun 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you’d like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with “Insert Coin” as the subject line.

We first heard about the Eyez video recording glasses concept back in March, when those familiar black frames packed a 1080p camera, 16GB of flash memory, WiFi, and dual exawatt-class lasers (ok, we made that last part up). Named for the product’s “utopic vision,” ZionEyez now has a prototype with a more grounded spec list, including a 720p camera and 8GB of memory, along with micro-USB and Bluetooth connectivity for livecasting to Qik or LiveStream — The Truman Show style. Afraid you won’t be able to pull off those high-tint lenses at night or in that top-secret (indoor) business meeting? You can swap out the removable sunglass lenses for clear versions, or throw in your prescription in daylight (tinted) or indoor flavors, since many optical stores stock appropriately sized lenses. Availability for these $199 HD Ray-Ban clones is currently slated for fall (assuming ZionEyez hits its funding target), but you can pre-order your pair for $150 on Zion’s Kickstarter page.

Continue reading Insert Coin: Eyez 720p video-recording glasses (video)

Filed under: Wearables

Insert Coin: Eyez 720p video-recording glasses (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Jun 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Each week we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you’d like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with “Insert Coin” as the subject line.

We typically prefer to mount our macro, wide-angle, and fisheye lenses directly on a DSLR, but lugging around a pro-level kit isn’t always an option. The olloclip adds some flexibility to your iPhone 4‘s camera, complimenting the built-in lens with a three-in-one optic that clips onto the phone and can be stored in your bag or pocket when not in use. The attachment includes three lenses: a 180-degree fisheye on one side, a wide-angle lens on the other, and a 10x macro that’s revealed after unscrewing the top of the wide-angle. Based on the intro video, the wide lens appears to have some rather significant barrel distortion, so we hope inventor Patrick O’Neill and designer Chong Pak are able to work that out before this hits production. A $45 pledge to this Kickstarter project gets you one olloclip at a 25 percent discount. Lenses should ship 4 weeks after the project hits its $15,000 funding goal — if it does hit that goal — and are expected to retail for $60.

Continue reading Insert Coin: Olloclip three-in-one lens for iPhone 4 (video)

Insert Coin: Olloclip three-in-one lens for iPhone 4 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 May 2011 17:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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