Something went wrong: failed Kickstarter projects
With the advent of the Kickstarter service, hundreds of inventors and creatives around the world were able to raise the missing funds to implement their projects. Many of them received even more than they asked for, because the Kickstarter audience is very willing to support interesting ideas. In addition, active donors hope to be the first in the world to try out unique inventions - why not help the developer? But unfortunately, not all hopes have justified themselves. Despite the strict moderation of projects, failures on Kickstarter still happen, and now you will find out which ones thundered the loudest. Skarp
This project has received tremendous approval from the male Kickstarter audience. Skarp was supposed to be a laser razor - light, neat and safe. It was assumed that the device will operate on a conventional finger-type battery, and the laser power will be enough to instantly cut the bristles. How it will be possible to avoid skin burns, history is silent. Even despite the dubiousness of the idea and the fact that the developers did not provide a single working prototype (the portfolio contained only a photo and video demonstration of the 3D model), the project managed to raise about 4 million dollars - 25 times more than was required. But since the developers did not provide any proof of the progress of the work, the project was closed by the site administration. However, he soon appeared on another similar resource, Indiegogo, where he also received his share of funding and quietly disappeared. Zano
Zano, a tiny cell phone-sized drone with a high-resolution camera, wowed the audience. Its stated capabilities included gesture control, the ability to recognize and avoid obstacles, as well as wireless charging and automatic video stabilization. The project raised more than $ 3.5 million (and initially only 190 thousand were required). The developers agreed to send the first 3000 models to customers, but in fact sent two hundred. The capabilities of the finished device were radically different from those declared, and far from the best: the drone could barely get off the ground and crashed against the nearest wall - no HD video, stabilization and long autonomous flight. The public was so outraged that the Kickstarter administration had to hire an expert to investigate. In the course of the research, it turned out that the video demos of Zano were trivial editing, and the developers spent donations for personal needs. Coolest Cooler
A portable refrigerator worth only $ 185, which, in addition to its direct function, was able to mix drinks, play music and charge devices via USB, was to become an indispensable attribute of picnics. More than 50 thousand people financed the project, giving 13 million dollars for its development. At first, the manufacturer missed the deadline when he did not send the finished models on time. Then it turned out that he had miscalculated the shipping costs, which meant that the refrigerators never reached most of his customers. A little later, Coolest Cooler went on sale on Amazon, only its price was as much as $ 500. In general, the characteristics of the project met expectations, but the residue of disappointment remained. Ant Simulator
A virtual reality-enabled computer game has raised over 4 thousand dollars. This was more than enough to complete the work, but shortly before the release of the beta version of the game, one of the developers released a video message in which he apologized to the donators and announced that all the funds raised were spent by his companions on entertainment. He intended to continue working alone, but former colleagues threatened him with legal action if he continued to develop the project. In general, the game never came out, and hundreds of impatiently waiting gamers never learned what it was like to be an ant. Peachy Printer
A small color 3D printer-constructor worth only $ 100, fortunately, was still released - albeit in extremely limited quantities so far. The development of the device was led by two Americans, Rylan Greyston and David Bo. Having collected numerous donations worth more than 600 thousand dollars, they suddenly stopped communicating. Two years later, Greyston turned to the public and announced that he intends to sue his friend, who spent the funds raised on the construction of his house. The case did not come to court, as Bo apologized and returned part of the amount, and Greyston promised that he would send working models to all customers at his own expense. The Topic of Article: Something went wrong: failed Kickstarter projects. |
