Tom Wang and Michael Bruun-Larsen are makers at heart, and they believe that smarter tools lead to bigger and better projects. They created Voltset, an intelligent multimeter for your smartphone, and are currently running a Kickstarter funding campaign.
The most interesting aspect of the Voltset for me was the identification tools. In the Kickstarter video a car battery is being measured, and Voltset recognizes that it's measuring a vehicle and gives the user standard measurements for car batteries. A second demonstration in the video shows an electrical outlet being measured with the same results.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tomwang/voltset-worlds-smartest-multimeter-for-smart-devic
Several equations are built into the meter allowing makers to take data and have information beyond what is being measured. A data logging feature keeps the information to give users a history of their project.
Software development kits are in development for Android and iOS, and an API client library is being built for Java and .NET. Future plans allow for the Voltset community to create and share add-ons for specialized applications. The application is also compatible with Raspberry Pi and Arduino platforms.
The Voltset team is very interested in collaborating with other makers and creating cool stuff. Currently they are working with the Tinyduino team on a data logging / solar panel / bluetooth project.
As more personal multimeters are released into the market it's great to see a project that pushes the envelope. Intelligent sensing is the big sell for me but the collaborative maker spirit is another plus.
The Kickstarter campaign is well constructed and the video looks professionally shot and marketed. Around $10,000 is still needed with thirty days left in the funding period, so I expect the project to be funded soon. Delivery for the first Voltset units is targeted for December 2014.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tomwang/voltset-worlds-smartest-multimeter-for-smart-devic