Our smart connected devices already have a wide range of sensors at their disposal but a new Kickstarter project has found a gap in the market and attained almost instant success in offering to add temperature sensing.
Danish start-up Robocat kicked off its crowdfunding attempt yesterday and the project rocketed past its goal of $35,000 in just seven hours. It’s offering a chance to back the Thermodo “a tiny electrical thermometer that lets you measure the temperature right where you are”. The device will work with iDevices, Androids and more, dependent upon specially written software.
How does it work with the lack of common ports between these mobile devices? Cleverly the Thermodo uses the standard audio in/out ports built into every flavour of smartphone (and many tablets). The small but perfectly formed audio I/O plug “sends an audio signal through the temperature sensor. This sensor will then attenuate the signal amplitude depending on the actual temperature. This attenuation can now be detected on the microphone input and through software we calculate the corresponding temperature. Easy peasy! We call this the Thermodo Principle™” The temperature sensor paired with a companion app enables almost instant temperature readings to be made. No external power sources nor network connection are required.
Now that the Thermodo project has leapfrogged its original funding goal the developers have set in place a well measured set of “stretch goals” which will enhance the product if further funding targets are met.
The next goal at $125k should easily be unlocked, having nearly gathered $85k in one day. The $125k goal is significant for Android fans as it means that Robocat will develop the Android companion app rather than leaving it to a third party. The next important stretch goal is at $500k, if this level of funding is attained all Thermodo devices will be cast from aluminium, not just the premium backed buyers who fork out $39 instead of $25 to back the project. However the premium buyers will still be the only ones who get the Thermodo in an anodised silver aluminium finish.
The Thermodo is designed to operate within a range of temperatures between -20° C to +50° C (-5º F to 120º F). While that range may sound limited it is probably more than your smartphone is designed to cope with, for instance the iPhone 5 operating temperature is quoted as being between 0° to 35° C (32° to 95° F).
The Robocat team hope to ship finished Thermodo devices by August 2013.
