Cube, which is like Shazam for color, launches on Kickstarter

Melbourne Accelerator Program (MAP) graduate SwatchMate has made a color detector gadget called Cube, a portable device that allows users to detect colors even while on the move.

When a user places the Cube on top of any surface, it automatically captures the color of the surface and sends it to the user’s smartphone via Bluetooth 4.0 for instant matching. In situations where you forget to bring your smartphone, the Cube has the ability to store up to 20 colors in its internal memory, where you can refer to the colors once you get access to your smartphone once again.

Cube targets designers and creatives

Since the last time we briefly wrote about them, the device catered more to painters and renovators. One month on, it is now focusing on designers and creatives, who would use their device more frequently than one-off renovation assignments. On top of an improved design, the device also syncs the color captured with Photoshop, acting almost like a real-life ‘eyedropper’ tool.

The inspiration behind developing this tool? Co-founder Paul Peng tells me the idea came about when he was renovating his parents’ house a couple of years back. There were peels and cracks in the wall paint, which required repainting. Unfortunately for him, the original paint bucket was nowhere to be found, and he resorted to chipping away part of the wall as a sample to be brought to hardware shop to get the right color. It then struck him that there could be a better method, and hence the idea for Cube came about.

Cube launches on Kickstarter

Since its graduation last month, Cube has won the Melbourne Design Awards and Sydney Design Awards, and has launched a campaign on Kickstarter to raise funds for its manufacturing process. Just one day into its campaign, the Melbourne-based startup has already raised close to A$13,000 ($12,100), reaching approximately 25 percent of its goal.

For those keen to support this new startup, you can visit its Kickstarter campaign page here. To find our more about the Australian company, you can visit its site here.

(Editing by Terence Lee)