Skip to main content

Big tech from little companies: Here's the best Kickstarter campaigns from 2016

When you look back on 2016 in the years to come, what will be the overriding memory you have? Great Kickstarter projects, of course.

From unimaginably popular “Fidget Cubes” to some impressive gadgetry and a tremendous survival horror board game, a rundown of the year’s hottest crowdfunding campaigns is sure to bring a smile to your face.

Recommended Videos

And, if you weren’t a part of them, some plans for the best way to spend any money you receive for Christmas!

Vue Smart Glasses

 

The problem with Google Glass wasn’t that the concept was bad, so much as that no-one wanted to walk through life looking like the world’s worst undercover agent in a bad espionage movie.

That’s where Vue smart glasses come into play with the revolutionary decision to offer some of the functionality of smart glasses, while looking… well, like a regular pair of specs. Now why didn’t we think of that?

Check it out

Kingdom Death: Monster 1.5

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Board games are kind of a niche thing, aren’t they? So what better way to dilute your potential target audience than by combining one niche with another: in this case the horror genre?

In fact, the resulting horror board game turns out to be one of the year’s biggest Kickstarters — surpassing the $1 million funding mark in just 19 minutes and currently trending toward $16 million.

In this massive cooperative board game, survivors fight for their lives against an “onslaught of bizarre and fearsome creatures.” Although if you’re one of the 14,967 (and counting) backers, you probably knew that already.

Check it out

Fidget Cube

Fidget Cube

Has there been a greater underdog Kickstarter success this year than Fidget Cube? An all-in-one desk toy solution that allows fidget-afflicted users to click, roll, flip, glide, spin and any number of other fiddly verbs to their heart’s content, Fidget Cube racked up a staggering $6,465,690 on Kickstarter from 154,926 eager users.

Most amazing of all? They only asked for $15,000. To put that in perspective, that’s a bit like asking for a paper airplane kit for Christmas and getting a Gulfstream V.

Check it out

Sisyphus — The Kinetic Art Table

Timelapse Sisyphus 1

One of 2016’s most beautiful Kickstarter projects was creator Bruce Shapiro’s stunning “Kinetic Art Table,” a kinetic sculpture/table in which a two-motor robot moves a magnet to pull a steel ball through a field of sand.

The result? An ever-changing automated tabletop pattern. It’s jaw-dropping stuff — and well deserving of the $1,924,018 it received from backers.

Check it out

Levitating Nixie Clock

Main2

You know that expression “time flies”? Well, it seems that Scottish electronics whiz Tony “Lasermad” Adams wasn’t content to leave it as a metaphor.

Instead, he went out and created a steampunk-inspired levitating clock using nixie tubes and magnets. Now you can look like a mad Victorian scientist and keep an eye on the time. What could be better than that?

Check it out

Desktop Waterjet Cutter

Introducing WAZER, The First Desktop Waterjet

So levitating clocks, silicone cat tongues, a robot table which constantly changes its design and… a water cutting machine? Oh, ye of little faith! It may sound a little dull compared to some of the other items on this list, but Wazer’s amazing desktop cutter is anything but dry. No pun intended.

Using nothing more sinister than high-pressure water, combined with sand-like abrasive particles, it can cut through any material from glass to titanium. Perfect for any makers out there — or anyone who takes their water fights way too seriously.

Check it out

LICKI Brush

 

One of the great things about Kickstarter and crowdfunding in general is that entrepreneurs get to throw crazy ideas out to the public and see who bites, without a middleman to shoot them down before they reach an audience.

One of these projects, which may never have seen the light of day in a previous age, is LICKI: a tongue-like, silicone-brush which lets users bond with their feline friends by “licking” them. It sounds, frankly, insane — but the company claims that owners will quickly “ease into the soothing and mutually beneficial licking behavior of cats.” Apparently 2,022 backers were convinced.

Check it out

Universe in a Sphere

Laser etching of "The Universe in a Sphere"

Some Kickstarter projects offer practical solutions to problems we face in our own lives, like faster ways to lace shoes, for example. Others are just there to give us something amazing to gawp at. This second category is where the “The Universe in a Sphere” sits.

A glass sphere, containing 380,000 perfectly lasered dots representing a 3D reproduction of much of the observable universe, this is breathtaking stuff. The campaign is still running, but already it’s cleared its funding target thanks to contributions from 2,586 backers.

“At first I felt a little overwhelmed by the huge success of the campaign,” creator Clemens Steffin told Digital Trends. “It would be quite stressful — were it not for the lovely comments, heartwarming messages and uplifting words from backers all over the world.”

Check it out

Maslow CNC

Maslow CNC Kickstarter Campaign Video (LIVE October 25th)

Imagine a 3D printer for things made from plywood. That’s the high concept pitch for Maslow CNC: a machine which lets you design things on the computer and then autonomously cuts them out of a 4×8-foot sheet of plywood.

CNC machines aren’t new, but at just $350 per kit, this costs a fraction of the $20,000 – $300,000 price tag comparable factory kits come with.

Check it out

SPUD Collapsible Monitor

 

Describing itself as the world’s first collapsible high-resolution monitor, SPUD (that’s short for “spontaneous pop-up display”) is perfect for people who travel for work or don’t want to reveal to their spouse that they spent the food budget on a 24-inch computer monitor.

In all seriousness, provided it has the resolution and color accuracy claimed, this should be a dream come true for photographers and creatives who want more than a tablet or laptop screen when they’re on the go.

Check it out

Luke Dormehl
I'm a UK-based tech writer covering Cool Tech at Digital Trends. I've also written for Fast Company, Wired, the Guardian…
Sebastian Stan lays out Bucky’s future after Thunderbolts
Sebastian Stan in Thunderbolts.

There are some spoilers ahead for the ending of Marvel's Thunderbolts. Stop reading now if you don't want to be spoiled.

Earlier this year, Captain America: Brave New World briefly introduced a new direction for James "Bucky" Barnes, a character Sebastian Stan has been playing since 2011 in Captain America: The First Avenger. In Brave New World, the former Winter Soldier apparently retired from being a reformed hero and went into politics by running for Congress. Thunderbolts reveals that Bucky won his election to the House of Representatives. But his stay in Congress was short.

Read more
Jeep Compass EV breaks cover—but will it come to the U.S.?
jeep compass ev us newjeepcompassfirsteditionhawaii  4

Jeep just pulled the wraps off the all-new Compass EV, and while it’s an exciting leap into the electric future, there's a catch—it might not make it to the U.S. anytime soon.
This is a brand new electric version of the Jeep Compass, and being built on Stellantis' STLA platform—the same architecture underpinning models like the Peugeot E-3008 and E-5008—it looks much slicker and packs a lot more inside than previous versions of the Compass.
Let’s start with what’s cool: the new Compass EV is packing up to 404 miles of range on a single charge, a 74 kWh battery, and fast-charging that gets you from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Not bad for a compact SUV with Jeep's badge on the nose.
There are two versions: a front-wheel-drive model with 213 horsepower and a beefier all-wheel-drive version with 375 horsepower. That AWD setup isn’t just for looks—it can handle 20% inclines even without front traction, and comes with extra ground clearance and better off-road angles. In short, it’s still a Jeep.
The design's been refreshed too, and inside you’ll find the kind of tech and comfort you’d expect in a modern EV—sleek, smart, and ready for both city streets and dirt trails.
But here’s the thing: even though production starts soon in Italy, Jeep hasn’t said whether the Compass EV is coming to America. And the signs aren’t promising.
Plans to build it in Canada were recently put on hold, with production now delayed until at least early 2026. Some of that might have to do with possible U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican vehicles—adding a layer of uncertainty to the whole rollout.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the company has “temporarily paused work on the next-generation Jeep Compass, including activities at” the Canadian plant that was originally meant to build the model. They added that Stellantis is “reassessing its product strategy in North America” to better match customer needs and demand for different powertrain options.
So while Europe and other markets are gearing up to get the Compass EV soon, American drivers might be left waiting—or miss out entirely.
That’s a shame, because on paper, this electric Jeep hits a lot of sweet spots. Let’s just hope it finds a way over here.

Read more
Charlie Cox singles out his least favorite Daredevil: Born Again episode
Charlie Cox in Daredevil: Born Again.

Daredevil: Born Again season 1 was largely reconceived after the 2023 actor and writer strikes. Dario Scardapane -- a veteran of The Punisher series on Netflix -- was brought in to be the new showrunner and he made a lot of changes to the series that were well-received. However, there's one episode that Scardapane didn't really change at all, and it happens to be the least favorite episode of Daredevil: Born Again's leading man, Charlie Cox.

During an appearance on The Playlist, Cox noted that he wasn't very fond of the season's fifth episode, "With Interest," which was a largely standalone episode that featured his character, Matt Murdock, in a bank during a hostage crisis.

Read more