bug labs democratise gadget design & manufacture

bug labs has come out of stealth mode at last. If you’ve got a gadget in you screaming to get out then I’ve got good news. 😄

What is the BUG?

The basic concept behind Bug is that you have a basic gadget chassis called BUGbase which you program. You can then plug into the chassis a number of add on modules called BUGmodules like GPS, touch sensitive LCD, accelerometer motion detector & digital camera. More BUGmodules like a mini-keyboard and speaker, are due early next year.

What will BUG mean for you?

• Gadget design just got a whole lot more accessible – Prior to the BUG, you’d need a serious amount of money to design, manufacture and program your gadget. All without really knowing whether there was any demand for your gadget.
• Time to market will be compressed – A typical hardware production process takes a long time. First design your product, then have a test run produced then re-design and so on. BUG shortens that process considerable. At the very least you can prototype your gadget very quickly.
• Niche gadgets will now be viable – One of the biggest fixed costs in creating any device is creating the moldings. Whether you make one device or a million the cost of the moldings is the same. BUG changes that, you don’t need to create a molding!

There is a blog for you to keep up with all things Bug. Bug is shipping Q4 2007!. More BUGmodules are due Q1 2008.