I am obsessed with my dehumidifier. I live in a city where the average relative humidity hovers around 80% for most of the year and it’s a constant battle to keep my things–camera equipment, leather bags, houseplants I want to keep fungus–protected from the elements, even when I’m indoors. Unfortunately, if the air is too arid, I get nosebleeds. So that is why my finicky, moisture-sensitive self is excited about CliMate, a tiny environment tracker that connects by Bluetooth to an app on your smartphone and is currently raising funds on Kickstarter.
Created by a startup based in two very different climate zones (Taipei and Mountain View, California), CliMate is a tiny, portable cloud-shaped tracker that measures humidity, ultraviolet light, and temperature. CliMate can be kept on a stand inside a room or worn on a lanyard outside your clothing so that your body temperature doesn’t skew its readings.
While other companies have made Bluetooth climate sensors before (including CubeSensors, a TechCrunch disrupt finalist), CliMate wants to differentiate with the twee design of its tracker and app. Instead of just charts, it also shows you a cartoon plant that withers away when conditions are less than ideal. It will send you alerts, based on your settings, that tell you when to put on sunscreen if you are outdoors.
CliMate also aggregates all user-generated data to alert people in the same area to weather changes.
The tracker was developed by Rooti, formerly known as Phyode. Before changing its name, the company developed W/Me, a wristband that monitors your automatic nervous system by measuring breathing and heart rate. Also launched on Kickstarter, W/Me was successfully funded and shipped on time last year.
The company is seeking $50,000 this time and the campaign ends on July 21. Devices start from the early bird special price of $39 for one CliMate. For more information, check out its Kickstarter page.