MEGATech News Crowdfunding Corner – March 2018

Great things can come from humble beginnings, and crowdfunding has led to some pretty wonderful ideas coming to fruition. Here at MEGATech News we realize the importance of getting the word out about these projects, and that’s exactly what Crowdfunding Corner is all about: sharing the news about cool and exciting new campaigns. Some of these campaigns have just begun collecting pledges, while others are well on their way and some have even sailed past their goals already. All campaigns are live at the time of this writing.

 Quin Helmets

The Quin Smart Motorcycle Helmet would pair nicely with the BackFlare Smart Vest that I featured way back in August 2017’s Crowdfunding Corner (though the BackFlare didn’t get funding, doh). Motorcycles are dangerous. In the United States, in 2014, over 4,000 drivers were killed in motorcycle accidents. Injuries sometimes top 100,000 in a given year. Motorcycle safety is a tricky thing, and it requires attentiveness from not only the driver, but other drivers as well.

The Quin Helmet is DOT and ECE certified; those two organizations cover North America, Europe, Australia, and more. It’s got unobtrusive Bluetooth integration to give you easy access to your maps, phone calls, music, and digital assistants. That’s all well and good, but the kicker is the Crash Detection, integrated technology in the helmet that senses when you’ve been in an accident and automatically notifies authorities and gives them your location. If you ride a motorcycle, even if you’re just a weekend rider, take your safety seriously.

Robot Art

We’re already in the midst of a robot worker revolution. Fast food and taxi jobs are on the way out. Truck drivers will be next. Do I really want to be encouraging this trend by promoting robot artists? There are serious philosophical conversations that can be had about the idea of robots creating art. Does art need a human element? It depends on the type of art, but in general, I think yes. Does that mean a robot can’t create something aesthetically pleasing? Of course not.

Mr.HEAD started out as a cleaning robot, 15 years ago in Tokyo. A few years ago, he began his career as an artist, and his “mechanical, geometrical touch” to painting sets him apart from the crowd. The art looks wonderful, and its inception is uniquely creative. Unfortunately, Mr.HEAD bit the dust not long ago, and funds are needed to create his successor.