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Introduction
The Libra System saves you the time and hassle of going to the store to replenish your common household products. It's like having a personal assistant that does your shopping for you. The system consists of a network of pads that can be placed under any product and software that determines when to reorder based on your usage and shipping times.
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Benefits
Convenience: Eliminate trips to the store. No need to transport heavy purchases from the store.
Savings: Within a few reorders, the Libra System pays for itself. With access to multiple online vendors, the Libra System can ensure you purchase from the vendor offering the lowest price the day your order is placed.
Smart: You receive only what you need when you need it. The Libra System mobile app will have the option of accessing your calendar so you don't receive orders when you're out of town.
Choice: No need to tie yourself down with a subscription to one online vendor. You have the choice to order from any online vendor. As shown in the chart below, there can be significant savings from comparing online vendors.
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Using the example savings in the chart above, the graph below shows that the Libra System pays for itself in 4 reorders.
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Applications
The Libra System is versatile and can be used to manage every consumable product. Here are a few examples.
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Groceries (coffee, soda, bottled water, snacks, etc)
- Pet supplies (food, treats, cat litter, flea and tick medicines, etc)
- Cleaning supplies (bleach, dish soap, laundry detergent, Drano, Windex, etc)
- Personal care products (contact solution, toothpaste, hair products, lotion, etc)
- Car Care (soap, wax, leather conditioner, tire shine, engine oil, washer fluid, etc)
- Skiing and snowboarding (board wax, hand warmers, sunscreen, energy bars, etc)
- Lawn and garden (weed killer, trash bags, fertilizer, ant killer, wasp spray, etc)
- Pool supplies (chlorine, chemical kits, algae control, etc)
- Camping and hiking (stove fuel, trail mix, ready-to-eat meals, energy bars, etc)
- Golf supplies (golf balls, tees, sunscreen, bug spray, granola bars, etc)
- Boating supplies (vinyl cleaner, metal polish, soap, engine oil, drive oil, etc)
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Example application (skiing and snowboarding supplies)
Perks to Pledging
The High Caffeine Card!
This is a new, limited perk that we are offering! With the purchase of a "High Caffeine Card" reward, you'll get a free package of ready-to-brew coffee for your morning routine with your Libra pad. It will be your choice of any single-serve brewing system, e.g Green Mountain Coffee, Dunkin Donuts Keurig Cups, Starbucks Verismo Pods, etc.
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Check out the rest of our perks and support our project! We have some great perks to thank you for your support. The image below shows the T-shirt design for a pledge of $25. It is a fitted shirt that will come in all sizes (S, M, L, XL).
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We will be hosting a launch party in Boston on December 7th. For a pledge of $35 or more, the launch party will provide backers with the opportunity to meet the Vaska team.
By pledging $69 or more, you’ll be able to choose between outfitting your home with white or black Libra pads. The 3D models shown below are the production ready designs.
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Testimonials
"...that is an AWESOME product! I actually had that issue with dog food just last week. I was supposed to be catching a flight and almost missed it because I had to run to Target and pick up more food for my friend who was dog sitting for me and subsequently got stuck in traffic. Imagine if I had the Libra System! That's definitely a product I would buy for myself and my parents" - Libra System Supporter
Development Story
The Libra System was born out of our frustration with finding time to go shopping. Living without a vehicle in Boston requires us to spend a lot of time and energy shopping for our groceries. We did not find online subscription services effective because of inconsistent consumption. With travel and a busy calendar, our online subscriptions were delivering too little one month and too much the next.
We started prototyping quickly. The first prototype was built from plywood, hand soldered circuits, and a low cost sensor. After we got that working, we used 3D printers to make a more polished prototype. Then we added WiFi communication.
We tested this working prototype with products that we commonly use, such as cereal and breakfast bars as shown in the picture below.
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Here we are four months later with a working prototype. We're not finished with software development though. We want to continue developing the auto reorder feature, along with several other aspects that make this system smarter and more passive. Additionally, we are making the production design thinner and sleeker, as shown below:
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Next Steps
Once our project is successfully funded, we'll begin production of the Libra system. Our next steps include ordering the molds for injection molded components, manufacturing the printed circuit boards, and continuing the mobile app development.
Injection Molded Components
The 3D model above shows our production ready design for the Libra System pads. We are ready to place the order on the plastic injection molded components as soon as our project is funded.
Printed Circuit Boards
We’ve been working closely with a PCB vendor out of Baltimore, MD to design the Libra System printed circuit boards. Together we’ve identified all of the necessary components and suppliers. We are ready to begin building and testing the first PCBs. We’ll be placing the order with our PCB vendor as soon as our project is funded.
App Development
We will be developing an intuitive user interface that is accessible from anywhere to easily connect with your Libra System. The application will have the following features:
- List of user’s preferred vendors from which to order products.
- Bar code scanner to facilitate linking a product with a Libra pad during initial installation of the Libra system. Linking a product to a pad only has to be done once.
- An option to access your calendar so that you don't receive shipments when you're out of town.
- Manage your payment and account information for use with online retailers.
Production Plan
We have been working with our vendors throughout the design process to ensure that our product can be manufactured without delays. The table below is our plan for getting the Libra system manufactured and shipped to our backers.
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Host vs. Peripheral Pads
Libra pads come in two versions: host pads and peripheral pads. To reduce the cost of a Libra System, peripheral Libra pads can be connected via micro USB to a single host Libra pad. Only the host Libra pad requires WiFi capability. The peripheral pads communicate over WiFi, through the host pad.
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Meet The Team
Yash Ambardekar (LinkedIn)
Yash is a graduate of General Electric’s Edison Engineering Development Program. After the Edison program, Yash worked for 2 years in product development and program management in General Electric’s Measurement & Control business. After GE, Yash joined a healthcare technologies company based out of Cambridge, MA in a leadership, management and client-facing role. He holds an MS in Electrical and Computer engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a BS in Electrical engineering from the University of Michigan.
Michael Schmidt (LinkedIn)
Michael is currently an MBA candidate at Harvard Business School. Prior to returning to graduate school, Michael spent 5 years with General Electric’s wind turbine engineering organization. His responsibilities included managing technology and product development programs. Michael holds an MS and BS in Mechanical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Meet Our Friends
Phuong Pheebs Nguyen & Kevin Tung Nguyen with IVYLISH: Another aspiring Boston-based startup that is changing lives with premium jewelry.
Samuel Au & Victor Leung with KOPi: We’ve
partnered with another great hardware team, Kopi Incorporation Limited. They
have a charger that can concurrently charge up to 8 devices at 2.4A.
Check out their campaign: KOPi.
