INNOVATION

A Bus Stop Climbing Wall and Other Wild Ideas That Just Got Funded

Unbreakable shoelaces? They come in stylish colors and patterns

March 27, 2015

Active Rest — This structure serves as everything from a climbing wall to a bench to a meditation space. Indiegogo

Babies will grab and chew on just about anything. Naturally, parents want to make sure toys and other objects are clean, disinfected and as germ-free as possible. A mother and father of two from Southern California have created the UviCube, an appliance that simplifies this process.

Using ultraviolet light, the UviCube, which looks a bit like a toaster oven, is able to efficiently sanitize and dry anything that is placed on its racks, guaranteeing removal of 99.9 percent of germs. In addition to handling standard baby-related items, such as bottles and pacifiers, the appliance can also clean mobile phones and other electronics without damaging them. This way, if a baby wants to chew on the TV remote, parents can rest assured that its clean enough to be used as a teething device. The makers of UviCube recently raised more than $32,000 on Kickstarter.

Here are five other unconventional ideas that were funded this week:

Active Rest: Multipurpose Bus Stop Structure (Goal: $5,000 Raised: $5,220 on Indiegogo)

“Wouldn’t you rather play on the bus stop instead of on your phone at the bus stop?” asks WoodShed Collaborative. The Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and the Market Street Prototyping Festival has charged the team of designers, architects and engineers with crafting a physical installation on Market Street in San Francisco that will be on display from April 8-11, 2015. Their creation, called Active Rest, is a modern piece, built of plywood and steel rods, that looks like two arcs leaning against one another. The structure can be used as a meditation space, a climbing wall and a bench. WoodShed hopes this bus stop changes how people interact with their everyday environment.

Beam: Projector That Can Fit into Any Light Socket (Goal: $200,000 Raised: $759,656 on Kickstarter)

Portable, small and versatile, Beam is a projector that can screw into a light socket or connect by cable to a power outlet. The Bluetooth and WiFi-enabled product, from a Los Angeles team, is able to project images from smartphones, tablets and computers onto all flat surfaces. Instead of fiddling with a bulky device, users can easily cast films, recipes and other content onto walls and tables. Beam can also be used as an alarm, waking a user up to the morning news.

UnaliWear Kanega Watches for Seniors: Wearable OnStar (Goal: $100,000 Raised: $110,154 on Kickstarter)

UnaliWear watches are for senior citizens who would like extra support in case of emergencies, but scorn the stigma of “I've fallen, and I can't get up!” medical alarms. Activated through voice control, the watches respond when a wearer has a question or emergency—contacting LifeAssist, offering reminders on medication and providing directions home. While not exactly fashionable, the accessory is getting sleeker with each model. Jean Anne Booth, an Austin entrepreneur who sold her previous two ventures to Apple and Texas Instruments, developed the product to help take care of her aging mother and aunt.

Peelable Automotive Paint (Goal: $2,000 Raised: $2,000 on Kickstarter)

Interested in changing car colors as easily as you can your hair? Boston Dip and Detail offers a means of experimenting with the exterior hue of any vehicle. Its uses a peelable automotive paint called Plasti Dip that is made of the same bi-polymer material as topical protective finishes on cars. The paint is sprayed on and comes in 200 different colors, ranging from matte to shinier pearl finishes, along with custom options. Once a driver's ready to move on to a new color, he or she can simply peel off the old one.

Bondi Laces: Unbreakable Shoe Laces (Goal: $7,770 Raised: $10,062 on Kickstarter)

Made of the same nylon core used for seatbelts and parachutes, blended with polyester, Bondi Laces are guaranteed to last for ten years. The resilient laces come in a wide swath of colors and patterns, including the standard brown and black as well as quirky polka dots and stripes. As an added stylistic factor, each set also comes with metal tips in silver, gold or rose gold. The Australian company’s mission is to “look good and do good,” so for every pair of laces sold, Bondi Laces will fund one month of education to a child in need through the nonprofit Pencils of Promise.