About
Hi, friends!
Unfortunately, we have not reached our target amount on Kickstarter this time. We’ll push through the Cuberox project no matter what, but we need your help to make version 2 of Cuberox even better and more attractive. We’ve developed a quick survey and your answers will help us understand where to move going forward. Please follow this link to provide your answers and share opinions.
Most importantly, we encourage you to share your ideas, experience and opinion through our new blog. We need your input and your opinion to better prepare the cube for the new campaign. Please register to use the blog and share your ideas along! And, we will also use the blog to share our work in progress on this project with you.
Thanks for being with us throughout the past month of anxiety, support and faith in our project. Together we will make Cuberox a reality!
Thanks!
Cuberox Blog - http://cuberox.com/blog/
Survey link - http://cuberox.com/blog/awesome-surveys/cuberox-questions/
Your Cuberox team
What is CUBEROX?
Cuberox is a computer, that has six 16x16 pixel displays. When turned off it looks like just a simple cube, but it actually hides a full-fledged computer inside.
Cuberox is powered by Linux operating system that allows users to run different applications on each side of the cube, and developers to write their own applications with almost unlimited possibilities, thanks to API written on JavaScript.
This cube is not afraid of water, because its body has not a single hole and it even is wirelessly charged.
You can control what you see on a screen by changing cube's position - for example, you might be looking at the weather in Los Angeles on one of the screens, but should you rotate the cube in a certain direction you will see the weather in New York.
Cuberox also boasts a wireless station that extends the functionality that cuberox could be missing. The station has embedded speakers and a multi-color smart back light, which also is used by applications to notify users of upcoming events.
Features
Cuberox is a product that will change the way you interact with modern technology. We’ve created a simple, easy-to-use device loaded with features that you’ll find applicable in your daily use. The product is designed to make your interaction with technology more enjoyable and meaningful, fitting your lifestyle and habits.
Voice control (Update #4)
We are integrating a microphone into a charging station, which would allow you to interact with your cube through voice commands! At the moment, developers can use google voice API for integrating voice controls into their custom applications. And we are also working on using Julius or CMU Sphinx as a voice recognition system.
Six screens
The main feature of our cube is a wonderful six screen design where each of the sides of the cube can run a stand-alone application, so you no longer need to switch between apps! Here it is - the real multi-tasking. All you need to do is rotate the cube. And imagine, games and applications on the cube can be run on all six sides at the same time! This is a completely new experience - to drive the snake on all six sides!
New types of control
Nowadays, even bottles of milk have touch screens, and we wanted to add some new types of controlling to the cube to let you have fun. Cuberox can be controlled by swings, clicks, snaps and shakes. Try it - it's cool and simple!
Water resistance and strength
Finally, you can check your email while sitting in a bath and play snake under the shower - the cube is absolutely waterproof, is not afraid of rains or aquariums, and even more - it looks fancier under water!
Old school pixel art
When we were designing the Cuberox, we wanted it to retain the spirit of old school, which lived in all those cool games created 30 years ago, but playing which sounds interesting until this day. Indeed, sometimes a pair of pixels (not dead ones) brings more joy than full-HD 3D stuff that is sometimes even hard to learn to play.
Linux fledge
Cuberox is not just a couple of chips and wires. Cuberox is a full-fledged computer on a board with installed Arch Linux; and you know how cool Linux is! Hey, you can even install Office on your cube!
Multiplayer games
You can play games on the cube with your friends over network, race you pixel-car or send messages. It is all possible thanks to the Cuberox system, and of course, the Internet.
API NodeJS
We create the API for developers, which will allow them to make custom apps and games for the cube. In addition, we use the JavaScript language, which is now one of the most popular and simple languages. Making your own app for Cuberox will be interesting and easy for both children and adult bearded programmers.
Cuberia - App store for the cube
If you don’t have an app that you need or want, you can check out our Cuberia – the app store for Cuberox, where you can access and download hundreds of applications from every category or scope of interest. Using Cuberia is as easy as using an App Store on your device.
Applications for the cube
We have prepared some examples where Cuberox can be used:
Technical Specifications
Computer
- CPU: iMX233 ARM926J processor @ 454Mhz
- RAM: 64 MB
- ROM: 4GB SD-card for more than 8000 apps
- Battery capacity: 7800mAh
- Wireless connections: WiFi and Bluetooth
- Controls: Accelerometer & Gyroscope
Software
- Arch Linux ARM (3.16 kernel)
- Node.js support with Cuberox API
Body
- Material: Dustproof and waterproof body made of polycarbonate. We're trying to make it as thin as possible, so space between side pixels is not significant.
- Size: 3.94x3.94x3.94 inches (100x100x100 mm)
Stand:
- QI wireless charger
- Sound speaker
- Microphone
- RGB LED back light
- MicroUSB power
Additional information
6 faces to display information
The system allows to use 1 to 6 faces of the cube in games and applications. Six faces with a resolution of 16x16px each form a surface of 1536 large pixels total! White LED screen has very good brightness and clarity.
Intuitive controls interface
You can control your cube using simple gestures and manipulations that even a child can handle. API allows developers to assign their own gestures and actions.
Dustproof and waterproof Full Plastic Jacket.
Six identical faces create a monolithic structure without a hole. This was made possible thanks to the use of wireless data transmission technologies like Wi-Fi & BT and a wireless charger! All this made it possible to create not only a beautiful and functional device, but also make it dustproof and water-resistant.
Super-thin materials
Faces of the Cuberox are so thin, that it looks as though the pixels were sticking out of the screen, not being inside.
Ideal size
The cube has a dimension of 3.94 inches (100 mm) that is perfect for any male or female palm, and kids will also feel comfortable playing with the Cuberox.
Wireless charging station
Cube is a modern gadget and we have created a stand for the cube, which will charge it without any wires - just like in science fiction movies. In addition, this stand can do a couple of other tricks, like playing music and glowing with multi-color lights. Wireless charging station (standard Qi), 7800mAh battery and low power consumption cpu will let you forget about cord charging this device.
Backlight of the Charging Stand
Design
We wanted to create something simple; something that would carry the spirit and atmosphere of old-school, and at the same time bring a whole new perspective on the way games and application are seen and controlled on a device.
What we tried to achieve was that Cuberox is perceived as a single whole device with no signs of it having separate LED lit screens. For this reason we placed the six screens as close to each other as possible.
Rewards for our friends
We’ve created a prototype of the product and we need your support for its ultimate development and production. Please back our project so we could share our technology with the world and make Cuberox a reality for your home.
Please back our project. Don't worry, your credit card will be charged only in case our funding target is achieved! Thank you!
Dear friends, please share our project on Facebook or Twitter to support our project, your help is very important for us!
Current progress and timeline
What is already done, why do we need time and what we will need to complete:
- We have completed the first round of prototyping, and we have a working wireless cube that can run applications (which you can see in our video).
- We have set up an operating system, completed testing of drivers for screens, checked working accelerometer and other hardware parts.
- We have also created some apps to test and prepared alpha version of API.
There are a lot of things to complete though. We need to:
- Implement a wireless charger.
- Control speakers and LEDs on the charging station.
- Develop software for the accelerometer and gyroscope.
- Create Cuberia store so users could download apps for their cubes and developers could upload their own apps.
We are in the process of:
- Testing different materials that would better fit our goals.
- Creating PCB design.
- Finding a reliable supplier of circuit boards, cube body and hardware (which has already been tested as working with our cube).
Our team
By contributing to our project and helping us you will not just get a great product, but also kick-start a young company, consisting of three passionate and dedicated engineers with many exciting ideas and visions.
Ilia Lisunov - Co-Founder, CEO: Development of the project and software engineering.
Viacheslav Kim - Co-Founder, CTO: Hardware developer and technical director.
Dmitriy Popov - Co-Founder, CMO: PR, marketing, website and design.
Raisa Popova - Our designer who is in charge of our website, applications and photos.
Alexey Norkin - Thanks for this awesome video and photos that you've made for us.
Arsenii Lisunov - Android developer
Thanks Blindmoore for this happy music track, that we've used in our video.
Press Kit (press release and high quality photos)
Special Thanks
MPublish - Design and creation of mobile applications
DoubleV - Design and creation of logo
Hab - Technical development and prototyping
Risks and challenges
We realize obstacles can be possible as we move. We have identified several potential risks that we have developed a mitigation strategy for. Our intention is to deliver timely, but we realize there might be some delays caused by third parties and our own learning as we move into production phase.
We have a working prototype of the device, but it may not be final yet. Characteristics and functions may change in terms of technical details, software and device's internal structure. Should minimal changes occur, their ultimate purpose will be to optimize the work and performance of the cube. We also have not fully tested our wireless charging mechanism, but our preliminary testing results confirm we will get the mechanism to work smoothly.
Our team will keep backers regularly updated so each of you are up-to-date on the status of cube's development.
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Funding period
- (33 days)