Kickstarter Project Update: Exciting Progress and Funding Milestone!
over 1 year ago
– Thu, Aug 24, 2023 at 12:04:42 PM
Dear backers,
We're thrilled to share the latest updates on our project's development. Over the past month, our dedicated team has been hard at work bringing our vision to life. Here's a breakdown of the progress we've made across various aspects of the project:
Mechanical Innovations: In collaboration with our manufacturing team, we've diligently incorporated their insightful suggestions into our mechanical designs. This iterative process ensures that every detail aligns perfectly with our goals.
Electronics Advancements: Great news! We've successfully assembled and tested the left-hand board sets. The results have been promising, with flawless electronic functionality. However, as with any innovative endeavor, we're addressing some minor firmware and software glitches. Our team is working tirelessly to swiftly overcome these challenges.
Software and Firmware Strides: Daily breakthroughs are driving our software and firmware development forward. It's incredibly satisfying to witness the constant evolution of our technology. While a few bugs have surfaced, our team's rapid response is getting us closer to a seamless user experience.
Financial Achievement: We're excited to announce a significant milestone – our project is now fully financed! While it wasn't an easy decision, I personally went the extra mile by putting my house on the line to secure the final loan. It's been an exhilarating journey, and I'm delighted to see all the pieces falling into place.
Navigating Manufacturing Challenges: Our manufacturing timeline has encountered a minor setback, as we've recently learned that we're about a month behind our initial projections. This setback leaves us with a tight schedule, and we're awaiting feedback on whether any molds require adjustments. While this is looking likely impact our October delivery target, rest assured that we're pushing hard to minimize any potential delay. We're expecting to know a lot more by our next update since we'll parts in hand off the manufacturing line by than.
Upcoming Milestones: Here's a glimpse of our manufacturing milestone scheduled for the next month:
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August 29th: Half of the right-handed mouse molds will be completed, initiating our evaluation process.
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September 13th: An additional quarter of the molds will be ready for evaluation.
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September 21st: The remaining molds are set to be finished, allowing us to assemble the full manufactured mouse for assessment at the manufacturer's facility. Once approved, the units will be sent to me for final inspection.
Left-Hand Model Progress: As soon as the right-hand mouse model receives approval, we're wasting no time – work on the molds for the left-hand version will commence immediately.
We're immensely grateful for your unwavering support and patience as we navigate these intricate stages of development. Your belief in our project fuels our determination to deliver a groundbreaking product. Stay tuned for more updates, and let's continue this journey together!
Warm regards,
-Branden
Exciting Progress in Manufacturing, Software, and More!
over 1 year ago
– Fri, Jul 21, 2023 at 08:54:28 PM
Hello Backers,
We hope you're all doing well and are as excited as we are about the progress on the Hedgehog Gaming project! We have some exciting updates to share with you today, although most of the progress has been on the manufacturing front. Let's dive into the details:
Manufacturing:
Our manufacturer has been hard at work, and we're pleased to inform you that most of the Design for Manufacturability (DFMs) are now complete. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, a DFM is a crucial process where the manufacturer ensures that the design can be feasibly and efficiently produced at scale. This helps us avoid potential manufacturing issues and ensures a smoother production process.
Steel molds are now being cut! This is a significant step towards bringing the Hedgehog Gaming project to life, as these molds will be used in the manufacturing of the product components.
Firmware/Software:
On the software front, we have a major release planned for next week that we can't wait to start testing. This update will bring exciting new features and optimizations to enhance your gaming experience.
The firmware has also been receiving small but important tweaks. Our team is continuously working to add new functionalities and accommodate the needs of the software team. This collaborative effort is essential to ensure that the hardware and software components seamlessly complement each other.
Mechanical:
Our dedicated mechanical team is in constant communication with the manufacturer. They are diligently reviewing and implementing any necessary updates suggested by the manufacturing team. This close collaboration is helping us maintain the highest quality standards for the Hedgehog Gaming product.
We know how eager you all are to receive your Hedgehog Gaming devices, and we're thrilled to share that we are still on track to meet our stated shipping date in October. We'll keep you informed about any changes or developments that may arise as we move forward.
As always, we are incredibly grateful for your support and patience throughout this journey. Your belief in Hedgehog Gaming has been the driving force behind our progress, and we can't wait for you to experience the final product.
Thank you for being part of this incredible adventure with us.
Best regards,
Branden Founder, Hedgehog Gaming, Inc.
Exciting Progress and Manufacturing Milestones!
over 1 year ago
– Sat, Jun 10, 2023 at 10:00:07 PM
Hello Backers,
We're back with another thrilling update on the progress of our project. There's been a lot happening behind the scenes, and we're thrilled to share the latest developments with you.
Manufacturing:
Great news! Our manufacturer has received the first payment and work has officially commenced. According to the manufacturer's schedule, we can expect the initial assembled products to be shipped for testing and evaluation within the next 50 days (last month we had estimate between 35-45 days so we weren't too far off). We're overjoyed to witness our vision coming to life!
Firmware/Software:
Our dedicated software and firmware teams are firing on all cylinders, working tirelessly to finalize the programming of both the device and the accompanying computer software. It's truly rewarding to witness the progress made each week. We couldn't be happier with the commitment and dedication of our firmware/software teams. They've been exceptional in handling new, sometimes out-of-scope (Ooops!), requests and implementing them with great efficiency.
Mechanical:
While we presented our manufacturer with a completed package last month, we were aware of certain key areas that required close monitoring. These areas primarily involved some limitations in 3D printing parts, such as non-ideal material properties, warpage, and other artifacts. One specific concern revolved around the base unit. Despite initially suspecting the 3D printed material as the cause, our mechanical engineer, Josh, has been relentless in his investigation of the issue. We're delighted to inform you that he has found a resolution to the problem, and we'll be able to incorporate these changes before the molds are finalized. This is fantastic news for our project!
Looking ahead, we're still on track to meet our stated shipping date in October. While we had hoped to be comfortably ahead of schedule by this point; it seems we're cutting it close. Nevertheless, doing everything possible to avoid any unforeseen delays. To ensure a smooth final build, I will be traveling to China with some manufacturing representatives to oversee the last week of the project's construction. Rest assured, we'll keep you updated on this exciting journey!
Once again, we want to express our deep gratitude for your unwavering support. It's your enthusiasm and encouragement that keep us going.
Thank you,
Branden
Founder, Hedgehog Gaming, Inc.
Manufacturer is picked and the funding has stabilized!
over 1 year ago
– Fri, May 19, 2023 at 09:30:34 PM
Dear Backers,
We're thrilled to share another exciting update with you! It has been a productive month for our project, and we have some significant milestones to report.
Manufacturing:
After careful consideration and diligent evaluation, we have selected the perfect manufacturer for our project. We took the time to ensure we made the right choice, and we're confident in our decision. The down payment for the molds is being sent within the week, and we expect the injected molded plastic molds to be completed in approximately 35-45 days. Once we receive the samples, we anticipate making some adjustments before moving forward with a small batch pre-production run, followed by the full production runs.
Funding:
We are pleased to inform you that we have secured approximately two-thirds of the funding required to bring this project to completion. While we still have about one-third of the funding left to obtain, we have multiple pathways in place to secure it. Rest assured, this funding is not critical at this moment.
Delivery Schedule: We want to reaffirm that we remain on track for our targeted October delivery, as originally stated on Kickstarter. As we progress closer to the delivery date, we will send a final address lock-in notification during the last month before the units are shipped. At that point, all addresses will be locked. Please remember that you can change your address anytime on Backerkit until then.
Shipping:
Regarding shipping fees, we are required to wait until we are within 90 days of shipping to lock in the shipping prices. However, we have positive news. This year, shipping rate hikes have been less severe compared to previous years, and we are confident that we'll secure a favorable rate.
Engineering Updates:
Mechanical:
Our final manufacturing package is complete, and we have identified the areas that require close attention during the evaluation of the initial injected molded plastic samples from our manufacturer. While our 3D printed models have been impressive, we are incredibly excited about the superior quality of the molded plastics. We can't wait to get our hands on them!
Electrical:
Over the past month, we have been working diligently on the board spin, and we're happy to report that the units are working flawlessly. We have resolved a major firmware bug, and we are now 80% complete with the firmware development. The remaining 20% focuses on fine-tuning and eliminating any remaining bugs to ensure everything functions exactly as intended.
Software:
Our software development is progressing well, with around 70% completion. We are constantly making updates and generating new ideas, making it an ongoing process. Our primary focus in the software department is to ensure the correct and expected functionality of individual button programming.
We appreciate your unwavering support throughout this journey. As always, we'll continue to keep you informed of any significant developments. Thank you for being an essential part of this project.
Best regards,
-Branden
Founder, Hedgehog Gaming
March update --- The Speedbumps
over 1 year ago
– Fri, Apr 07, 2023 at 12:23:16 PM
Dear Backers,
We want to give you a quick update on our progress. March was a challenging month for us, but we're happy to report that we're still on track for an October delivery.
Prototypes and current build:
We're particularly excited about the new circuit boards that are coming in early next week - they're going to make our best working units to date!
Pesky Lenders:
Unfortunately, we hit a snag with our original lender and were forced to pivot to our backup plan. We are already seeing positive results from this new approach, and we're confident that we'll be able to meet our financial goals.
A Manufacturing Scare (Good thing we checked):
We had originally narrowed down our manufacturer choices to two options. While we were doing our due diligence, we brought in a private investigator to help us vet both options. Unfortunately, one of the manufacturers had some red flags that we couldn't ignore. To be absolutely sure that we're making the right choice, we're planning to conduct an on-site audit of the facilities before locking anything down. We appreciate your support and will continue to keep you updated as we move forward.
Best regards,
Hedgehog Gaming
