Special thanks to: Amanda Kooser
The iKazoo crams everything from a breath synthesizer to an optical game controller into one weird, wavy device.
The iKazoo blows on purpose.
(Credit: Ogaco Gadgets)
You’re sitting around dreaming up new ways to control Android and iOS devices. Hey, you think, why not a kazoo? Most people would think it silly and just move on. Ogaco Gadgets, however, is trying hard to make the iKazoo a real thing with an Indiegogo project.
The biggest obstacle to the iKazoo’s success is probably just trying to communicate what it does. It has Bluetooth. It works with iOS and Android. It’s a digital flute, an optical game controller, a microphone, a touchpad, and a chromatic keyboard all wrapped into a wavy-looking device. It’s also a bit of a head-scratcher.
Tap on the touch-sensitive surface to create drum beats. Record your voice with the built-in mic. Blow into the flute end to take advantage of the breath synthesizer. Play mobile games using the Arduino platform and the iKazoo’s optical and motion sensors. Use it as a step counter to keep track of your exercising. The company calls it “the most versatile entertainment assistant ever.” I’m feeling a little woozy from feature overload.
If all that isn’t enough, there’s a $150 version of the iKazoo that includes a cap that turns it into a motion stylus controller for writing on atablet or using as a sort of digital guitar pick. A regular iKazoo costs $99.
The iKazoo is open source. If the project gets off the ground, it will be up to developers to really sort out what to do with the gadget. So far, Ogaco has a prototype of the iKazoo and is looking to pull in funds to get the beast into production.
It’s true the iKazoo is a little bit crazy, but at least it’s different from all those regular stylii and music controllers out there.