Top 10 Startups With Crazy Smart Devices That Can Change the World
Tags: Internet of Things, Smart Devices, IoT, Smart Home, Startup

Top 10 Startups With Crazy Smart Devices That Can Change the World ElifTech May 9, 2019·7 min read

The Internet of Things evolved into a flourishing technology in a short span of time. Currently, there is a lot of IoT software for a whole lot of different industries. Some IoT solutions are well-timed, others are ahead of their time. Meanwhile, some are a complete waste of effort and money. IoT startups are trying to introduce the most amazing and revolutionizing smart devices. This post is a round-up of the top ten weirdest IoT devices that might seem totally bonkers and useless. Yet, they have already found their target audience and begun changing the world as we know it.

A Robot Cat Litter Box

Every cat owner knows that there is nothing more awful than cleaning a cat litter box. Especially when you come home from a long day at work at the gravel factory and kitty has that smug look on his face while you empty out his little masterpieces. Litter-Robot 3 is an intelligent cat litter box that does the scooping job for about $500. It might sound ridiculous at first, right? Still, 250,000 families have already purchased the product.

Litter-Robot 3 is an automated self-cleaning toilet for cats. It has a litter chamber and an open pet entryway. The weight sensor of the unit detects when the cat enters the unit and when it leaves. After this, a timer goes off for the litter to crumble, and the rotating and sifting process begins. The waste is deposited into the drawer at the bottom of the device. The litter drawer has a carbon filter that captures the odor. You can monitor and control the device via the mobile app that lets you check the litter level and see usage stats. Also, you can configure cleaning, waiting, lighting and other settings.

A Mirror that Makes you Work Out

Home fitness is one of the hottest trends of recent years. No wonder the New York Times called the Mirror one of the best inventions of 2018. This smart home device intends to change the future of home workouts. It is a full-length LCD mirror that turns into a sleek interactive device with a camera and speakers. The workout starts in the app where you put your health info, injuries, limitations and goals.

This IoT product lets users experience any workout from boxing to yoga, all in the comfort of their home 24/7, minus that creepy gym guy watching from the corner of his eye. Users can choose to tune in to live classes or stream some from the library. It comes with a Bluetooth heart rate monitor. Also, the device syncs with Apple Watch. The Mirror optimizes workouts all the time based on the user’s preferences, ability and goals.

A Smart Baby Nightlight

Have you ever thought of Internet of Things devices for baby care? Hatch came along with an idea of a nightlight and sound machine with smartphone controls. Hatch has already introduced several successful Internet of Things projects to the world. Among them are a smart baby pad and a heart monitor for babies yet to be born. Their newest product, Hatch Baby Rest, intends to take baby sleep schedule to the next level. The product is fully customizable via a mobile app. It lets parents change the settings and control the lamp without entering the room. You can set light brightness, color and sound. Programs can be set to teach your kids to get up at the same time every morning, and start hating alarms as much as their parents already do.

Hatch Rest might seem like an overpriced night lamp with an audio system. Yet, many new parents are happy that they invested in this IoT device. For babies and their parents, every minute of sleep counts.

An Oven with a Chef Inside

Unlike grumpy chefs from cooking TV shows, most people have no idea what they are doing in the kitchen. June is a solution for those who always google how to cook certain foods and don’t feel happy about the results. This oven has an internal HD wide-angle camera that captures what you put in it. Powered by machine learning, it processes the images and suggests the optimal settings. The internal smart thermometer takes all the guesswork out of cooking. It measures the internal temperature of the food and fixes the settings.

This kind of appliance could make cooking a lot more fun. It connects to your home WiFi and downloads the latest software version. Plus, it can be controlled from anywhere via an app. Frankly speaking, it’s probably one of the best IoT devices you can get for your kitchen.

A Dog Bark Tracker

Why would anyone care if their dog is barking when they are not at home? Well, dog owners do for many reasons. A dog can bark if anything is wrong at home, and it’s always best to address the issue as soon as possible. Furbo is one of several pet-oriented IoT startups that made something useful. This IoT startup created an AI pet camera that lets you see, talk to and shoot treats at your dog from your smartphone.

The product is easy to control via an app. The app sends a dog owner notifications when their dog is barking, playing, chewing or running around. The AI technology of the camera becomes more accurate over time as it learns the habits of a given dog. Furbo can be used for monitoring a dog, rewarding its good behavior and training it as well. With Furbo, dog owners can check in with their pet any time. It gives them a 24/7 connection they long for.

A House Lock with Touch ID

IoT software development has been trying to take over the home security sector for a while now. People invest in security cameras, sound alarm systems and smart locks eagerly. American and European startups find it challenging to compete with quickly evolving Chinese solutions. Still, US-designed products like Lockly™ Secureset the benchmark for the whole industry. This smart lock system provides the highest home security level one can find on the market today. The lock has an interactive display with a touch ID reader and a Pin Genie patented pin code entry system. The numbers shuffle every time you enter a code. So, it’s practically impossible for anyone to guess your code.

A mobile app accompanies the lock and lets homeowners control and monitor door access from anywhere. Lockly uses the latest Bluetooth technology and works both online and offline. The 3D fingerprint reader can save access for up to 99 users.

A Chair Cushion that Controls You

Workspace is probably the second popular sphere of IoT projects application. seat.AI is one of the most unusual solutions for your comfort in your office chair. seat.AI introduced a customizable air sitting cushion that intends to give comfort for an optimal posture of every user.

The four sensors in this smart cushion allow the user to observe its stats on the smartphone. The sensors measure air pressure, battery condition, and temperature. All this data is transferred to the user’s smartphone where they can see it in text, graphs and images. With seat.AI users can control their sitting time, breaks and posture.

Bluetooth Toilet with your Favorite Podcasts

Everyone has heard of futuristic Japanese toilets. Yet, something new in the bathroom world comes from the US-based company Kohler. Numi Intelligent Toilet is a one-piece smart dual-flush toilet system. It is equipped with a standard remote and a skirted trapway. This personalized toilet system lets the user fine-tune the settings based on their preferences. Numi has customizable lighting, foot warmer, music and podcasts streaming. This toilet has a power-saving mode and an emergency flush. It comes with a standard intuitive touch-screen remote control.

Numi is an excellent example of how IoT software development can change the future of our households. This toilet incorporates Bluetooth technology to deliver futuristic bathroom comfort to its users. Some features of the device might seem excessive. Yet, it meets strict EPA flushing guidelines and saves a lot of water.

Lawnmower with a GPS Tracker

Some IoT companies take smart technology outside your home to your lawn. Automower® is an intelligent lawn mower that can be controlled via iOS or Android app. You can connect it with Alexa as well. This smart lawn mowing robot can navigate practically any yard easily at any weather. The owner can make the mower start, park, and report its status any time they want with the app or Alexa. The built-in GPS allows users to see which areas are ready and which still need mowing.

While some might consider it to be nothing but an overpriced lawn mower, some advantages might make it worth the money. First off, it operates silently. Secondly, an owner does not need to go outside to control it. What’s more, the owner doesn’t need to be at home. These features matter with the accelerating speed of life and lack of free time.

Smart Trash Bin

It seems like opening a lid of a trash can is too much for some people. Luckily, one IoT company came with a solution to the issue. bruno is the first smart trash can that can be controlled via iOS and Android app. The smart trash bin reminds their users when to take out the garbage and purchase more trash bags. It also tells them how many clean trash bags they have. This trash bin has an integrated vortex vacuum that can suck in the pet fur and other dirt directly into the trash bag. A user just needs to sweep the dirt to the bin, and it will be sucked in. No one has integrated a vacuum cleaner into a trash bin before.

With bruno, users don’t need to wash their hands all the time, as they don’t need to touch the lid. It’s motion-controlled. There is also comfortable and easy to reach trash bags.

Final Thoughts

The above-described products have grateful customers and outraged haters who call them overpriced solutions to first-world problems. In any case, most IoT startups never get funded due to a poor business model, implementation, marketing or targeting. Development is the crucial stage of any project that can make or break its future. But remember: no matter what IoT applications you have in mind, make sure someone needs it before starting the process.

This article was originally published on IoT for All.