Kickstarter is the home of many weird and wacky ideas, but the latest widget from GekkoGum might actually have some very practical applications for the shooter on the go.
GekkoGum is a ball made of a special rubber compound with amazing adhesive capabilities. It is highly malleable and can stick most common smartphones and action cameras to all kinds of suitable surfaces. Amazingly, the gum can also be easily removed and is reusable. It comes in a small triangular wrap that allows it to be carried around everywhere in your pocket.
It is marketed as a super convenient, go-anywhere way to stick your device to walls, windows or whatever is around, in order to get better selfies and POV shots. The campaign sums it up like this: ‘Just stick and shoot.’
The video examples posted are pretty crazy – especially the one where they stick a GoPro Hero Session inside a bicycle wheel and film as it spins around. The maximum payload for a pack of GekkoGum is 7.0 oz/200 gram, which should be fine for most phones and action cams.
The only thing Gekkogum say it won’t stick to is silicone. It is also not recommended for watersports.
I have to say I’m a little nervous about trusting my phone or GoPro to Gekkogum and plan to do a little bit of testing in safer environments before I go sticking my gear in precarious places.
If it does work then I can see a host of opportunities to use it for more than just selfies. I’d like to try it out as a way to attach small LED lights (like the Lume Cube we reported on a couple of days ago), microphones and other small devices around the place. It could also be very useful to help manage small bits of kit attached to your shoulder rig or gimbal. The applications are many-fold.
Just how the adhesive bond works isn’t explained on the Kickstarter page, but the compound used is said to be odourless, greasefree and will not stick to your fingers. GekkoGum also claim the product will keep its characteristics for many years and is non-hazardous. It can be washed in plain water if it collects dirt.
A pledge of 15 Euros will currently put you in line to get a pack of Gekkogum. Estimated delivery to backers is planned for mid-January 2017.
As with any Kickstarter there are risks involved. Backing the campaign does not guarantee you will receive the product, or that the proposed delivery schedule will be met. But at this price I am certainly going to give it a try. Just don’t blame me if your GoPro falls off your bike wheel and gets destroyed…
If you fancy giving it a go, head over to the GekkoGum Kickstarter page.
