Former Pixar developer builds a plug-and-play hobbyist board
You won't know Erin Tomson by name, but she's one of the minds that helped build the tools that Pixar uses to make its movies. Now, the developer has left the studio to found Modulo Labs, a startup that wants to take the intimidation factor out of maker projects. Modulo is, in essence, a set of pre-made circuit boards that work with Arduino and Raspberry Pi, letting you build devices to your whims without a lot of messy soldering.
The list of accessories is, so far, quite short, but includes a joystick, a motor driver and a color OLED display. Up to four can slide into a base, and the bases can be daisy-chained together should you need extra capacity. If you're struggling to work out what you'd use the hardware for, Thomson has cooked up a few useful examples. For instance, she uses Modulo to bridge the gap between a Raspberry Pi and her sprinkler system, to run a fish feeding robot and the kit can even help brew the perfect cup of tea.
Of course, for Modulo to succeed, it'll require your patronage, which is why Tomson has taken to Kickstarter to raise some cash. If the company can raise a very modest $10,000, then backers should see their rewards arriving just in time for the holidays. If you're interested in taking part, you can pick up a bare-bones kit for just $59, while deeper-pocketed tinkerers can get a huge set of Modulo parts for $899.
