What technologies will crowdfunding create?

September 17, 2012
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Inventor Jay Silver holds up a printed circuit board that turns ordinary objects into joystick controls. He raised more than $500,000 from the public to manufacture it. (Credit: MaKey MaKey)

Inventor Jay Silver, creator of MaKey MaKey, an “invention kit” consisting of a processor board and alligator clips that turns objects with high electrical resistance — bananas, Play-Doh, human flesh — into computer controllers, listed the project on Kickstarter this year hoping to raise $25,000.

He ended up with $568,106 from 11,124 people, Technology Review reports.

In the U.S., Internet funding occurs on Indiegogo, GoFundMe, and similar websites that permit people to donate money to projects, including films and journalism.

Crowdfunding is supporting inventions which might otherwise have limited economic prospects. …

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