Editor’s note: This article was first published in June 2017. Its prices, availability and crowdfunding status are all as of 2017, including Kingii at about €90 and the Pilot earpiece at $199. Several products may no longer exist; the Automatic car adapter is believed to have shut down its service around 2020.
Previously we looked at a whole series of original and innovative products. This time we are going to look at some products to sell, most of them funded through crowdfunding platforms (Indiegogo and the like). When I say “to sell”, I mean that since these are ideas still being funded, some entrepreneurs could get the chance to do business with their creators.
Some of these ideas are useful, others are whims and others are curious to say the least, but we could say they have all been well received at first. As you can see, all these business ideas are based on the most basic thing: a problem or a concern, and meeting that need, even if they are not the most innovative.
Here are some original products that many entrepreneurs could sell
(See also: 10 original products to sell in Spain)
1. Kingii – a life-saving wristband
With the boom in water sports, and as a way to protect children, this is without doubt the product of the summer. The wristband carries a CO2 cartridge that you can trigger if you get into trouble in the water, and a balloon automatically inflates that takes you up to the surface and keeps you there. As with airbags, after use you have to replace the CO2 cartridge; replacements can be bought.
This business idea was funded on the crowdfunding platform Indiegogo.
On Amazon it sells for around €90.
2. The anti-monster bed
This bed helps children overcome their night-time fears. Through an app, the bed measures the child’s pulse, heart rate and sleep phases. When it detects that the child has fallen asleep, the lights go off. If it detects that the child wakes up in the middle of the night, it turns the lights back on.
The developers of this idea are NGlife, a company specialising in technology for sleep systems, and the bed will cost from €1,450.
See also: Palmer Luckey, the 21-year-old entrepreneur who sold his company Oculus to Facebook for $2 billion
3. Flash bikes: the evolution of electric bikes
Bikes are increasingly replacing cars in cities, because of some of the drawbacks of driving. That is also why the number of companies renting out bikes by the hour has grown, which has turned out to be a profitable business.
The creators of Flash bikes have tried to solve many of the problems faced by people who use a bike to get around.
First of all, this bike has an anti-theft system: once you lock it, if someone tries to take it, an alarm goes off. It also sends an alert to your smartphone. It has GPS, front and rear lights and even indicators to show whether you want to turn left or right.
According to its creators, the battery has a range of about 50 miles (75 km).
Watch: Flash electric bike video
4. Juiced: the electric skateboard
We move on from innovation in electric bikes to the electric skateboard. Its creators say it is not the most powerful skateboard, nor the fastest, nor the top of the range, but it offers exceptional value, safety for beginners and a very high-quality board at a low price.
The battery charges in about 45 minutes and has a range of about 11 kilometres.
5. Water Walker & Spa: an aquatic treadmill
The creators of this idea have designed a system for running in water, where the resistance and effort are greater but your feet and knees suffer less. And it also doubles as a bath.
Watch: Water Walker & Spa video
More products to sell both in physical shops and online
6. Kippy Vita: GPS and activity monitor for cats and dogs
This GPS lets you know where your dog or cat is at all times, so you can find it if it gets lost. The app also shows you the route your pet has taken that day.
You can mark out a territory and get an alert on your smartphone if your pet leaves the area. The manufacturer says the battery lasts about 7 days.
On sale on Amazon for €50.
7. Automatic: a smart driving assistant
This product is only available in the United States. Automatic plugs into the car and accesses the vehicle’s data, so it can detect any fault or problem with the car. It helps you take the shortest route, helps you save on fuel and, in the event of an accident, automatically calls the emergency services.
It can also connect to your smartphone, acting as a GPS and offering many other features.
8. Saddle Baby
A habit as common as carrying your child on your shoulders has given rise to a business idea.
The advantages of this product are, on the one hand, that the child is held securely, with their feet firmly strapped in. The parent can keep their hands free with peace of mind, and the child sits comfortably.
The price on Amazon is €99.
9. Instant translator
Learning languages could soon stop being necessary for talking to someone who speaks a different language, because thanks to this invention we can get an instant translation during a conversation.
The company Waverly Labs is already selling this instant-translation earpiece for 199 dollars, although you will have to wait until May 2017 to receive it. To begin with it is available for 5 languages: Spanish, English, Portuguese, Italian and French. It is simple to use: you put the earpiece in and it translates the other person’s words in real time.
10. The treehouse, upgraded
Kazakh architect Aibek Almassov has designed these houses to live alongside nature. The design shown is a four-storey house, completely transparent and energy-responsible, since light would be captured by solar panels, and it would collect rainwater for the bathroom.
It would be powered by Tesla Powerwall batteries, which store solar energy to meet the home’s energy needs. From June 2017 we could start to see several buildings of this kind, which are certainly quite original.
Source: Insider
11. A double garage
To make the most of space, this garage system lets you fit two cars in the same space, with one car sheltered underneath.
Watch: Bunk bed for cars, “This two-story parking garage is like a bunk bed for cars”, posted by Tech Insider UK on Friday, 28 October 2016.
12. Turn your smartphone into a 3D printer
Probably the first 3D printer for smartphones. These entrepreneurs have put their business idea on the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter and are being successful in raising funds. This mini printer would cost around 99 dollars.
13. Underground houses
An idea that is interesting to say the least, although I imagine it is not suitable for people with claustrophobia.
As you can see, the house is spacious inside. The entrance may not be very glamorous, but you can have all the comforts of a traditional flat at a lower construction cost.
Prices would start at around 39,000 to 49,000 dollars.
Source: Tinyhousetown.net
Featured image: Aleksandr Ponomarenko, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
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