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Ask HN: Any hardware startups here?

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Re: Ask HN: Any hardware startups here?

#441
We are building a cyber foundry in Los Angeles to reshore American manufacturing. Using in-house composites, Rangeview 3D prints highly complex ceramic parts and pours molten metal into them autonomously. Our process can make components with material and geometric specifications no other metalic manufacturing process is capable of. We have worked with Rivian, Boeing, Airbus, and are aiming for military spares for planes like the F22. The founding team met doing VEX, FRC and Battlebots. https://rangeview.co/

Re: Ask HN: Any hardware startups here?

#442
We're building a sleep EEG headband which improves the efficiency of deep sleep https://soundmind.co

We use closed-loop auditory stimulation (sound) to boost slow-wave activity in deep sleep.

This doesn't help you get to sleep, but makes the time spent in deep sleep more effective.

Lots of studies look at the impact on immune function, cognitive performance, nervous system response, etc.

Peer-reviewed, published research is on our website at https://soundmind.co

Re: Ask HN: Any hardware startups here?

#443
post #393

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s a pretty naive way to look at it. A lot of patented products have a positive impact on the world, should all of these be shared? What if a small player tries to break into a market with a nee solution? They should give away their IP to the big player purely because it has a positive impact on the world? Just because their product is more safe doesn’t mean they automatically have to share this with everyone. Th…

> A lot of patented products have a positive impact on the world, should all of these be shared? Yes. It’s bad to criminalize innovation. Most patentable innovations are not so unique but only a logical next step given prior inventions. Also, patents favor the big players in any market because they have the money and the will to grind down any newcomers with legal action. The upstart with fewer resources should alway…

If it was obvious, why didn’t some big company already do it?

Re: Ask HN: Any hardware startups here?

#444

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am always entertained by the extra amount people are willing to pay for the tiniest bit of risk reduction (or appearance thereof) for baby and kid related products. For example, paying an extra $900 for a car seat, but then taking the kid on unnecessary car rides, which are magnitudes riskier than not taking the kid in a car. If you are willing to pay that much for such an immaterial decrease in risk, surely you sh…

Our risk assessment is as emotional as is logical. When it comes to driving specifically, my friends will buy a 50k SUV to feel safe, but will then buy cheapest plasticy tires or refuse to join me in advanced safety class. That being said - kids are vulnerable, fragile, and don't make their own decisions. As a newish parent myself I 100% understand the extra pressure that puts to make the best possible decision for t…

I mean I know people who seem to get in an accident once in a while — sometimes completely their fault — and other people who have driven 20 years everywhere and clearly drive better and react quicker than anyone else I know.

So by all means, someone doing something or not doesn’t mean much.

Re: Ask HN: Any hardware startups here?

#447

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Quoting from their linked website: > Our heat pump can generate up to 3 times as much heat as a resistor, using the same amount of electricity. Though it doesn't mention the temperature at which this is achieved, only that the range is from 160 to 550°C.

we published a calculator if you would like to dig deeper! https://airthium.github.io/airthium.com-calculator/ The COP gets lower as the temperature difference increases as you can expect.

For those, like me, who didn't know this term:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coefficient_of_performance

> The coefficient of performance or COP (sometimes CP or CoP) of a heat pump, refrigerator or air conditioning system is a ratio of useful heating or cooling provided to work (energy) required.[1][2] Higher COPs equate to higher efficiency, lower energy (power) consumption and thus lower operating costs.

Re: Ask HN: Any hardware startups here?

#448

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ok, I'll bite. I don't want to expose my child to exotic glues, adhesives, PFAS, or any other foreign molecules in their car seat. How does your product stack up?

I assume you are worried about off-gassing, and direct ingestion of harmful chemicals. TLDR: We stack up really well. 1) No flame retardants are used in the upholstery. We worked really hard to meet the flammability requirements with materials that aren't doped in endocrine-disrupting flame retardants. So that was a big win, because that is the largest chemical exposure in legacy car seats (in my opinion) and it is o…

I'm not in the market for a car seat, but just want to say that I think you've done an awesome job responding, and I'd be looking at your car seat for sure after reading these :)

Re: Ask HN: Any hardware startups here?

#449
Working on self-driving stuff in the Ag-space, though not at a startup, but this is after two hardware startup stints: one doing security related computer vision, and then people sensing for space management.

Hardware is fun, but you rarely have the profit margins of a pure software play, so if you're not working on something creating an 'ecosystem', you're upside is probably more limited than a pure sw company. Still, I've liked the hardware products I've worked on, so I don't regret the tradeoff.

Re: Ask HN: Any hardware startups here?

#450
I work at a design firm: working with hardware startups is our business. Hardware is hard, but we are available to help:

http://www.nklabs.com

We help with mechanical design, engineering simulation, PCB design, embedded systems, FPGAs, firmware, agency testing, and can help set you up with a contract manufacturer.

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