Ugears
UGEARS (Ukrainian Gears LTD) is a Ukrainian company that manufactures self-propelled wooden mechanical DIY model kits, puzzle boxes and educational STEM toys, ready-for-assembly right out of the box.
Each Ugears model assembles without glue and has its own mechanical action. Motion is accomplished using rubber bands, cranks, gears and gravity—there are no batteries or cords.
History
Ugears was founded in 2014. It has grown from a small start-up into a company that sells products to people in 85 countries across 5 continents, with 250 employees (as of 2021). Production facilities are located in a suburb of Kyiv, Ukraine.
In February 2017, one of the company's co-founders, Denis Okhrimenko, left Ugears, selling a 25% stake in Ugears to his partner, Gennady Shestak. The value of the deal was UAH 9.4 million.
Collections:
● Mechanical Models
Ugears mechanical models and puzzle boxes come in three skill levels: easy, medium and advanced. There are simple models with as few as 24 pieces and more complex showpieces with as many as 726 pieces. Assembly times range from 1-15 hours.
No glue, special expertise, tools or equipment are required. All parts are laser pre-cut into a high-quality plywood board for easy removal and assembly. All steps of the assembly are described in color diagrams with detailed, step-by-step instructions in 11 languages (English, German, French, Polish, Spanish, Ukrainian, Russian, Italian, Japanese, Chinese and Korean). Customer service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with spare parts shipped on request, free of charge.
Most models have real world analogues, while others are imagination brought to life. Ugears signature style is a combination of old-world sensibility and modern steampunk design. The collection includes over 90 models (as of 2021). Popular models include the V-Express Steam Train, the Dream Cabriolet, the Safe, the Hurdy-Gurdy, the Horse-Mechanoid, Treasure Box, and U-9 Grand Prix Car.
● STEM Lab
The STEM Lab collection by Ugears features educational mechanical models for children and adults that are designed to teach the scientific and mechanical principles behind widely-used mechanisms, the types of gearing employed, and their real world applications.
As of May 2021, the Ugears STEM Lab collection includes nine mechanical model kits: Pendulum, Gearbox, Differential, Counter, Curvimeter, Random Generator, Variator, Arithmetic Kit and Tachometer. Each model kit comes with a pocket study guide that can be downloaded using a QR-code, which describes the mechanism, the engineering and scientific principles and formulas involved, and the main characteristics and applications of the mechanism. Hobbyists and students can also interact with the model via a special AR (Augmented Reality) application.
Pocket study guides for each STEM model are created in cooperation with the faculty at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, the largest technical university in Ukraine.
The Ugears STEM Lab collection is authenticated by STEM.org—the longest continually-operating, privately-held STEM education research and credentialing organization in the U.S.
● Game Devices
The Ugears collection of functional wooden mechanical game devices is designed to handle, transport and store game elements in various tabletop games. The collection includes five models: the Card Holder, the modular Dice Tower, the Deck Box, the Game Master’s Screen and Dice Keeper.
● Coloring Models
The Ugears Coloring Models collection features wooden figurines for children that can be colored with markers, crayons or any number of paints, such as gouache, acrylic, or watercolor. The collection consists of 20 models designed to appeal to children, including flowers, fairy tale characters, merry-go-round, vehicles, airplanes, ships, a clock, birds and pets. Coloring models assemble easily without glue or special tools, following an illustrated color manual.
Each Ugears coloring model incorporates elements of basic mechanics, develops spatial thinking and fine motor skills, and encourages children to learn and explore the world.
Crowdfunding projects
Ugears has successfully completed 6 crowdfunding campaigns on Kickstarter and one on Indiegogo.
Kickstarter, November 2015. Campaign: “Self-propelled mechanical models,” including Combine, Tractor with Trailer, Timer, Theatre, Pneumatic Engine, Mechanical Box, Dynamometer, Tram with Rails, Safe, Steam Locomotive with Tender, Railway Platform and Rails. Project raised more than USD 400,000 (goal: USD 20,000).
Kickstarter, January 2016. Campaign: “Self-propelled mechanical models #2,” raised USD 39,000 (goal: USD 1,000).
Indiegogo, June 2016. Ongoing Campaign: “Self-propelled mechanical wooden models,” including the full range of Ugears models. Project has raised more than USD 153,000 (as of 2021).
Kickstarter, September 2016. Campaign: “Christmas mechanical symphony,” including Mechanical Tanker and Fire Truck. Project raised almost USD 144,000 (goal: USD 15,000).
Kickstarter, June 2017. Campaign: “Hurdy-Gurdy: unique mechanical musical model,” featuring the Ugears Hurdy-Gurdy, the world's first mechanical musical instrument that anyone can assemble. Project raised more than USD 288,000 (goal: USD 15,000).
Kickstarter, March 2018. Campaign: “Mechanical evolution highlights,” with 12 mechanical models including Horse-Mechanoid, Archballista-Tower, Tower Windmill, Stagecoach, V-Express Steam Train with Tender, Trimaran Merihobus, Roadster, Aviator, Bike, Heavy Boy Long-Hauler with Trailer, and Flexi-Cubus. Project raised almost USD 188,000 (goal: USD 15,000).
Kickstarter, October 2018. Campaign: “UGEARS Games: Unique Mechanical Devices for Tabletop Games,” including the following models from Ugears Game Devices collection: Card Holder, Dice Tower, Deck Box, Game Master’s Screen, and Dice Keeper. Project raised almost USD 277,000 (goal: USD 20,000).
Legal
Ugears holds trademark, copyright and other intellectual property rights that comprehensively protect its trademarks, the appearance of its products and other product-related content (including but not limited to: photos, graphical materials and videos), as well as certain mechanical elements in Ugears’ models.
External links
Global website (online store) https://ugearsmodels.com
Ukrainian website (online store) https://ugears.ua
Links:
2. Ukrainian Gears — український пазл-конструктор для гіків будь-якого віку
3. UGEARS: Self-propelled mechanical models
4. Основатель Ugears Денис Охрименко продал свою долю в компании за 9,4 млн грн.
5. Український стартап, що виробляє 3D-пазли з дерева, зібрав майже 290 тис. доларів на Kickstarter
6. Український проект від Ugears зібрав на Kickstarter понад $125 тисяч за 2 дні
7. Компания Ugears запустила обучающий STEM-проект с дополненной реальностью
8. Простая механика: как работают законы физики на деревянных моделях
9. За законами краудфандингу: як втілити ідею й масштабувати бізнес
10. Ugears: искусство оживлять
11. Обзор Харди-Гарди от Ugears - первого в мире конструктора, способного играть средневековую музыку
12. Собрали новые конструкторы от Ugears. И это очень круто
13. Ugears: конструкторы с сердцем
14. Нам не верили, что Украина может производить классный и дорогой товар — директор Ugears
15. UGears - деревянный конструктор за $37 млн. Интервью с сооснователем Геннадием Шестаком
References
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