Insert Coin: New Challengers semifinalists announced!
As 2012 drew to a close, we asked you creative types to let us in on your forthcoming crowdfunded projects -- and boy did you deliver. We've spent the past week whittling down the submissions for our first-ever Insert Coin: New Challengers competition, and are pretty excited about the results. As detailed in our announcement post, we've chosen 10 semifinalists, who will receive a free trip to Expand next month, along with a $1,000 travel stipend. Better yet, those on the list are in the running to win a total of $25,000, including a $5,000 Reader's Choice award and $20,000 Grand Prize, along with product reviews on this very site.
Congratulations to all the winners and a big thanks to everyone who entered -- paring down the list wasn't an easy task. We'll be highlighting each entry further in the week to come, leading up to a Wednesday, February 20th, vote for five finalists. Skip on through after the break to check out the list of semifinalists, and we'll see you in March!
cSpring
cSpring is a bipedal educational robot who can sense the world through a 3D camera and has 12 servos to perform complex movements.
Hodu
Inspired by his uncle's stroke, Dan Mikesell created this barbell-shaped physical therapy tool that interfaces with software to give patients positive feedback on their recovery.
Make a Play
Leave it to an ITP student to create an electronic stage for high-tech kids' puppet shows. Children can control the puppets, voices, lighting and more.
Moedls
Want to turn your iPhone or Android device into a mobile 3D scanner? That's the dream of Moedls, which leverages your smartphone to let you scan to your heart's content.
Observos
The "Internet of Places"? Observos is an attempt to create a network of environmental sensors, letting users monitor things like temperature, pressure and humidity wherever the devices are placed.
Radiator Labs
They're not the flashiest entrants this time out, but the team at Radiator Labs is looking to improve on an outdated technology that affects many of our lives. The team has created a box to help apartment-dwellers control their radiators in their own location, rather than relying on their landlords to entirely control the temperature.
Snapzoom
The zoom on your smartphone not quite doing the trick? Daniel Fujikake and Mac Nguyen have created a "universal" adapter to add a telephoto lens to smartphones.
Smartknob
Smartknob is a keyless lock for your front door that can be controlled via the internet.
Smartpulse
smARTMAKER's smARTPULSE is an open-source health monitor that can communicate with Android devices (with more OSes coming) via Bluetooth to monitor the wearer's heartbeat and oxygen levels.
Ziphius
Ziphius is a mobile device-enabled aquatic drone with first-person control. Its owners are planning on opening their device to third-party apps and augmented reality games.
