4 ms·

Skully

106 points by fallingmeat 12y ago

JoshTriplett 12y ago
Interesting to see a project this large using Indiegogo rather than Kickstarter. Nice to have alternatives becoming more prominent, and every multi-million-dollar project and project that vastly surpasses its funding goal draws major publicity for its platform too.
- ChuckMcM 12y ago
  Well in the 3D printer area (an area I have some interest in) it seems that people who are rejected by Kickstarter ended up on Indiegogo. I've looked for but haven't found any way yet to figure out how many projects are in that space, but for 3d printers the number of "this is going to fail, clearly" type projects has gotten relatively large.
  - JoshTriplett 12y ago
    > it seems that people who are rejected by Kickstarter ended up on Indiegogo. That's exactly the problem that motivated my comment: Indiegogo and other such sites need to be seen as first-class crowdfunding platforms in their own right, not "rejects from Kickstarter" or "projects not cool enough to get into Kickstarter".
mbrubeck 12y ago
See also LiveMap and Nuvis, both similar crowd-funded HUD motorcycle helmets: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nuviz/the-first-head-up-display-for-motorcycle-helmets https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nuviz/the-first-head-up... https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/livemap-motorbike-helmet-with-navigation https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/livemap-motorbike-helmet-...
- FUSAR_rs 12y ago
  Don't forget FUSAR ;) http://fusar-tech.com http://fusar-tech.com
TazeTSchnitzel 12y ago
So it's like Google Glass for motorcycles?
- jastanton 12y ago
  I thought this too and dig a little looking around, as it turns out it's too distracting (even for an experienced rider) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFq0TYgeB_k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFq0TYgeB_k
- ioseph 12y ago
  I would personally prefer a solution separate to the helmet itself, motorcycle helmets are essentially disposable items and it would be great to have a gadget which cyclists could also use. I imagine the near/far focus issue with google glass is non trivial to solve though
jarnix 12y ago
Video without volume control => my brain automatically closes the browser's tab. Also, my brains closes the tab when it hears dubstep.
brokenglass 12y ago
having "Jamison Cummings, Former Tesla Technician" as the first person for the testimonials video is a bit intellectually dishonest given that he is now VP of Manufacturing Operations at Skully. Questionable at best. Other than that it looks pretty cool.
- probably_wrong 12y ago
  I thought that was the point: to highlight the "great minds" that worked in the project. Am I wrong?
  - brokenglass 12y ago
    I'm referring to the 2nd video which is titled "These motorcyclists have already experienced the SKULLY AR-1. Here's what they have to say."
hazz 12y ago
This looks like a really cool piece of kit, but sadly it was introduced with an unwatchable video. > "Our technology fundamentally enhances human capability" No it doesn't. You've made a HUD that fits in a motorcycle helmet. You haven't created Iron Man. The statement is then shortly followed by some obnoxious dubstep. It's a shame because it completely put me off looking further at what could be a great product.
- fossuser 12y ago
  It's interesting comparing it to the sandwich videos - this video basically does everything wrong. http://www.fastcompany.com/1768550/adam-lisagor-advertisings-quietest-pitchman http://www.fastcompany.com/1768550/adam-lisagor-advertisings...
- lips 12y ago
  I had the exact same reaction. "Neat! Wait, this sucks to an extent that I'm dubious on the actual merits of the product, and the attempt at plain-faced profundity is misplaced. Show, don't tell." Also.. isn't it within the realm of storage/speed these days for "interactive voice agents" to use sampled audio phrases for such limited sets of vocabulary as "Turn left", "Call from", etc. This would be way sexier if it didn't have synthesized speech.
- nikatwork 12y ago
  > You've made a HUD that fits in a motorcycle helmet. ...which allows you to see 180° behind your head, fundamentally enhancing your human capability. Unless you have worked out a way to do that organically? This is Iron Mannish, just a very early iteration.
  - EliRivers 12y ago
    I use a mirror.
_cbb1 12y ago
That video was so cheezy lol
snitko 12y ago
Should've called it sculder.
teh_klev 12y ago
As an experienced biker I wouldn't allow this thing in my helmet because I want a full uninterrupted field of vision. We have enough problems with bad weather, flies sticking to visors and generally paying attention to what's ahead of you - vehicles pulling out of junctions, road-kill, fuel spills and potholes - i.e. riding defensively without distraction. Most riders, once familiar with their bikes know how fast they're riding and what gear/rev ranges they're operating in from the engine sound, they don't need to watch their speedo and rev counter. You might say, "yeah but maps?", I say plan your journey and if you have to stop a couple of times to take a look at a map then big deal. Don't put your life in danger because you switched your field of vision from watching a junction to checking a map in your helmet just at the moment a bus or a lorry pulls out because it didn't see you. I did however dig the tinted visor.
- laggyluke 12y ago
  Don't put your life in danger because you switched your field of vision AFAIK one of the features of HUDs is that it's projected at infinity, i.e. you don't have to refocus your eyes to see it clearly.
davidw 12y ago
They have quite the retargetting campaign going on. I keep seeing ads for this thing everywhere I go.
AcerbicZero 12y ago
The largest failing, in my opinion, is that they've built the system into the helmet rather than building something which can be worn under the helmet or mounted to existing helmets. I'd be willing to take the distraction risk of using the HUD while riding, but I'm not willing to take that risk while wearing a helmet of dubious quality. I'd rather stick one of the NUVIZ huds on my Arai and test it out with gear I know works.

106 points by fallingmeat 12y ago

Interesting to see a project this large using Indiegogo rather than Kickstarter. Nice to have alternatives becoming more prominent, and every multi-million-dollar project and project that vastly surpasses its funding goal draws major publicity for its platform too.

ChuckMcM 12y ago
Well in the 3D printer area (an area I have some interest in) it seems that people who are rejected by Kickstarter ended up on Indiegogo. I've looked for but haven't found any way yet to figure out how many projects are in that space, but for 3d printers the number of "this is going to fail, clearly" type projects has gotten relatively large.
- JoshTriplett 12y ago
  > it seems that people who are rejected by Kickstarter ended up on Indiegogo. That's exactly the problem that motivated my comment: Indiegogo and other such sites need to be seen as first-class crowdfunding platforms in their own right, not "rejects from Kickstarter" or "projects not cool enough to get into Kickstarter".

mbrubeck 12y ago

See also LiveMap and Nuvis, both similar crowd-funded HUD motorcycle helmets: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nuviz/the-first-head-up-display-for-motorcycle-helmets https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nuviz/the-first-head-up... https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/livemap-motorbike-helmet-with-navigation https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/livemap-motorbike-helmet-...

FUSAR_rs 12y ago
Don't forget FUSAR ;) http://fusar-tech.com http://fusar-tech.com

TazeTSchnitzel 12y ago

So it's like Google Glass for motorcycles?

jastanton 12y ago
I thought this too and dig a little looking around, as it turns out it's too distracting (even for an experienced rider) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFq0TYgeB_k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFq0TYgeB_k
ioseph 12y ago
I would personally prefer a solution separate to the helmet itself, motorcycle helmets are essentially disposable items and it would be great to have a gadget which cyclists could also use. I imagine the near/far focus issue with google glass is non trivial to solve though

jarnix 12y ago

Video without volume control => my brain automatically closes the browser's tab. Also, my brains closes the tab when it hears dubstep.

brokenglass 12y ago

having "Jamison Cummings, Former Tesla Technician" as the first person for the testimonials video is a bit intellectually dishonest given that he is now VP of Manufacturing Operations at Skully. Questionable at best. Other than that it looks pretty cool.

probably_wrong 12y ago
I thought that was the point: to highlight the "great minds" that worked in the project. Am I wrong?
- brokenglass 12y ago
  I'm referring to the 2nd video which is titled "These motorcyclists have already experienced the SKULLY AR-1. Here's what they have to say."

hazz 12y ago

This looks like a really cool piece of kit, but sadly it was introduced with an unwatchable video. > "Our technology fundamentally enhances human capability" No it doesn't. You've made a HUD that fits in a motorcycle helmet. You haven't created Iron Man. The statement is then shortly followed by some obnoxious dubstep. It's a shame because it completely put me off looking further at what could be a great product.

fossuser 12y ago
It's interesting comparing it to the sandwich videos - this video basically does everything wrong. http://www.fastcompany.com/1768550/adam-lisagor-advertisings-quietest-pitchman http://www.fastcompany.com/1768550/adam-lisagor-advertisings...
lips 12y ago
I had the exact same reaction. "Neat! Wait, this sucks to an extent that I'm dubious on the actual merits of the product, and the attempt at plain-faced profundity is misplaced. Show, don't tell." Also.. isn't it within the realm of storage/speed these days for "interactive voice agents" to use sampled audio phrases for such limited sets of vocabulary as "Turn left", "Call from", etc. This would be way sexier if it didn't have synthesized speech.
nikatwork 12y ago
> You've made a HUD that fits in a motorcycle helmet. ...which allows you to see 180° behind your head, fundamentally enhancing your human capability. Unless you have worked out a way to do that organically? This is Iron Mannish, just a very early iteration.
- EliRivers 12y ago
  I use a mirror.

_cbb1 12y ago

That video was so cheezy lol

snitko 12y ago

Should've called it sculder.

teh_klev 12y ago

As an experienced biker I wouldn't allow this thing in my helmet because I want a full uninterrupted field of vision. We have enough problems with bad weather, flies sticking to visors and generally paying attention to what's ahead of you - vehicles pulling out of junctions, road-kill, fuel spills and potholes - i.e. riding defensively without distraction. Most riders, once familiar with their bikes know how fast they're riding and what gear/rev ranges they're operating in from the engine sound, they don't need to watch their speedo and rev counter. You might say, "yeah but maps?", I say plan your journey and if you have to stop a couple of times to take a look at a map then big deal. Don't put your life in danger because you switched your field of vision from watching a junction to checking a map in your helmet just at the moment a bus or a lorry pulls out because it didn't see you. I did however dig the tinted visor.

laggyluke 12y ago
Don't put your life in danger because you switched your field of vision AFAIK one of the features of HUDs is that it's projected at infinity, i.e. you don't have to refocus your eyes to see it clearly.

davidw 12y ago

They have quite the retargetting campaign going on. I keep seeing ads for this thing everywhere I go.

AcerbicZero 12y ago

The largest failing, in my opinion, is that they've built the system into the helmet rather than building something which can be worn under the helmet or mounted to existing helmets. I'd be willing to take the distraction risk of using the HUD while riding, but I'm not willing to take that risk while wearing a helmet of dubious quality. I'd rather stick one of the NUVIZ huds on my Arai and test it out with gear I know works.