Add Smarts to Any Car With Parkable Stickables

Our Kickstarter of the Week series is a look at the world of crowdfunding. We search through sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo to find interesting projects for you to back.

Some of the most interesting new products we've seen - ranging from fun oddities to what could conceivably be the next big thing - have come from these sites instead of big companies. Not every project we highlight has to be the next Oculus Rift virtual reality headset or Pebble smartwatch - some of the projects we pick are just fun and weird.

And of course, there is always the chance that a project will not work out even if it gets funded. But if you're willing to take a risk and can afford to write off a little money, then there's a lot to look at - and maybe even fund. On Indiegogo, we came across the Parkable by Stickable, a project that launched on Tuesday.

It's an interesting concept that puts some smarts into any car. Many new cars come with parking sensors, but many of us have cars that are more than a few years old. If that's the case, installing these sensors can be expensive, requires time and effort, and it isn't something you can do at home either.

The Parkable wants to solve both these problems and the way it works is simple. You get a strip of rubber beading with some sensors attached, and you stick it to your car. That's it. The beading itself is inconspicuous, so you don't have to worry that someone will see it and rip it off your car. It looks like the simple rubber beading that you see next to the bumper on many cars. The connection is also security-protected with a PIN, so someone else can't steal it and use it on their car.

There's no wiring, no batteries, no chargers or cables - the sensors connect via Bluetooth to an app on your phone, and an infographic on the phone shows you how close you're getting to an obstacle while you reverse the car.

Of course, looking at a display like that isn't the best way to park, so there are also audio cues, and vibrations, to warn you when you're getting too close to another car or a wall.

There's a catch, of course - the Parkable is completely watertight, and according to its makers, this was only made possible by sacrificing charging ports or battery sockets. Therefore, the battery will drain out between two and three years, and at that point, the entire unit will have to be replaced.

Oh and in case you're worrying that the alarm will keep going off while you're driving, the Parkable doesn't just use a rangefinder sensor, but also has an accelerometer. The rangefinder only kicks in when the car is moving backwards, so it will send alerts only when you are parking.

You can see more details in the video below:

In 24 hours, the Parkable has crossed $2,200 (approximately Rs. 1.4 lakh), against a goal of $25,000 (approximately Rs. 16 lakh). The project will be accepting funds for 60 days, until July 19.

To get a Parkable, you'll have to fund the project for $65 (approximately Rs. 4,000), or for $85 (approximately Rs. 5,400) once the early bird units run out. The Parkable is scheduled for a December 2015 delivery.

To see more stories from the world of crowdfunding, check out our older Kickstarter of the Week articles.