Manufacturing Update 4: Design for Manufacturing is Finished

Dear Kelloists,

We’ve made big progress during the last 2 weeks on manufacturing preparation and electronics design. Here’s a roundup of what we’ve been working on.

New Microcontroller

As mentioned in our last update, last December we chose to change the brains of Kello to make them more powerful and future-proof. 

It took us a few weeks to redesign the whole mother board, and we just got the prototype of our motherboard with the new microcontroller: everything is working as expected.

The board with the new microcontroller

This means that we can keep chasing bugs and add features directly on the new motherboard. 

Design for Manufacturing

Another big news: we just finished Design for Manufacturing! Our factory worked tirelessly to make the most effective design for Kello without changing its external appearance.

Kello isn’t an easy product. It has: 

• a powerful speaker (that can creates all sorts of vibrations),
• a mechanical snooze button (that must be easily clickable without being flimsy), 
• and a dozen of other mechanical constraints (LED screen, fabric cover, silicon buttons, light sensor…).

Each of these constraints is a design challenge that our engineers had to overcome. And the result is impressive: in 8 weeks, our mechanical engineers took our design to the next level.

Here’s an example of the work done on the “front panel” part of Kello (viewed from behind and without its fabric cover).

The iterations we made during the last months will make for a more durable and higher quality product.  

Now we can move towards one of the biggest steps in manufacturing a product: making the plastics injection molds.

Mass Manufacturing

Plastic Injection Molds

To mass manufacture Kello, we’re using the plastic injection technology: liquid plastic is injected with high pressure in big steels moulds.

These moulds basically are “negatives” of our plastic parts. They need to be carefully designed, then machined with high precision tools, and our factory just started this process.

Procurement

Additionally to the mold manufacturing kick off, last week we placed the order for the long lead time electronics components needed to manufacture a few thousands of Kellos. All parts should arrive in time for mass manufacturing.

Chinese New Year & Next Steps

On the manufacturing side, the next two weeks will be slow as China is on vacation. We’ll use this time to work on the Kello firmware and on the new version of our iOS and Android apps.

Meanwhile, we’ll be posting photos and videos of our progress on Instagram andFacebook. Make sure you’re following us!

That’s it for today. As always, share your thoughts in the comments!

The Kello Team.

Manufacturing Update 3: More Power for Kello

Dear Kelloists,

First things first, we wish you a very happy new year, filled with countless great nights of sleep!

We’ve been working all December to prepare the manufacturing of Kello. Here’s a roundup of our progress. 

Design For Manufacturing

The engineers at our factory spent the last 3 weeks perfecting the design of Kello to improve manufacturability and assembly.

We’re currently in a validation phase to make sure everything fits nicely inside Kello. Last week, we made another prototype to validate the changes from the design for manufacturing phase.

Kello ready-for-production prototype

We were very pleased by this prototype, especially by the feel of the “snooze” button: as you know, the whole shell of Kello acts a one big button and we want to: 

• provide good tactile feedback when pressing the button, 
• make sure you can easily press anywhere on the shell (front/back/center/right/left) to “snooze”.

Our engineers did a great job, and the mechanical feedback of the button is really satisfying. We still have a few refinements to do, in particular we want to narrow the gap between the shell and core of the device.

The Microcontroller Dilemma 

Like every smart device, Kello has a motherboard with a microcontroller chip that basically acts as the brain of the device (just like the microprocessor inside your phone or your computer).

Kello’s motherboard and microcontroller (red arrow)

When starting the design of Kello, we chose a microcontroller we thought would fit our needs. As we refine the future of Kello however, we realized that it might not be powerful enough to do everything we want to do.

While the current controller is enough to deliver everything we promised on Kickstarter, we have a roadmap for more Sleep Programs that will need some additional power.

So we faced a dilemma: keep the old microcontroller that we validated with a dozen of prototypes, or upgrade it with a more powerful version, spend a few weeks making and validating the new design, and change the firmware to make it compatible?

It was a tough choice. As we’re committed to deliver the best Kello we can, we chose to upgrade the microcontroller.

This means that we’re currently redesigning a part of the motherboard. This change will have an impact on Kello’s shipping date, which will be postponed to May 2017 instead of late March 2017.

We’re sorry for this delay but we feel making a “future-proof” Kello we can upgrade remotely with new features is crucial for making the best product for you. 

If you have any question on why we changed the microcontroller, feel free to reply to this update!

New LED screens

In parallel of the redesign, we have sourced Kello’s key components. During the previous weeks we have secured the LED panels.

We’ll use a fairly new technology: blue LEDs covered by a special sticker that converts the emitting color from blue to white. It’s pretty impressive to see in person.

On the left on the picture is the screen without the filter, and on the right is the screen with the filter

The benefits of such a technology are: 

• Nice, warm white color, 
• High longevity (100,000+ hours), 
• High dimmability.

We’re currently testing these screens to make sure they’re reliable. 

Next Steps

As of now, our next steps are: 

• order all of the components to make 3000+ Kellos (microcontrollers, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules, screens...), 
• start manufacturing the steel tools needed to inject the plastic parts.

All of this has to be done before the Chinese New Year (China’s 1-month holiday shutdown, starting Jan 20). January will be a big month for Kello, and as always, we’ll keep you updated every step of the way.

Thanks for your incredible support,

The Kello Team

Manufacturing Update 2: Design For Manufacturing Kick-off

Dear Kelloists,

Today, we’ll give you an overview of what we’ve done so far and what’s next.

Manufacturing Status

We finally received the funds from Kickstarter! We’ve signed the contract with our manufacturer and started to work on the final mechanical and electrical design of Kello.

Our timeline for the next 4 months is clear:

We’re currently in the design and test phase.

During this phase, we work hand in hand with our contract manufacturer to improve our design and make it mass manufacturable using their machines and processes.

One of our manufacturer’s engineers giving his take on Kello’s design

The goal is to take the mechanical design to the next level while making sure it’s manufacturable. One of the most striking examples is the speaker box design.

We had quality sound in our prototypes, but the audio experts from our factory found ways to improve it by using a wider metal speaker frame, which enhances the stability of the speaker and removes vibrations and leaking air issues. It’s a lot simpler and stronger!

The direct result of this change is better sound, simpler assembly, and cleaner design. It’s a win-win! 

The next step is to make a prototype of this new design and make sure the metal plate doesn’t interfere with the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi signals.

That’s it for today. We’re completely focused on manufacturing preparation and we want to make sure you’ll get the best Kello we can make!

Thanks again for your incredible support! Any questions? Simply REPLY to this update.

The Kello Team.

Manufacturing Update 1: What's Next?

Dear Kelloists,

Our Kickstarter campaign is finished, it is now the beginning of a new phase: manufacturing preparation. Let us give you an overview of what’s next.        

Manufacturing start and next steps

We have selected a few factories and are currently waiting for the Kickstarter funds to ignite the mass manufacturing process.

The immediate next step is start working on the design of the plastic injection molds as soon as we get the funds (in a few weeks from now). We will share more details on this phases in a coming update.

We are also working on the survey to collect you choice of colors and cable. Expect to receive your survey form next week.

Communicating with you

We’ll regularly share in the updates our current status, with photos and 3D simulations of the prototypes and the factory, and ask for your opinion on features, ergonomics choices, etc., through polls. We want you to feel part of the adventure!

How will the Kickstarter money be spent?

Here’s a breakdown of how we plan on spending the money we made on Kickstarter.

That's it for today. We're very excited to bring Kello to the next level!

Talk soon,

The Kello Team.

We're 645% FUNDED on Kickstarter! Wow!

It's been quite a journey

Our campaign is finished, and we're 645% funded. We couldn't be happier. Thank you so much for your undivided support during these 30 days. Time to celebrate... and get back to work!

We're already working hard to deliver your Kello. As you're now part of the community, we'll send regular updates on our manufacturing journey and ask for your opinion on a regular basis. 

Let's revolutionize sleep together!

October 2016 Update – Only 13 more days to back Kello!

Whew, these last two weeks have been a whirlwind here at Kello HQ! A quick update:

• Kello was fully funded in less than two hours. That’s right. We launched at 8am EST on September 20 and smashed our $50,000 USD Kickstarter funding goal by 10am. Thank you to everyone who supported Kello right out of the gate. You know who you are.
   
• We’re now 521% funded (and still have 13 days to go!). As of this morning, 2,235 backers have pledged $260,537 USD. Incredible. 
   
• The press loves Kello. Fast Company’s John Brownlee marveled at Kello’s “smarts,” The Verge’s Ashley Carman was intrigued by its “sleep training” capabilities, and Digital Trends’ Luke Dormehl was impressed by Kello’s promise to “actually teach you how to sleep better.” We also got a thumbs up by our friends at Slashgear, PD&D Magazine, TechinAsia, and New Atlas magazine.
   
• Kickstarter called Kello a “Project We Love”. Last week, we were front-and-center on Kickstarter’s homepage as a “Project We Love.” What an awesome accolade to wake up to!
   
• Our co-founder shares his sleep journey. Before he quit his job and moved to Hong Kong to start Kello, our co-founder Antoine spent one year trying to “hack” his own sleep. Last week, Startup Grind published Antoine’s fascinating tale about why he chose to dedicate his career to helping others find better sleep. Check it out.

And now, a word from the Kello community

One of the best parts of introducing Kello to the world this year has been reading the hundreds of comments, emails and Tweets from the Kello community. We thought it’d be fun to share a few of our favorite ones so far:

… on why Kello is so beautiful

“It’s so beautiful you’d want to lick it.” – Gwynaeth

… on their current alarm clock situation

“I have a radio alarm clock. It's like Russian roulette. Sometimes you're lucky and you wake up with a good song, but most of the time you try to move as fast as you can to turn it off.” – Sebastian

“My alarm was the spawn of some dark insidious creature bent on torturing me at the same time Setting me up for a bad day at work all starting with those monotonous beeps from the depths of purgatory.” – Emileigh

“I wake up every morning to the sound of Dusty Springfield singing Son of a Preacher Man. Obviously, not the real Dusty (she’s dead), so I have to make do with my smartphone as a poor substitute.” – John

“I use this bomb alarm noise that startles me awake, which I've been told is bad for you.” – Dennis

“Can I call my begrudging wife an alarm clock?” – Bryan

… on why they can’t wait for Kello to jumpstart their new nighttime and morning routine

“Every morning, I choose to be awful and go onto Facebook on my phone for 20 minutes rather than make breakfast. Because I'm an adult.” – Becca

“I have been feeling for months now that the smartphone is making my mornings worse.” – Julia

“I try to get to bed early but then I spend another hour playing on my phone. Then I wake up tired and snooze until the last minute. Kello will help me break that cycle.” – Peter

… on why they love the name Kello

“My girlfriend's nickname is Kello also!” – John

… on which Kello features they love the most

“Banking snooze time is actually kind of cool.” – Jessica

“I liked how it can progressively wake you earlier without jarring your system.” – Jess

“I really like that I can connect with Spotify for music, and the 'use up your snoozes' philosophy.” – Melanie

… on why Kello is poised to win the Sleep Revolution

“In a world where there are so many things trying to work against our natural health requirements, I am excited that your team has made it a mission to improve the most important one. Sleep.” – Brittany

“Kello seems like it will fit that bill better than other options on the market, because with a lot of other options the alarm seems like an afterthought rather than the focus.” – Garrett

“Most companies aren't in the alarm clock game to help the consumer – they just want a clock that will scare you awake. I'm excited to see the finished product on my nightstand soon.” – James

For more details and updates on our Kickstarter campaign, head on over to http://ks.getkello.com.

Until next time!

The Kello Team

Kello is now available for pre-order!

Hey everyone!

Today is a big day. Why? Because as of this morning at 8:00am EST, Kello is now available for pre-order on Kickstarter! 

Just click this link to head on over and snag one of your own. It’ll be the best decision you’ll make today. Trust us.

For all of you who have stuck with us on this incredible journey, thank you. We could not have made it to this major milestone without your support. 

For those of you who are new to the Kello family, here’s an official press release detailing who we are and what we stand for!

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Kello, the First Smart Alarm Clock that Actually Improves Sleep, Now Available for Pre-order on Kickstarter

More than an alarm clock, Kello is an advanced sleep trainer that trains you to snooze less, wake up earlier, and much more.  

SEPTEMBER 20, 2016 – Kello, an advanced sleep trainer designed to help you tune your body clock to snooze less, wake up earlier, fight jet lag and much more, today announced it has launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. Its plans are to raise funds for mass production of its patented product to ship by March 2017.

By using scientifically-proven techniques, the Kello system—which includes a bedside device and a companion app for initial setup—was designed to help users develop good sleep habits to kick-start their morning routine.

“People don't need another app, sleeping pill, gimmicky alarm clock, or spreadsheets full of sleep data,” said Kello co-founder and CEO Antoine Markarian. “They need to change their lifestyle. Kello helps you do just that.”

Here’s how:

01 | It’ll help you look forward to waking up.

• Kickstart your mornings with content you love. Kello integrates with Spotify, Deezer, internet radio and more, so you can wake up with whatever gives you a boost.
• Become a morning person in 30 days. Big goals to wake up 1 hour earlier everyday? Kello will program a sleep schedule to gradually trim a few minutes off your daily wake-up time. In just 30 days, you’ll be an early riser.

02 | It’ll train you to change your nighttime routine.

• Fall asleep faster. The “Deep Sleep” feature prompts Kello to emit a gentle pulsing light that mimics a rhythm typical of breathing. Just follow the lights with your breath, and you’ll quickly slow down to your own natural sleep rhythm.
• Commit to a bed time. Restorative sleep is achieved through regular bedtimes. Just input your goal wakeup time for the month, and a sky full of stars will automatically appear when it’s the optimal time to hop into bed.

03 | It’ll train you to keep your snoozing under control.

• Limit your weekly snooze allowance. With Kello, you can limit how many times per week you can hit snooze. Once you’ve used up you're allotted snoozes, you can program your Kello to ring louder, change playlists or even turn on the lights.

04 | It’ll help you prepare and recover from jet lag.

• Adjust your body clock before and after your trip. Traveling to a new time zone in 10 days? Kello will compute a custom light and sleep schedule to help you minimize the effects of jet lag. Just enter your destination and travel dates, and Kello will help you gradually adjust your body clock to prepare and recover.

The Kello Companion App will be available on both iOS and Android devices. With the app, users can access and adjust all of Kello’s Smart Programs, including: “Snooze Less,” “Wake Up Earlier,” “Fall Asleep Faster” and much more.

Kello is also compatible with smart home devices and can automate simple tasks with If This Then That (IFTTT). For example: You can program your Kello to sync with your smart coffeemaker to brew a cup of coffee when you wake up.

The Kello device is now available on Kickstarter at a discounted price starting at just $89 USD. Available colors are Cerulean Blue, Taupe Grey, or Mint Green. For just $199, users can pre-order a Kello in their own custom Pantone® color.

Kello was founded by Antoine Markarian, Gregoire Markarian and Fred Germain and was developed at Brinc, an IoT and connected devices accelerator & fund based in Hong Kong.

For more information, visit getkello.com.

Click here to download our press kit containing high-res images and GIFs

The Science Behind Kello

Let’s take a step back from Kello’s launch September 20th to look at the science that is behind Kello.

We like to think of ourselves as a sleep revolution device that uses scientifically-proven techniques to tune your body clock to get to sleep fast, snooze less, wake up earlier and prepare & recover from jet lag.

To achieve that, we analyzed hundreds of studies on sleep, on waking up, on the body clock. Here is a summary of the most important research that we based Kello features on.

… on the problem of sleep.

• According to the Institute of Medicine, between 50 million and 70 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders or sleep deprivation. (SOURCE)

• In 2015, the CDC declared chronic sleep disorders a ‘public health problem’. (SOURCE)

… on the abuse of sleeping pills

• According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 8.6 million Americans take prescription sleeping pills to catch some zzzs. (SOURCE)

… on why regular bedtimes means better sleep

• According to the National Sleep Foundation, keeping a regular wake-up time will train your body clock and will make it a lot easier to wake up. (SOURCE / SOURCE)

… on why gradually adjusting your bedtime helps you wake up earlier

• According to the National Sleep Foundation, waking up in small increments means more chance to achieve waking up earlier. Gradually changing your habit will also make it easier for your body clock to adjust. (SOURCE)
• According to the National Sleep Foundation, spending a few days at each increment will give time for your body to learn the new habit. (SOURCE)

… on why snoozing is a bad thing

• According to a study published in the Journal of Sleep, waking up, hitting the snooze button and drifting back to sleep is called fragmented sleep. Fragmented sleep has been proven to be not restorative. (SOURCE)
• According to a study published in the Journal of Sleep Research, falling back asleep after snoozing starts a new cycle and thus increases sleep inertia. It makes it even harder to wake up the 2nd time the alarm goes off. (SOURCE)
• According to a study published in SLEEP, the official journal of the American Sleep Disorders Association, snoozing throws your body's natural clock off its natural rhythm, which causes you to feel less refreshed in the morning. (SOURCE)

… on why sleep is an investment

• According to a study published in SLEEP, the official journal of the American Sleep Disorders Association, sleep time has been proven to be better use of time than the additional wakefulness earned through sleep deprivation. (SOURCE)
• According to a fascinating paper by economists Matthew Gibson and Jeffrey Shrader, sleep is a crucial determinant of productivity. In fact, it rivals both ability and human capital in importance. (SOURCE)

… on how preparing and recovering from jet lag

• Tailored sleep/eat schedule, critically time exposure to light before and after departure help minimising the effect of jet-lag. (SOURCE / SOURCE) 

… on why your smartphone is “kryptonite”

• Numerous studies suggest that one should be wary of screens before going to bed. Light is one of the factor but keeping your mind engaged can trick your brain into thinking that it needs to stay awake.
• Bedtime mobile phone use and sleep in adults (SOURCE)
• Light-Emitting E-Readers Before Bedtime Can Adversely Impact Sleep (SOURCE)

… on how to get to sleep fast

• Difficulties in getting to sleep is most of the time a problem of your brain being unable to stop being awake. (SOURCE)
• Breathing exercises can help concentrate your thoughts and reduce heart rate to the best rhythm for sleep  (SOURCE)