Ask HN: Any hardware startups here? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Any hardware startups here?

#31

Post by StephenSmith » Wed, Jul 05, 2023, 5:29 PM UTC

DDickson wrote: post #21

StephenSmith wrote: post #8

We make a camera system for construction sites. Using computer vision, we can identify when and for how long subcontractors show up as well as notify our customers of unwanted behavior on site. https://bedrockwireless.com/ Fun fact, we probably have the best port-o-potty detector in the world.

If this were a camera that identified when and for how long a software engineer showed up to the office and notified their employer of "unwanted behavior", how long would it take for that story to end up on the front page of this site and torn apart as invasive and infantilizing?

I guess I would say that subcontractors are more like hourly workers (who are time tracked meticulously in almost all industries) - not salaried like software engineers, who would deserve the respect and absence of tracking.

Re: Ask HN: Any hardware startups here?

#32

Post by konschubert » Wed, Jul 05, 2023, 5:30 PM UTC

gouthamve wrote: post #26

konschubert wrote: post #20

I am making and selling an eink smart screen. It can display a google calendar. You can also point it to any url that serves an image. Is it okay to post a link? https://shop.invisible-computers.com/products/invisible-cale... I am planning to release more applications for it and I am opening the platform for 3rd party applications.

I see that shipping to Europe is not yet supported. Do you have plans soon?

CE certification is extremely expensive for a bootstrapped startup.

Plus there is Elektroschrottverordnung and Verpackungsrichtlinie and all that stuff.

You can send me an email at info@invisible-computers.com

Re: Ask HN: Any hardware startups here?

#33

Post by screye » Wed, Jul 05, 2023, 5:31 PM UTC

Loads of hardware startups, but the communities are not in the Bay, Seattle or NYC.

Most of the activity is not being generated by Americans or in America. Lots are being started in India, Dubai and China. Even the ones based out of the US or Singapore spend most of their time in Shenzen.

In the US, I routinely see robotics and Healthcare hardware startups in Boston or San Diego, pseudo attached to the local university. No surprise that irobot and Boston dynamics are based out of Boston.

Re: Ask HN: Any hardware startups here?

#34

Post by kylixz » Wed, Jul 05, 2023, 5:31 PM UTC

https://darkhive.ai small uncrewed aerial systems for public safety. Other companies still dominate the market and for good reason. We aim to bring US-made equipment that is competitive and affordable.

Re: Ask HN: Any hardware startups here?

#35

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Jul 05, 2023, 5:32 PM UTC

greesil wrote: post #6

As someone who used to work at an IoT company the consumer space is brutal. Unless you've got something you can sell for 10x BOM, or there's naturally a subscription based model then it's not worth the blood, sweat, and tears.

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: Any hardware startups here?

#36

Post by proee » Wed, Jul 05, 2023, 5:32 PM UTC

konschubert wrote: post #20

I am making and selling an eink smart screen. It can display a google calendar. You can also point it to any url that serves an image. Is it okay to post a link? https://shop.invisible-computers.com/products/invisible-cale... I am planning to release more applications for it and I am opening the platform for 3rd party applications.

Very cool! Are you able to make a full-time living off this product yet?

Re: Ask HN: Any hardware startups here?

#37

Post by StephenSmith » Wed, Jul 05, 2023, 5:32 PM UTC

newhouseb wrote: post #27

StephenSmith wrote: post #8

We make a camera system for construction sites. Using computer vision, we can identify when and for how long subcontractors show up as well as notify our customers of unwanted behavior on site. https://bedrockwireless.com/ Fun fact, we probably have the best port-o-potty detector in the world.

This is great! I built a house and DIY'ed this because our site was 2 hours away from where we were living at the time. It was clear (our) GC was not used to this because they were constantly telling us that things were happening when they very clearly weren't (thanks to the live video we had from to the site).

We occasionally get the homeowner to buy our product to monitor their GC - the GC always hates this. This in-turn leads us to recommending that the GC (if they're the buyer [most common]) to never share it with the future homeowner as that usually causes the GC to be overburdened by the homeowner.

I applaud you creating your own solution, many GCs can do this, but most can't or don't want to deal with it.

Re: Ask HN: Any hardware startups here?

#38

Post by the_mar » Wed, Jul 05, 2023, 5:32 PM UTC

Thalo Labs a New York City-based company focused on accelerating our path to a net-negative carbon society. We develop systems (hardware+software) that make it easy to measure and capture GHG emissions at the scale of the built environment. We are driven to provide practical solutions to emissions now and scale with the future of the green grid.

See current open roles here: https://jobs.lever.co/thalolabs

Re: Ask HN: Any hardware startups here?

#39

Post by iancmceachern » Wed, Jul 05, 2023, 5:33 PM UTC

I work in this space. Medical devices mostly, surgical robotics, active implantable devices (LVADS, artificial hearts), dialysis, monitoring and testing and also orthopedic stuff like bone taps, drills, screws and surgical navigation. I have a portfolio website at www.iancollmceachern.com

Re: Ask HN: Any hardware startups here?

#40

Post by lotsofpulp » Wed, Jul 05, 2023, 5:33 PM UTC

konschubert wrote: post #25

greesil wrote: post #6

As someone who used to work at an IoT company the consumer space is brutal. Unless you've got something you can sell for 10x BOM, or there's naturally a subscription based model then it's not worth the blood, sweat, and tears.

10x BOM? Why is the bar so high for profitably? There are manufacturing costs, marketing and inventory risk. But still… what am I missing?

The probability and cost of failure? And/or alternative revenue streams with lower volatility available to people with the skill to pull it off.