OAKLAND — Oakland inventor Dmitry Kubin, CEO and founder of Force Field Designs LLC, is hoping to raise enough money to begin manufacturing ConnectorR, a patented mounting platform for portable electronics, in Garrett County.
ConnectorR can be mounted almost anywhere on the body and was developed with the support of Maryland Technology Development Corp., Kubin said.
“It was originally designed for smartphones or MP3s,” said Kubin. “As far as I know, there are no good mounting options like this out there. I’m trying to start a production facility in Garrett County to make samples. If it goes to production, the product will be manufactured here in the county and can be used to produce more jobs.”
Kubin hopes to raise $45,000 in pledges by Jan. 7; so far he has raised $415. If the goal is met, it will help to create complete production samples and optimize production, purchase and cover production, order parts, improve the product and in-stock inventory and acquire tools.
“Funding is the most critical part of the project right now. I’m just one person funding this project with limited resources,” said Kubin. “I have invested everything I have in this prototype.”
ConnectorR enables a smartphone to be worn on the wrist, to secure a GPS device on an arm or to mount a tablet to a car dashboard. It also enables the electronic device to rotate.
“I developed ConnectorR as a way to enable smartphones to be used in the most intuitive and interactive positions,” wrote Kubin on his website. “It will help you free your hand to do day-to-day tasks while giving instant access to visual information without having to reach for the pocket, purse or anywhere else you’ve left your phone.”
Kubin came up with the idea after wanting to mount his smartphone on his wrist, and after receiving good reviews from others he decided to present it to the public.
“I developed this out of real need but it really has made my lifer easier more than I expected it to,” said Kubin in a video on his website. “I hope you can support my effort in making this a reality.”
Kubin stressed the compatibility — it can be used with any electronic device with a 2- by 2-inch flat mounting space on the back; design and variety of mounting options for the ConnectorR.
“The compatibility of the ConnectorR is one of it’s greatest benefits. It can be used with almost anything and it gives you an unprecedented choice of mounting options,” said Kubin, who said the ConnectorR is not made out of cheap plastic. “It’s constructed of solid, very strong metal that is pretty much impossible to break. If you are going to mount a $500 piece of equipment on your wrist, you want to make sure that it’s solid.”
The ConnectorR comes in bronze, ultralight aluminum and has a tactical edition, which comes in all black.
“Compared to the civilian version, the tactical version is more discreet,” said Kubin. “It’s very versatile.”
Kubin hopes to test the tactical version on canines and skydivers.
“The indisputable fact is that smartphones are the most versatile devices in existence,” wrote Kubin on his LinkedIn profile. “Yet, mounting options for the smartphones are limited to civilian-derived products which are not compatible or of limited compatibility with tactical gear.”
Kubin said the tactical version of the ConnectorR can be used by military personnel and law enforcement for easy access to GPS, data and communication capabilities.
Kubin works as an information technology consultant for the National Center for the Advancement of Stem Education in Uniontown, Pa., and is a graduate of Garrett College. Kubin is also a classical and Flamenco guitarist whose stage name is Ostrogorsky, a master of martial arts and an equestrian instructor. Kubin, who is a native of Russia, has lived in Garrett County for more than 10 years.
For more information, go to www.indiegogo.com/connectorr.
Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com.
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Oakland inventor hopes to manufacture mounting platform in Garrett County
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