Product Description MudWatt engages kids in science in a whole new way, using the power of mud! It harnesses the power of electricity-generating microbes naturally living in the soil beneath your feet. Kids experiment with different types of soil (and food from the fridge) to maximize their power. The free MudWatt Explorer App lets kids measure their power, track their MudWatt’s microbe growth, and unlock an awesome educational comic book. You can even power a digital clock and other electronics using the power of microbes! From the Manufacturer $35,028 raised with 512 backers. Weeks of STEM Fun! MudWatt is a bio-energy pet that runs on living microbes and offers long-term fun and learning. Kids maximize their MudWatt's power by experimenting with different soils, different foods from the fridge (like Gatorade), and different temperatures. Along the way, they learn about renewable energy, sustainability, microbiology, electricity, and more. Bridging the Physical and Digital As your microbes grow, the LED blinks faster and faster! The free MudWatt Explorer App lets kids measure the blinks to discover their MudWatt’s power level and microbe population. Kids track their MudWatt’s growth over the course of two weeks, and unlock a fun and educational comic! (Available for smartphones and tablets). If apps aren't your thing, there is also a calculator spreadsheet for tracking your data manually. DIG Any dirt will do! Your soil already has electricity-generating microbes living in it! Try out composts, topsoils, and sediments to see which is most powerful. BUILD Kids construct the MudWatt and learn a ton along the way. Moreover, kids blend creativity with science by designing their own experiments to maximize their power and microbe community. ANALYZE + EXPAND Beyond the amazing MudWatt Explorer App described above, kids can power a digital clock or connect multiple MudWatts together to try powering other electronics. Kids can also join our online community to share ideas and results with the world! Award-Winning and Critically Acclaimed The MudWatt is loved by kids young and old, from elementary school level all the way up to college level. This unique STEM kit has received outstanding reviews from kids, homeschoolers, teachers, and tinkerers alike! About the Startup Describe your product in 3 words.Magical. STEM. Fun.How did you come up with the idea for this product?While digital technology can be a great educational tool, it risks cutting the connection that kids have with the natural world around them. We wanted to make sure kids stay grounded as they grow and learn. And what is more grounding than soil itself!? What makes your product special?First, MudWatt uniquely incorporates many STEM disciplines (including engineering, sustainability, energy, microbiology, and chemistry) into fun and memorable experimentation! Second, it bridges the gap between physical and digital, offering not only tangible play (the hardware), but also digital content (the App) that enhances learning. Lastly, it opens kids' minds to the unseen surprising world of microbes that live in the soil beneath their feet.What has been the best part of your startup experience?The letters and emails we get from MudWatt users are the best part of our startup experience. Kids, parents and teachers really love the MudWatt. It has provided a gateway into STEM career paths for many of our users!
D**R
Great product
This was great, I used this for a Microbiology class project.Had great results. very easy to use.I even got my grandson to do one
L**S
Great science fair project idea
The instructions and details that came with this kit were fantastic and easy to follow. There’s an app you can download to measure you mud watt’s output that was easy to set up and use.
G**O
LIKE.
Bought 4 children. Tried experimenting ON THEIR OWN.
R**R
I don't recommend it to any one
I Wish I could give 0 rating.It did not work at all.My 12 year old bough for Science Fair project.She followed all the directions.Used and tested with multiple soils.Nothing worked out .We emailed the customer service .Their instructions were not helpful at all.Ultimately she has to change the project at the last minute because of this kit.I don't recommend it to any one.
K**A
Missing Materials
UPDATE: Customer service reached out to me, and made things right. They sent a brand new kit, a soft toy, and a cooking with yeast bread kit. I really appreciate them reaching out to me, and following up to make sure we got everything we need.I am super upset that we did not receive all the materials in our box. The multimeter and resistor sets are completely missing, and now we can't do our science fair project. What really stinks is this was a donors choose project and now we won't be able to post good pictures for our donors to see. It looks like a really cool experiment, but with materials missing we will not be able to do it for our class science fair project :(
C**N
Far more than a simple battery
As a STEM curriculum designer, I am highly impressed with the effort put into this product and the educators guide. The MudWatts are durable and easy to construct. The guide is well organized, integrates NGSS flawlessly, and includes so many engaging activities.We adopted the MudWatt device for a program involving ~130 rural high school students. We made some tweaks to monitoring mechanism (added a micro-controller) then folded several MudWatt activities into our curriculum. The students and teachers absolutely loved them! Some classrooms experimented with soil additives and others used their MudWatts to explore soil biodiversity around their school campus.Keegan and the rest of the team have been incredible answering questions, making suggestions, and supporting our project.
B**.
Wow, $78 for a potatoe battery! People, ...
Despite what the maker claims, this contraption is no different in principle from potato batteries. No, it has neither anything to do with bio-fuels (actual combustible fuels processed from biological materials), nor microbial flora (try it with sterile salt water or citric juices and you'll get the highest output compared to any mud), nor fuel-cells (hydrogen cells). To teach children that microbes are actively generating electric current is but propagation of ignorance. It's the conductivity of the soil (containing water, metals, and ions) and difference in electropotential between anode and cathode (likely zinc and copper) that's driving the current. You can do the same with copper pennies, zinc nails, potatoes (uncooked, baked or mashed, or any acidic fruit for that matter), wires and LEDs, for much cheaper.
Trustpilot
1 month ago
4 days ago
