Salt Lake City-based Anthony Griesel spent the past winter creating and testing ski poles that would let skiers stay connected on the slopes. His invention would allow skiers to answer their iPhones or Android devices with a finger swipe, read short text messages and view the time, temperature and elevation.
But now Griesel needs help putting his invention into more hands. He’s turning to crowdfunding platform Kickstarter to raise $100,000 to mass produce his “smart ski poles.”
So far, 60 people have invested nearly $9,000 for the “Neva” ski poles project.
If funded, the poles would feature 0.96-inch OLED screen, Bluetooth adapter, rechargeable battery, rubber grips and dual density plastic. The poles would also come with a app to manage settings, calculate slope data and track routes.
For adventurous back-country skiers, the Neva poles’ screen would display slope angle and terrain details.
Creative minds routinely use Kickstarter, which has seen 2 million backers dish out $200 million since 2008.
While not all projects reach their funding goals, some people have found major success on Kickstarter. One project — to produce watches that interact with your smartphone — is sold out, raising more than $10 million with 6 days left for people to invest.
Would you use these poles on a ski slope or lift?
1. Portals
Funded: $1,934
This project uses a box and an old monitor to simulate virtual reality. It is an incredibly cool project, but its Kickstarter backers shouldn’t expect anything in return other than a “big happy thank you.”
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