October 2014 brought exploration of alternative funding approaches through crowdfunding platforms while establishing social media presence and investigating 3D hand visualization technologies.
Crowdfunding Platform Research
The challenge of securing traditional venture capital investment led to investigating crowdfunding as an alternative path. Prefundia emerged as a useful preparatory service for eventual Kickstarter campaigns—a platform for building audience and validating interest before launching full campaigns.
Research into successful campaigns like the Coolest Cooler revealed important patterns: why campaigns succeeded, why some required multiple attempts, and how to build momentum. The Motus gesture device appeared on Prefundia, though analysis showed it used technology previously rejected for Visual Touchscreens due to insufficient accuracy in finger position tracking.
This research phase forced thinking about how to present Visual Touchscreens to consumer audiences rather than investors or technical evaluators. Crowdfunding required different messaging: focusing on user benefits and use cases rather than technical innovation details.
Social Media Infrastructure
Establishing professional social media presence became a priority. Accounts were set up for Visual Touchscreens on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and Pinterest. Email infrastructure through visualtouchscreens.com was configured for support and communications.
This digital presence created foundations for future marketing efforts, whether through crowdfunding campaigns, partnership discussions, or direct sales. Each platform required different content approaches and audience engagement strategies.
Hardware Power Management
Receiving three new Leap Motion devices allowed testing the latest hardware revision. The newer units ran noticeably cooler than the initial release version, suggesting improved power efficiency. USB power meters were investigated to accurately measure device power draw, though Windows Device Manager reported both Leap Motion and Duo3D drawing the USB 2.0 maximum of 500mA.
Understanding power consumption mattered for battery-powered product variants and thermal management in enclosed designs.
These practical engineering considerations became increasingly important as concepts moved toward potential production.
Thermal Sensor Exploration
Research into Seek Thermal cameras explored whether thermal imaging could contribute to gesture recognition. Inquiries about Australian delivery availability reflected willingness to evaluate any sensor technology that might solve the infrared reflection challenges that continued to plague prototypes.
Grant Programs and Business Development
Investigation of R&D incentive programs and discussions with contacts from Griffith Hack about qualifying activities reflected ongoing efforts to identify funding sources beyond traditional investment. These government programs required documentation and administrative overhead but offered non-dilutive capital.
Interactions with industry contacts from Assob and Seqta provided perspectives on navigating investment and growth funding from those who had been through the process. Learning from others’ experiences helped avoid common pitfalls.
Patent Strategy Refinement
Reviewing the Interface System patent submission as part of commercial strategy planning led to research on regional filing priorities. Given limited funds, focusing on US and Europe made most sense—these represented the largest markets and strongest patent enforcement environments.
This pragmatic approach to patent strategy balanced ideal comprehensive protection against financial reality. Every patent filing represented significant cost, requiring careful prioritization.
The month demonstrated the broadening scope beyond pure technical development: social media strategy, crowdfunding research, funding alternatives, 3D visualization enhancements, and strategic patent planning all demanded attention alongside hardware experimentation. Building a company around innovation required capabilities across business, marketing, and legal domains in addition to engineering excellence.