Students of Creative Technology at the University of Twente have developed a ‘large dart’ that can be used to hold a GoPro camera as it is launched into the air. The dart makes it easy to shoot spectacular aerial photos and video footage.
The students are now using crowd-funding to raise the funds they need to launch their product onto the market. And they have already surpassed expectations, having raised over €100,000 just half-way through the crowd-funding campaign.
The AER dart was developed by Nick Schijvens and Mark de Boer, two students at the University of Twente. They have set up a company called AER, which will produce the camera casing of the same name. Fellow students Pablo Trautwein and Daan Wijdeveld have now also joined the company.
The goal was to collect €70,000 within 35 days using crowd-funding. But just half-way through the initiative they have already raised over €100,000. Over 1,600 people around the world have ordered the product before production has even started. And new orders continue to flood in. ‘It's really cool that so many people are enthusiastic about our idea,’ says Schijvens enthusiastically. ‘Kickstarter is helping us to make our dream a reality.’
Now that their crowd-funding goal has been surpassed, the students will be able to get their dart onto the market. To do this, they will work with the company HSV Ede. The first AETs are expected to be ready in January.
New solution
It is more and more common to see footage shot using drones these days. But filming with a drone also has a number of drawbacks. Drones are expensive, and safety regulations mean that they cannot be used everywhere. That was why the creators of AER devised this new solution, which has none of those disadvantages. Launching your AER dart into the air is a great way of having fun with your friends. Many young people have a GoPro camera. You can capture beautiful images with them, but aerial shots were not possible for most people - until now. The AER will change all that. It allows GoPro users to get even more out of their device: you can throw it into the air while capturing great footage. The lightweight casing, which is made of a kind of robust foam, protects the camera from damage and it also slows the fall, making the camera drift gently through the air and stabilizing it.
Hardstart
The students are part of Hardstart, a start-up hub run by and for students of the University of Twente. The society brings together young entrepreneurs so they can help each other make a success of their ideas. Hardstart is located in the Bastille building, on the University of Twente campus.
You can find more information about the crowd-funding initiative here.
