Kickstarter is a maze of weird and wonderful projects waiting and hoping for your money to help them get off the ground or to the next stage in development. Here's a round up of the top 5 Kickstarter projects that are live right now.
1. 3D-Rex: A 3D-Printed T-Rex Sculpture
This sounds like a slightly odd thing and perhaps something for kids but it's actually a really cool wire-frame sculpture of a T-Rex head. I really think it looks like a piece of art.
It's available in two versions; one for the wall and one for the desk. It comes in a range of colours including white, blue, red, purple, pink and black. FYI, the white looks best.
The pledges range from £25 to £295 and all include a sculpture of one size or another.
2. Animal Stackers - A New Kind of Building Block
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K94a0ENTmsY&w=560&h=315]
This one is definitely something for the kids. The idea behind these little animal shaped building blocks is that they're perfect for both boys and girls which apparently is rare in the world of toys.
Pledges of $42 or more will get you a set of stackers.
3. Duinokit - An Electronics and Robotics Arduino Learning Kit
[youtube=http://youtu.be/KhFPKybaoN8&w=560&h=315]
Electronics, programming, and robotics are the future and this kit aims to teach kids (and adults) the fundamental basics of these areas.
The electronics kit is available in two versions; DuinoKit JR. and DuinoKit. Both feature 190 components but the DuinoKit is intended for more advanced users.
You can get your hands on a DuinoKit JR. by pledging $160 and the larger DuinoKit for $265.
4. Handibot: A Smart Digital Power Tool
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Everybody loves tools, especially power tools, and this is the ultimate power tool.
This smartphone/tablet controlled power tools lets your drill, carve, and shape a whole range of materials including wood and aluminium.
It's a bit like 3D Printing but instead of adding material it's removing it.
They've so far raised about double their target but to get your hands on a handibot you'll be pledging $2,400.
This is a book whose storyline follows a lost 'a' searching for it's typeface, it meets a bunch of other typefaces along the way before it finally finds it's own.
This is a really cute book for kids (and maybe adults too?).
The 'Are You My Typeface?' project recently passed it's goal of £15,000 and the author has said if she reaches £20,000 an iOS version will be made.
The best thing is that for just a $15 pledge you can get a hard and soft copy of the book, although it'll only ship to the US at the moment. A $27 dollar pledge will get you international shipping.