I don’t try to find interesting Kickstarters. I know I write about a lot of them, but I don’t go out of my way or peruse their site or anything like that. Somehow I just keep coming across interesting products, software, etc. in the crowdfunding market. Today’s example is the Iota, by Iotera – a small rechargeable wireless device that aims to help you keep track of the important things in your life. Keep reading for how they intend to follow through with this goal.
From Iota’s Press Release:
The Iota network will be built using small, customer installed wireless access points called Home Bases, where each Home Base is attached to a window inside a home. A second device called the Iota, measures only 43mm x 22mm x 11mm and is attached to the things to be monitored or tracked. Despite being the size of a typical key fob, the Iota can send its location to the nearest Home Base up to 4 miles away, a range that far exceeds other tracking technologies. The range of the Iota will typically reach much further than those 4 miles, since the Iota can communicate with any nearby Home Base. The Home Bases form a crowd-sourced IoT network, where just a few Home Bases can allow for a city to be covered.
Iotera provides several use cases for the Iota, including a pet/child/property monitor, door and window alarm, etc. The Iota fob has sensors and radios that make these and many more applications possible.
The best part, is that every Iota can read and react to any Iota Home Base station to report based on your pre-set profiles. This is, unfortunately, also a potential drawback, since the extended range and monitoring requires multiple home base stations in your area in order to function. Iotera has provided a portal to check out the coverage in your area. They’ve asked that their Kickstarter backers fill out a short form in order to display their best guess at Iota coverage. As of this time they report that 60% of their backers have responded, providing a decent idea of the current available coverage. So far there’s a big old goose egg in my area, though a little ways away in Chicago there is already some coverage. I know that Iotera would ultimately love to see sufficient base station coverage to make Iota a great fit for everybody, but they’ve still got a ways to go before that happens.
Iota’s Kickstarter has been running for 9 days, and already has 100k of it’s 250k goal. There are still 19 days left to see how the coverage improves. They’ve already ripped through all of their single Early-Bird pricing, though there are still a few of the single Punctual-Bird reward tiers available for $129 (expected retail $199). There are plenty of other options available to get multiple Iota’s, Home Base stations, and more. Check out the Kickstarter video and link below for more information.
What do you think of the Iota? Great idea? Too much trouble? Let us know in the comment section below, or on Google+, Facebook, or Twitter.
[button link=”https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1226890823/iota-never-lose-sight-of-whats-important” icon=”fa-external-link” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Source: Kickstarter[/button]Last Updated on November 27, 2018.
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