Inventions-galleries

ROLI has designed products intended for avid and skilled musicians, but with its latest product, LUMI, it is attempting to reach those aspiring to learn how to play. “We hope that LUMI basically closes the gap between people’s love of music in general and their fear about playing it themselves,” says Will MacNamara, head of communications at ROLI. The LUMI keyboard is small, and it lights up to allow users to learn which keys to play. With an accompanying app, users can learn their favorite songs and work their way up to full music lessons. It has received more than $2 million in Kickstarter funding and will be distributed to funders in November. By 2020, ROLI hopes to roll LUMI out to schools across the U.S. It will be available to the wider public for $250 in Jan'19

Using thin water channels, it dynamically regulates its temperature throughout the night based on your presets and biometric feedback, which its inventors say can help you consistent­ly sleep better. An array of sensors track sleep phases, heart rate, respiratory rate and more for up to two people, delivering a “sleep fitness score” via a companion app. “There’s a bunch of trackers that can tell you how bad you slept last night,” says CEO and co-founder Matteo Franceschetti. Pod, he says, takes that data and uses it to actually improve your sleep. Even at $2,135 for a queen, the Pod sold out in just 15 days when it launched in Feb­'19

Riding a bike around town while looking at a smartphone for directions is downright dangerous. The SmartHalo 2 translates directions from your smartphone into colorful LED lights on your handlebars that point to the next turn. Cyclists can choose turn-by-turn navigation or a “compass” setting that points them in the right direction, but lets them pick the best route from A to B. It also has an antitheft alarm and syncs with popular fitness apps.