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The MeU Developer Kit is meant for people to hack, make new things and experiment with. By supporting our campaign, you are joining a community that believes in open source wearable technology; you will be supporting the development of MeU.
We have an initial design nailed down and a working prototype. We also identified suppliers to help with manufacturing. All we need is your help to meet our fundraising goal to make this first batch of developer kits a reality!
The developer kit comes with everything to hack your own clothing. It includes:
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MeU Square Panel
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Rechargeable battery
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Micro USB cable for recharging and programming
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Hook and loop to attach into clothing (will include regular, tape and/or iron-on for various applications and clothing)
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MeU Demo Mobile App (iOS and Android only)
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Instruction documentation
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The accessories pack includes a t-shirt with hook and loop already sewn in. All you have to do is attach MeU into the shirt. It also comes with additional hook and loop strips. If you're not comfortable working with hook and loop, the pack will also come with an adjustable strap so you can strap on using MeU using the two loops at the back of the pouch. The second is a bundle which includes one MeU dev kit and an accessories pack. The third perk is a bundle which includes two MeU dev kits and an accessories pack so you can put MeU in both the front and back of the t-shirt.
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MeU will only be available in the US and Canada unless we meet our stretch goal of 400%. Let's make this happen by telling all your friends about MeU!
We estimate that shipping will start in August 2015. Please don't forget to add $15 in shipping when you contribute to the campaign.
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Powered by a MK20DX256 ARM core processor and the Teensy 3.1 bootloader to control the super bright WS2812B RGB (colour) LEDs, MeU is available in a 16x16 configuration. A built in Bluetooth Low Energy radio (BlueGiga BLE113) allows wireless communication with other devices. MeU is also Arduino compatible so it makes coding easy and widely supported by a large and growing community.
MeU panels are thin and naturally conform to your torso. They are wearable even under a fitted t-shirt. MeU has a hook and loop strip so they’re also easy to remove. Transferring your design onto other pieces of clothing is a breeze. If you don't like working with hook and loop, MeU can also be worn using a strap.
MeU ships with a basic demonstration app, but we want you to develop your own so that’s why everything will be open source. We want to make it easy for you to come up with new and exciting applications!
Check out our github page for sample code!
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*Dimensions in mm
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The MeU Mobile App will allow you to display text and graphics. Just load the app and choose the content you want to display. We plan on releasing both Android and iOS version when we're ready for shipping.
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Funding from this campaign will help us develop and ship out MeU Developer Kits. Here’s where the money will go:
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Finalize design and components of MeU
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Manufacturing of MeU
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UL Safety and FCC/ICC Certification
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Development of MeU Mobile App
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Development of MeU Online Community
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MeU was founded by Robert Tu, an entrepreneur with a passion for technology and design. MeU started off as a thesis project in
OCAD University exploring wearable technology, urban informatics and design. With the help of OCAD University's incubator program,
The Imagination Catalyst, Robert Tu has formed a team of engineers, industrial designers and marketing managers to get MeU off the ground.
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With any new product launch there will be risks and challenges. Our biggest risk is manufacturing and supply chain management; the design may change based on the feedback we receive from the campaign, the results of safety testing, or other reviews of the design. This may result in swapping out parts and maybe even changing suppliers. These changes may affect our delivery timeline. We will be constantly updating people on our progress so be sure to check our website on a regular basis!
MeU’s vision is to create interactive and reactive clothing. The MeU Developer Kit is just one step towards that vision. The design decisions we made do have some limitations such as washability, flexibility and software development. We created this product for people to hack with and integrate into their own clothing. So, if you don’t want to “hack” your own clothing then this product isn’t for you. We also recommend that users have some knowledge of programming especially Arduino since that’s how you change the functionality of MeU. The MeU Developer Kit is not for everyone so please read our FAQ list carefully!
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What does the MeU developer kit ship with?
The MeU developer kit ships with the following:
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MeU Square panel (16x16 LED matrix)
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Lithium ION rechargeable battery
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Programming cable
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Hook and loop tape
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MeU demo software
Does MeU ship with clothing?
The MeU developer kit does not ship with clothing, however with the hook and loop tape you can attach it to any clothing yourself. The reason we did this was to encourage creativity and we’re curious to see what others do with MeU.
Why a developer kit?
The developer kit is for people to experiment with by putting it into different clothing and coming up with their own applications. MeU is open source and Arduino compatible. That means it’s easy to program and come up with your own code if you wish. If you don’t know how to program, MeU will come pre-loaded with demo software. That being said, the MeU developer kit is probably NOT for everyone. If you’re interested in learning how technology works, Maker culture, DIY, hacking, Arduino, wearables then the MeU developer kit is meant for you. If not then you might want to wait for the next version of MeU which will be much more user friendly. By purchasing the kit, you are joining the MeU community and together we can discover new applications.
What are the specs of MeU?
You can find out the specs here on our website.
How long does the battery last?
MeU will last around 3.5 hours if the LEDs on constantly on.
How do you turn on MeU?
MeU will have a push button on the front-top part of the pouch where the MeU logo is shown. You can turn MeU on and off by toggling this push button.
What kind of clothing can you use?
MeU works great with solid colour clothing. A thin hoodie is probably the thickest material that MeU will shine through. Anything thicker will NOT work. Wind breakers, dresses and cotton t-shirts all work great. A simple test is to take your smartphone flash light and shine it behind the fabric. If you can see the light clearly through the fabric then MeU will shine through.
How do you attach MeU?
MeU is attached using a hook and loop strip. You can either sew or use hook and loop tape on your wearable application (tshirt, jacket, dress, bag, etc) and then attach MeU. If you don't want to work with hook and loop, MeU can also be worn using a strap. There are two through holes on the back of the pouch where you can use a detachable strap.
Is MeU Waterproof?
MeU is NOT washable! DO NOT put MeU in the wash or you will be very sorry. Although the fabric pouch is water resistant it will not protect the electronics inside from large amounts of water.
Water resistant does NOT mean water proof so It will survive the occasional sweaty body or light rain shower. It will not survive a dunk in water.
How do you control MeU?
Simply turn on MeU, load the app on your smartphone and choose what you want to display. For those that want to do more, you can create your own app and control MeU anyway you want.
How do you program MeU?
MeU is Arduino compatible. We’re actually using the Teensy bootloader which is used with the MK20DX256 chip, a very powerful ARM based microcontroller. To control the WS2812 LEDs, we’re also using the Adafruit NeoPixel and NeoMatrix libraries. There are many Arduino examples for the WS2812 LED using Adafruit’s library. To get started, we highly recommend reading our blog post for a hackathon we did. Also check out our github page for sample code.
Is MeU open source?
MeU is both open source hardware and open source software, with the exception of the Teensy bootloader which is proprietary.
Is MeU safe to wear?
The most dangerous part of any electronics is the lithium ion battery. Our battery does have a safety circuit to prevent it from over charging, or drawing too much current. This will help prevent the battery from catching fire. Do NOT expose MeU to the following:
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direct contact with water (light sweat or rain is ok outside of the pouch)
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extreme temperatures of greater than 40 deg C or 104 deg F
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high humidity
Does MeU get hot?
If MeU is on for more than hour, it will get slightly warm. The more white light being displayed the warmer MeU will get. We do not recommend wearing MeU in extreme temperature conditions.
How bendable is MeU?
Although MeU is slightly flexible and conforms to the shape of your torso, bending and folding is NOT recommended. Any bending at less than a 120 degree angle will damage the panel, so make sure you position MeU on your body so it’s not bent.
What are some of the applications of MeU?
A few applications that MeU can be used for include couture fashion, cycling, urban informatics, and marketing. MeU is a form of communication and expression, whether it’s creatively or for functionality, it’s only limited to the party using it. Couture fashion can be applied through the use of patterns, messages or graphics as a wearable technology. MeU can also be used in cycling where the cyclist can be visible when riding at night. Urban informatics is a way to share public information about the local urban environment with people who may not have immediate access to that information, such as transit applications. MeU can make your brand stand out and be memorable. Whether you’re displaying live tweets with the hashtag for your event or showcasing your logo on MeU, your brand is being exposed with the new wave of technology.
How bright is MeU?
MeU is pretty bright, but it’s not bright enough to be visible in direct sunlight. The best applications for MeU is either indoor or in between sundown and sunrise.
