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

Re: Ask HN: Any hardware startups here?

#481

Post by i-use-nixos-btw » Thu, Jul 06, 2023, 12:45 AM UTC

iiJDSii wrote: post #227

A few years ago I made a Kickstarter for an augmented reality helmet - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/realjds/spartan-hud-nex... Fun project, made some sales and a small profit, then hand-built and delivered the units from my apartment. Lots of learnings. Applied to YC and got an interview but ultimately didn't get in - I agree with their feedback that the platform was too general and "lacked a killer app". But…

A full on helmet? That’s awesome.

I reject the claim that there is no killer app. Have you not seen Judge Dredd? ;)

But seriously, I like this. Honestly I think I’d rather this than a normal headset. There are so many design challenges and compromises made because of the notion that they should only cover the eyes. But that approach just leaves us looking gormless to any onlookers, so there’s not much aesthetic benefit.

Meanwhile your design looks, for lack of a better word, badass.

Re: Ask HN: Any hardware startups here?

#482

Post by rfrey » Thu, Jul 06, 2023, 12:46 AM UTC

gizmo wrote: post #393

prettygood wrote: post #389

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…

Strange how all those smaller companies filing patents are so idiotic to work against their own interests. Somebody should tell them.

Re: Ask HN: Any hardware startups here?

#483

Post by techdragon » Thu, Jul 06, 2023, 12:49 AM UTC

starik36 wrote: post #249

techdragon wrote: post #104

Space robotics, trying to build the Caterpillar of construction and maintenance on orbit. Not a lot to show yet but that’s unsurprising because it takes quite a while to get this sort of thing built up to the point where your printing prototypes or bending metal, and it’s along road from there to putting anything into orbit. Didn’t make the cut for YC Summer 2023, looking forward to applying again with 6 more months…

Any thought given to the fact that every startup in the past decade that attempted in-orbit manufacturing failed or had massive trouble?

Yep. It’s why we’re not focusing on manufacturing. There’s plenty of demand for maintenance like the life extension services based on getting maximum value from existing hardware on orbit, Lockheed Martin have sold several Mission Extension Vehicles and that’s just the tip of the iceberg for that market. There’s other factors such that make now the time, contracts and money changing hands for commercial space stations, with two firmly underway with a third looking promising and two more potential ones from legitimately capable companies just not yet past the point where it’s clear construction will take place. All sorts of stuff can last longer and have better ROI for owners and operators if suitable maintenance can be performed on it.

Re: Ask HN: Any hardware startups here?

#484

Post by BooneJS » Thu, Jul 06, 2023, 12:49 AM UTC

shariqm wrote: post #371

We're building hearing aids that work in noisy places (AudioFocus[1], YC S19). We use novel machine learning and microphone array design to help patients hear better in loud restaurants, weddings, & family gatherings better than any other AI hearing aid. It's a big deal because untreated hearing loss is associated with social isolation & depression and while 37M people have hearing loss in the United States, only 8M…

Do you have a Coral Edge TPU in your device?

Re: Ask HN: Any hardware startups here?

#485

Post by jrmrea » Thu, Jul 06, 2023, 12:50 AM UTC

aquaphile wrote: post #319

nsteel wrote: post #305

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Like isofix? I think even Teslas have that. Or do I misunderstand?

Your Tesla manual may call it Latch (the US version of EU's Isofix). Same thing but different name.

Adding to the list of “same thing - different name”: in Canada it’s known as UAS (universal anchorage system)

Re: Ask HN: Any hardware startups here?

#486

Post by WaitWaitWha » Thu, Jul 06, 2023, 12:56 AM UTC

Building an inexpensive VOC gas sensor tuned for methyl sulfides, hydrogen sulfides and benzopyrroles with MQTT feature.

Currently both price and power draw are too high.

If it is business successful, I will add other MQTT enabled wireless devices.

Re: Ask HN: Any hardware startups here?

#487

Post by iiJDSii » Thu, Jul 06, 2023, 12:59 AM UTC

i-use-nixos-btw wrote: post #481

iiJDSii wrote: post #227

A few years ago I made a Kickstarter for an augmented reality helmet - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/realjds/spartan-hud-nex... Fun project, made some sales and a small profit, then hand-built and delivered the units from my apartment. Lots of learnings. Applied to YC and got an interview but ultimately didn't get in - I agree with their feedback that the platform was too general and "lacked a killer app". But…

A full on helmet? That’s awesome. I reject the claim that there is no killer app. Have you not seen Judge Dredd? ;) But seriously, I like this. Honestly I think I’d rather this than a normal headset. There are so many design challenges and compromises made because of the notion that they should only cover the eyes. But that approach just leaves us looking gormless to any onlookers, so there’s not much aesthetic benef…

Thanks so much! Comments like this definitely are reassuring :)

I'll definitely make a post on HN in the future when the next version (airsoft focused) is up and running!

Re: Ask HN: Any hardware startups here?

#488

Post by ukd1 » Thu, Jul 06, 2023, 1:01 AM UTC

lotsofpulp wrote: post #191

gambiting wrote: post #166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The price is insane man. The best of the best car seat according to lots of reviews(Cybex Anoris-T) is "only" £599, your thing is significantly more and I don't see why it's any better. Edit: sorry, let me rephrase that - not insane, just hard to justify.

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…

Ya - if I could afford this and didn't, and the kid died - I'd always wonder if the better seat would have saved them. I have a really good seat (this didn't exist), and also (probably equally...or more importantly?) a very highly rated car.

Safety is a great way to sell this product, though the price may limit who buys it.

Re: Ask HN: Any hardware startups here?

#489

Post by speransky » Thu, Jul 06, 2023, 1:05 AM UTC

We are doing a military IoT products, for blue force tracking, supply chain control and low bandwidth datalink operations. Full stack - cases, pcb, firmwares, antennas, software and deployments. Can’t do show as we have only one customer now. As we are working in aggressive environment sometimes it is hard to keep cost in a reasonable range. Also finding a VC or fund interested in dual purpose or military hardware is hard and differ from a consumer products, so still FFF model of financing and this produce issues with scaling

Re: Ask HN: Any hardware startups here?

#490

Post by kodah » Thu, Jul 06, 2023, 1:06 AM UTC

gizmo wrote: post #385

bbor wrote: post #365

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cmon be nice to the car seat people :). Let’s say it cost $10 to develop this groundbreaking car seat technology, and $1 to make a car seat, so the company charges $1.50 to make up their investment in 20 sales. If they gave away their patent, then another company (who didn’t have to pay that initial cost) could sell the same seats for $1. This is episode 1000 in our favorite series: why and how capitalism strangles i…

The flip side is that R&D is a lot easier and cheaper when you don’t have to worry about accidental infringement. But your last paragraph suggests we’re already in agreement. In any case, I’m fine with companies making the pragmatic choice to pursue patent protection. But being defensive and flippant about it isn’t a good look. It’s much better to argue for instance that you put yourself at a disadvantage if you’re t…

> The flip side is that R&D is a lot easier and cheaper when you don’t have to worry about accidental infringement.

Not when you're a hardware company. You typically rely on external vendors and long feedback loops between iterations for development and have to pay people along the way and in-between. Your remark that someones is morally obligated to give their innovation away before R&D costs are paid for, or really at all outside of a licensing model, is so far left field it might have a seat with the cars.