FlyBi-the drone giving you a bird's eye view of the world!

FlyBi is an expensive toy for those looking for another hobby, someone wanting to get into aerial photography,  or those who like spying on the neighborhood (the latter is not advise). The FlyBi is unique to other quadcopters because it's 1080p camera is linked to  virtual goggles that you wear. The idea being, you setup a flight path that the drone will follow at a set altitude, launch the drone, put on the goggles, and enjoy the flying experience. 

You might think that this would be the equivalent of watching a video from the quadcopter after the flight. However, the team behind FlyBi thought the same thing. So they decided to equip a head-tracker to the goggles and 55 degrees of rotation to the camera on the quadcopter. This enables you to direct the camera to whatever you're interested in.

The developers of FlyBi equipped the quadcopter with sensors to avoid obstacles, powerful motors to withstand wind, sealed electrical components to make it splash resistance, tough and flexible plastic for the occasional crashes, and a convenient carrying case for fast setup and pack up. There's a lot more to FlyBi so make sure to checkout the link below.

CROWD FUNDING LINK: FLYBi - First Drone with Virtual Reality Goggles

PROS:

• Easy to operate
• Flies itself
• Recharges itself with a helipad that holds three batteries and doubles as carrying case
• Very durable
• Has color options
• Up to 2 miles range and will return if signal is lost
• Carry a 1.5 pound payload

CONS:

• Costs $1,000-$1,200 but if you back the project you can get a discount
• Only about 25 minutes of flight time, but if you get the helideck you can have it reload up to three times and charge the batteries its holding
• Only 55 degrees of camera rotation, but they say this is to avoid disorientation.
• Fairly large 14x16 inches and weighs 2 pounds
• Camera is not interchangable

Would I Buy it?

Only if I had the extra money to burn.

Other similar products:

One Ring to Do it All! Kerv -the world’s first contactless payment ring by Phillip Campbell

Kerv is a great invention and possibly the most risk free form of payment. Let me give you a brief history of payment methods...

 Before banks people had to keep all their money with them, and people could break into their homes and rob all valuables--money included. For those with any appreciable amount of money, it made sense to allow a secure establishment to hold their money for them. Banks made opening an account with them attractive by giving interest for the money deposited. So naturally people used banks to keep their money secure and grow their money.

However, people still had to go to the bank and withdraw money whenever you needed to pay for something, so checks were invented. Checks provided  a means for you to pay for things without having cash, but the unfilled check is worthless. Unfortunately, people started abusing checks and would overdraw funds and they would get hit with a fee, or a fake check would mean the business would have to take on the lost.

Advancements in computing allowed people to transition to electronic payments cards (debit and credit); this invention allowed for payment of goods and services and the transfer of money instantly. However, credit- and debit-cards are stolen and used before the bank invalidates the card. Kerv is a NFC ring that allows for electronic payments and is superior to a card for multiple reasons. Here's their video so you can start thinking about those reasons...

CROWD FUNDING LINK: Kerv – the world’s first contactless payment ring

PROS:

• No more reaching into your pocket to pay for things (whether it be your NFC phone or wallet)
• Stays ever present; you can keep it on at all times.
• It's waterproof
• Can interact with other NFC devices
• Extremely difficult to steal off your person
• In case of unlikely theft you can turn it off via phone or online account
• Not likely to be lost or left places (I've lost my card 4 times personally)
• No batteries required
• No pin required
• lots of sizing options
• Only $54

CONS:

• NFC enabled pay-stations are not everywhere (remember it was that way for credit cards too!)
• $25 purchase limit for US* ( more for other countries)
• Expires every three years (free renewal if a Kickstarter backer)
• Only two designs
• Paying at restaurants may be a little bit of a hassle.

*Allows you to link a prepaid MasterCard for larger purchases

Would I Buy It?

Yes, I'm even considering backing it now since I'll get free renewals.

Similar Products (you can't pay with them):

Thought of another way to use it or a problem with it? Put it in the comments, thanks!

Ever Need Another Hand? Meet Makerarm!

This invention is fantastic and I want one. The inventors of this product saw 3D printers as being a great way to be inventive and creative, and they took it one step farther. The Makerarm does 3D printing, carving and milling, assembling, laser cutting, and whatever you want (some innovative thinking required).

What makes Markerarm so versatile is--unlike most 3D printers--it's not confined to a box, has unlimited attachments, and the arm can be trained. Imagine you have a surfboard and you want to add your own custom artwork to it. Since the Makerarm doesn't work within a confined space you can pick it up, place it on the surfboard and have it paint the design right on it.  Even if you're not that creative, I'm sure a community of creative thinkers using this product will share their adaptations with you. Watch the makerarm promotion video to see the inventive ways to use Markerarm...

To say, "Markerarm is great 3D printer" is an understatement it is a multipurpose task performer that is incredibly affordable (starts at $1000), and only limited by ingenuity of the user.

CROWD FUNDING LINK:  Makerarm-The first robotic arm that makes anything, anywhere

PROS:

• Not in a box!
• Great range of motion (~15x30x10" LxWxH)
• Unlimited attachments (enables you to print more attachments)
• Portable
• Uses both resin and filament
• Highly accurate (0.1mm)
• Inexpensive compared to similar printers ($1000-$2200)
• Credible manufacturer
• Many more...

CONS:

• Does not fix in place and may move around when performing tasks
• Depending on project, the object it's working on needs to be fixed
• Will require a lot of learning to properly operate and use
• Not fully funded
• I don't have it right now

Would I buy it?

YES, I will

Products that perform some of the functions:

Wearable Notification Screen (Eyecatcher by Team Eyecatcher from LOOKSEE labs)

Alright, so as you may know flexible OLED screens have been made, but haven't been used much. Team Eyecatcher has utilized the flexible screen technology to create a "stylish" bracelet that has great functionality as well.

LINK: EYECATCHER ON KICKSTARTER

PROS:

• Functional jewelry that you can customize
• Energy efficient so the screen can always be on
• Really long battery life (1 month predicted)
• Real-time notifications
• Easily controlled via phone app
• Large display

CONS:

• No touch interface
• Requires phone to be nearby to update
• Will drain your phone battery faster
• $400 

WOULD I BUY IT?

NO

I WOULD RATHER BUY:

DISCOVER INVENTIONS! 

I enjoy sifting through crowd funding sites, and wish there was someone who would post just the best of these sites. Since I go through them all the time, I decided I'll go through the sites and review the inventions I like (and some I don't), so you don't have to! I'll discuss the pros and cons, what its lacking, and what would make it perfect (within reason and in my opinion)!