Blamix "projective phone"—basically Ritot with integrated phone handset

[PointyOintment]

This popped up on Hackaday Projects today. (Here's a lo-fi mirror in case they take it down, but there's not much content anyway.) I've already commented there. I don't know why they thought that was a good platform to promote it on. It's about as bad as trying to promote it in this forum! It's a good way to make sure Hackaday (who will slam it if they cover it at all) knows about it, I guess.

Anyway, they have an Indiegogo campaign and a website. It looks like another "attempt" at the same thing Ritot "tried". The main difference is that Blamix also includes touch surfaces for input and a finger ring that is to function as a telephone speaker. Blamix also claims to project on the palm instead of on the back of the hand. They call it a phone but say it connects to your existing phone using Bluetooth. No details whatsoever on the other technology they plan to use, of course. Get a load of this (emphasis mine):

Not to disorient you, we didn’t use means of Photoshop for processing of photos with people. We made them unrealistic on purpose, as we have no functional prototype at the moment. It’s just an approximate view of our device in your hand.

yet

Usage of high-quality materials and components gave an opportunity to increase the device’s working time

and

We developed an innovative projecting system which let us accomplish the project and gave us a possibility to create such a small device. Soon we are planning to release the first production sample. Materials and components are chosen and we are starting creating a developmental prototype. We will be informing you about the course of the project.

Further, the Gallery page on the website says they're going to stuff a 1700 mAh battery in that narrow bracelet…
The "streanch goals" include GPS (what for?) and "contributors choice" (no details on that—I hope they don't plan to just let backers ask for whatever feature they want!).

Comparison with Ritot:

	Ritot	Blamix
very many photos of models wearing it	yes	yes
unisex, ambidextrous, one-size-fits-all	yes	yes—with "air cushion" to make up the difference on small wrists
device models "available"	2	1
"available" in multiple colors & materials	yes	yes
planned battery capacity	1500 mAh	1700 mAh
comes with inductive charger	yes	yes
water resistance (good for washing hands!)	waterproof	water-resistant
changeable projection color	yes, 20 (choose using charger)	yes (choose using charger)
dark projection capability shown in photo	yes	yes
safety	"absolutely safe for your skin and health"	"No danger for your skin and health"
materials	"Due to high quality materials and technical components, Ritot has extended operation life."	see second quote above
stretch goals	more colors, fitness tracker, contributors [sic] choice	more colors & materials, voice control, GPS, contributors [sic] choice
electronics made to fit using a shrink ray	yes	probably
quantities "available"	1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 20, 50	1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 20

I'll let you be the judge of those similarities .  And I did check—the creators are not the same people (or are using false identities). These people are apparently from Moscow; the Ritot people were from SF.


Also, that's at least three impossible crowdfunded products recently with bizarre names—Ritot, Blamix, and Bleen. Seems like a trend.

[tom66]

I'm glad to see it's been up for at least two days and there are no suckers yet. Hopefully, there will be none at all...

[mikerj]

Indiegogo seem to have dropped the project.  I hope they are finally starting to wise up to these scampaigns.

[Blamix]

We knew that you will think that it is deception. Therefore created a projector prototype.
FOLLOW THE LINK https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/blamix/x/9089280

[oPossum]

That 'prototype' makes it clear that this is without a doubt a scam. Those are just random pieces of some consumer electronics scrap. You didn't even manage to make clean cuts of the PCB.

[Blamix]

If it is deception why then the projector works?
You only can also criticize, after all made nothing!

[tom66]

If it is deception why then the projector works?
You only can also criticize, after all made nothing!

Assuming you are the real deal:
- You only had some photoshopped pictures of the design
- Your projector can project dark light somehow
- The device battery capacity is unrealistic
- Your budget is completely unrealistic.
- Your prototype is another dev kit, you have not shown how you will fit optics and projector into small watch housing like you promised.
-  The project, like so many other hardware projects on Indiegogo, will simply never deliver, or will deliver a vastly inferior product to what was promised.

[Blamix]

You think it is possible to create the full-fledged device with all declared functions without having on it means?
We therefore address Indiegogo to give the chance to show that we is able to do it!

[rob77]

If it is deception why then the projector works?
You only can also criticize, after all made nothing!

sure we all did nothing. and our labs are just for showing off and farting into the chairs ! 
the thousands of EEs and hobbyists here never did a thing and basically it was you who invented electronics 

[mikerj]

If it is deception why then the projector works?
You only can also criticize, after all made nothing!

Ignoring the fact that the projector is huge compared to the size of your rendered bracelets, you have deliberately shown it working in dark conditions.  Lets see how well it works in sunlight.

[Blamix]

The projector is huge in comparison with that was shown on a photo only because owing to limitation of the budget, we can't buy the necessary components!
Made from this that was near at hand!
Well, I will post a photo in case of bright light!

[oPossum]

If it is deception why then the projector works?

What you have shown is nothing more than static images projected by a light source, transparency, and lens.

You don't have a video of the device as a whole projecting a changing image.

[oPossum]

The picture of the 'prototype' has been removed from Indiegogo. Here it is for reference...

Just of bunch of random electronics scrap.

[tom66]

The projector is huge in comparison with that was shown on a photo only because owing to limitation of the budget, we can't buy the necessary components!
Made from this that was near at hand!
Well, I will post a photo in case of bright light!

Ok, let's have a bit of common sense here.

You want to project around a corner. The problem is, you have to correct the image because it will be distorted. There are two approaches to this problem:

1) You can have a considerably increased projection resolution and perform the correction in software.   You still have to project it around a corner but you can compensate for a lot of the expected distortion by remapping pixels.

2) You can have a lens set up which corrects the image.

The problem with doing (1) is it requires more processing power, and most small DLP chipsets aren't made in resolutions close to 1080p which would be needed to get an image about as sharp as you show in your photoshop "prototype". Also, the large DLP imager would make the bracelet much bigger, and you'd use more battery power.

And the problem with doing (2) is that conventional optics can't achieve the short throw that you're aiming for, when going around a right angle.  Let's be generous and say you can project about 10mm above the hand (0.4 in), then you want to project this image about 4 inches away. This is laughably impractical. Sony has a short-throw projector - the shortest in the industry, about 12 inches wide, and it produces an image about 100 inches across. (http://www.computerworld.com/article/2487480/personal-technology/sony-plans-4k-short-throw-laser-projector.html) How much does it cost? About $30,000. And look at the size of it! That's for a ratio of 8.5:1; you're going for ~10:1 in your tiny watch.

In addition, the slightest "ridge" on your hand, will make the rest of the projection distorted or go missing altogether! 

[rob77]

The picture of the 'prototype' has been removed from Indiegogo. Here it is for reference...

Just of bunch of random electronics scrap.

definitely a bunch of scrap... that quad flat on piece of board with a 4pin flat flex connecting it to the other one makes sense     

if that image is the actual prototype from the indiegogo campaign.. then it's a 100% scam

[CanadianAvenger]

The picture of the 'prototype' has been removed from Indiegogo. Here it is for reference...

Just of bunch of random electronics scrap.

definitely a bunch of scrap... that quad flat on piece of board with a 4pin flat flex connecting it to the other one makes sense     

if that image is the actual prototype from the indiegogo campaign.. then it's a 100% scam

Note the quality edges on the PCBs!

Did they claim it was a WORKING prototype?

[idpromnut]

Did they claim it was a WORKING prototype?

I thought that was the definition of a mock-up and prototype? 

[cloudscapes]

The projector is huge in comparison with that was shown on a photo only because owing to limitation of the budget, we can't buy the necessary components!
Made from this that was near at hand!
Well, I will post a photo in case of bright light!

Please post a photo of your prototype projector shining on the palm of a hand at a steep angle, like it's coming from your wrist. Not from above. Have it project some text.

There is no way you can get a usable projected image with a projector on your wrist. Simply thinking about the geometry makes that clear. We know it, and you know it. It will be smudged because of the angle. "new technology" won't fix that basic physical and geometrical limitation.