Today's iPhone: "It has so many uses, and yet fits in your [wallet or] purse"

Pocketables: "Most people tend to end up not using tripods with their phones simply because they don’t have one or have it with them, so the price and portability of this could fix that."

FAQs

Q1: What is the ClearShot useful for?

A1: Self photos and group shots, FaceTime, time lapse videos, watching movies on a flight or train. Coupled with a portable wireless keyboard, it makes an excellent impromptu workstation for email and text messaging.

Q2: ​Will it fit in my wallet? How big is it?

A2:​ The same size as 2 stacked embossed credit cards, ​or 3 non-embossed loyalty cards. Try it yourself to see the difference. The length is ​1/4” shorter than a standard credit card to account for the extra thickness so it ​fits in your wallet easier.

Dimensions:
​Thickness: 0.090 inches or 2.29 mm. (less than 3/32 inches)
​Length: 2-7/8 inches or 73mm - 1/4" less than standard credit card.
​Width: 2-1/8 inches or 54 mm – Same as standard credit card

Q3: Is my phone compatible with the ClearShot?

A3: Most likely. It was designed for use with the iPhone 4/4S because that is what I use. The unique flexible design, however, allows it to work well with nearly any smart phone on the market, and with any case. It even works with oversized cases like the Mophie extended battery pack, and the Otterbox. The Samsung Galaxy will work but ONLY at a 45-degree angle in landscape orientation. 

Q4: Why not use a kickstand case?

A4:​ The short answer: FREEDOM! I use a bumper and love it -- I don’t want a ​bulky case. Plus, I am aware that people invest up to $50 for a case that they ​love. I am not interested in converting you, which is why I designed the ​ClearShot so it wouldn’t discriminate against any case.

Note: Range of motion is slightly limited for thicker phones and cases.

Q5: ​What angles does the ClearShot support?

A5: One great advantage to its design is that changing the angle is as simple as touching the phone to adjust the angle.

LANDSCAPE: nearly infinite choices between -45 to +45 degrees
PORTRAIT: 90 degrees OR 45 degrees only

Q6: It's so thin! Does it actually provide good support?

A6: ​Yes – by design, the ClearShot provides excellent stability for your phone at every angle. As you change the angle of the phone, the center of gravity remains near the center of the card base.

Q7: Will the hinge crack or break after repeated use?

A7: The ClearShot was designed with what are called "living hinges". When the correct material is used, and the hinge is designed properly, the hinge can last forever. A dental floss container is a perfect example of a good hinge design. You can fold it back and forth for days and it won't break.

For a scientific explanation on living hinge design, click HERE.

Q8:​ Can I choose the color?

A8: The first production run will be black matte, but I may offer color choices at the campaign close. Prototype embroidery offered in nearly any color thread, up to 2 colors each.

A Little More Project Background

As a Boeing engineer, I am aware of the effort required to design in an impossibly small envelope. Designing something in half the space becomes four times more difficult. The current and final design represents a year and a half of endless trials, errors, and revisions.

Prototyping & Design

Early prototypes were painstakingly carved from plastic sheets by hand with razors, drills, clamps, and literally hundreds of tools.

I used to design them in Inkscape, print them on paper, and then cut through the paper on to the plastic. Easily over 100 design concepts and variations have preceded what is now a stable design. I can proudly say that I have made at least 20 prototypes since the last design revision.

Let There Be LASER Light!

The days of hand cutting are long gone as I now use a laser to cut the pieces from a vector graphics file (with endless thanks to Matt Westervelt at Metrix Create Space in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood). The laser enables me to get perfect consistency, however each prototype is still extremely labor intensive, time consuming and tedious.

Prototype Production - A Labor of Love

The process requires me to create the graphics file, export to the laser, run the laser, cut along laser path with a razor, trim edges, heat and bend hinges, and finally, hand stitch 5 individual parts together. Custom embroidery adds significant time since the hole pattern for each stitch is created individually. Each prototype requires about 2 hours of work.

I am often asked why stitching is the preferred method. The reason is that there are no glues or adhesive tapes that will bond securely to the polypropylene (the required material for a durable living hinge) - it simply peels off. So the stitching you see in the photos are both functional and aesthetic. It has become a great way to make each prototype personal, and nearly indestructible.

For now, the hand stitching works -- everyone absolutely loves the personal touch that this adds. They are extremely high quality and accurate representations of the final product, but are not feasible to scale at the anticipated demand. Custom embroidery will only be offered for the duration of this campaign.

Scaling For Production

I have been working with an injection mold company who has the ability to produce at a pace to meet demand. This will require very specialized tooling to create the injection mold. In addition, An ultrasonic welding process will be used to manually bond the sandwiched layers together. Ultrasonic welding is a process where the layers are squeezed together with pressure, and then energy is applied in the form of vibration at an extremely high frequency (about 20,000 hz). Small ridges called energy directors at the joint face melt from the heat due to friction, and the two parts become one. Each of these processes incurs its own cost, and the 20,000 goal is the absolute minimum amount to proceed.

I have submitted the engineering drawings to the mold company, and they are just waiting for me to commit and sign the contract.

Example Rewards

Here I am posting photos of some previous prototypes and other rewards. Everything I am offering has been designed solely by myself. All prototypes, packaging, and key fobs will be laser cut, engraved, and hand assembled with extreme care and precision, and will be held to high quality standards. All rewards are guaranteed defect free. For any excessive demand, I am prepared with a small army in the local Seattle area to help with production of prototypes and fulfillment.

As an engineer and designer, I love gadgets. I love my iPhone, and I love photography. The combination of these passions has led me to invent the ClearShot. It is the world's most portable tripod for your iPhone or smart phone. It collapses to about the size of a credit card, so it fits in your wallet for easy on-the-go accessibility.

Primarily, we are a team of two. My name is Mike, and I am the product designer. I coordinate everything technical relating to the product. Kara is the creative director for all campaign material including the video.

We can do a lot, but we can't do it all. So, we have been building a strong support system of IP/legal, business, technical, and manufacturing professionals to make sure everything goes to plan.

Thank you so much for considering making a pledge to our project. We are humbled and honored that you have taken an interest in us. This project has proven to be a lot of work but we are committed to its timely success.

Stay in touch for project updates and more photos and videos. We also welcome you to view additional content by visiting us at the ClearShot Facebook Page. Thank you!

-Mike