The Tech / Emerging tech / Hardware

Hardware

Physical technology, such as consumer electronics, built for civic tech

Showing 50 of 71 items
Uber kiosk
uber.com/newsroom/help-for-the-holidays

Uber kiosk

A new, phone-free way to book an Uber, perfect for international visitors arriving without a local data plan.

since 2025
Kiosks, Hardware
Automotus
automotus.ai

Automotus

tackling safety hazards, congestion, compliance and emissions. automated curb management for cities + airports

Los Angeles, CA
Smart Cities and sensors, Hardware, Artificial Intelligence
Reflectacles
reflectacles.com/#home

Reflectacles

Privacy Eyewear & Sunglasses: Anti Facial Recognition Glasses since 2015.

Michigan
since 2015
Digital security and privacy, Facial recognition tech, Biometrics
ally Solos Glasses
shop.letsenvision.com/products/ally-solos-glasses-ultra-early-bird-pre-order

ally Solos Glasses

since 2025
Wearables, Artificial Intelligence, Hardware
blind
Envision
letsenvision.com

Envision

Envision empowers people who are blind or have low vision to access everyday visual information for themselves. Because it isn’t just information. It’s knowledge, independence and possibility.

Wearables, Artificial Intelligence, Hardware
blind
Be My Eyes on Ray-Ban Meta Glasses
bemyeyes.com/be-my-eyes-smartglasses

Be My Eyes on Ray-Ban Meta Glasses

Hands free access to Be My Eyes through Meta AI Glasses.

Åbogade 15, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark
Assistive and Accessible Tech, Hardware, Artificial Intelligence
Meta, blind
Meta Smart Glasses
about.fb.com/news/2023/09/new-ray-ban-meta-smart-glasses

Meta Smart Glasses

Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses with AI integration

Facebook, Hacker Way, Menlo Park, CA
Emerging tech, Assistive and Accessible Tech, Hardware
commercial, Meta
Digital Neighborhood Bulletin Boards
communitynewslab.org/community-bulletin-boards

Digital Neighborhood Bulletin Boards

We're installing digital community bulletin boards on public sidewalks in San Francisco

San Francisco
Hardware, Media, Kiosks
place-based, city
Open Hardware Summit (OSHWA)
2025.oshwa.org

Open Hardware Summit (OSHWA)

Since 2010, the Open Source Hardware Association, a 501(c)(3) not for profit charity, has hosted the Open Hardware Summit- a comprehensive conference for the open hardware community and the ever chang...

Edinburgh, Scotland
since 2010
Hardware, Open source, Emerging tech
Waymo
waymo.com

Waymo

Mountain View, CA
Hardware, Emerging tech, Smart Cities and sensors
mobility, commercial
MeshPoint One
meshpointone.com

MeshPoint One

MeshPoint One believes that access to Internet is one of basic human rights. Their mission is to enable Internet access and improve the quality of life for people in disaster struck areas. Also by emp...

European Union (EU)
Connectivity, Smart Cities and sensors, Hardware
migration, refugees, immigration
Citizen Dialog Kit
citizendialogkit.com

Citizen Dialog Kit

With wireless survey devices, we make it easy to gather the opinions of more and different people.

Belgium (België / Belgique / Belgien) 🇧🇪
since 2018
Surveys & polling, Engagement tech, Participatory democracy
place-based
E4C Solutions Library
engineeringforchange.org/solutions-library/?current_page=1

E4C Solutions Library

The Solutions Library is an open-access and curated knowledge database showcasing technology-driven solutions addressing sustainable development challenges in resource-constrained settings.

Civic tech catalogs, Information & Communication Tech for Development (ICT4D), Hardware
Sky Ear
haque.co.uk/work/sky-ear

Sky Ear

A floating glowing cloud of LED-embedded balloons that listens out for electromagnetic waves in the sky.

since 2004
Artistic interventions, Hardware
place-based
Street Level Surveillance
sls.eff.org

Street Level Surveillance

EFF’s Street-Level Surveillance project shines a light on the surveillance technologies that law enforcement agencies routinely deploy in our communities.

Tech for Bad Hall of Shame, Hardware, Legal tech
surveillance, place-based, guides
Rayhunter
eff.org/deeplinks/2025/03/meet-rayhunter-new-open-source-tool-eff-detect-cellular-spying

Rayhunter

A New Open Source Tool from EFF to Detect Cellular Spying

since 2025
Digital security and privacy, Cybersecurity, Connectivity
Solar Protocol
solarprotocol.net

Solar Protocol

This website is hosted across a network of solar powered servers and is sent to you from whichever server is in the most sunshine.

Brooklyn, NY
Web hosting, Ethical tech and responsible tech, Decentralization
Affordable and clean energy
Cape
cape.co

Cape

Cape is the only mobile carrier built with privacy and security at its core.

Washington, DC
Cybersecurity, Digital security and privacy, Smartphones
commercial
Baseline vulnerable road user injury risk in multiple U.S. dense urban driving environments
tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15389588.2024.2364050#abstract

Baseline vulnerable road user injury risk in multiple U.S. dense urban driving environments

Waymo partnered with dashcam company Nexar to analyze 500 million miles of driving, including 335 crashes, to create the 'largest ever’ dataset of pedestrian and cyclist injuries

Mountain View, CA
Peer-reviewed research, Cameras, Data science for social good
city, cycling, mobility
SAGA Smart Machinaka Project
smart.saga.jp

SAGA Smart Machinaka Project

The SAGA Smart Machinaka Project is a demonstration project that aims to improve the convenience of the city center of Saga City through the use of technologies such as AI and IoT, and to create a cit...

Saga, Japan
Smart Cities and sensors, Artificial Intelligence, Dashboards
city, place-based, Sustainable cities and communities
Metroboard
kickstarter.com/projects/designrulesco/metroboard-a-mid-century-live-subway-map

Metroboard

A a mid-century live subway map on Kickstarter

since 2024
Hardware, Civic tech gifts, Civic data
mass transit
Juice Rescue ⚡🔌🚗
juice-rescue.org

Juice Rescue ⚡🔌🚗

A collective effort to save and maintain Juicebox EV Chargers

Hardware
Affordable and clean energy, right to repair
Sentinel
conservationxlabs.com/the-sentinel

Sentinel

Conservation X Labs’ Sentinel transforms wildlife monitoring tools — like trail cameras and acoustic recorders — with revolutionary and intuitive AI technology, processing environmental data in real-t...

Washington, DC
Hardware, Emerging tech
animals
Nucleic Acid Barcode Identification Tool (NABIT)
conservationxlabs.com/the-nabit

Nucleic Acid Barcode Identification Tool (NABIT)

The NABIT (Nucleic Acid Barcode Identification Tool) is a low-cost, hand-held, field-ready automated tool to validate the identity of a wildlife or food product, anywhere in the world, without special...

Washington, DC
Emerging tech, Hardware
animals
Earth Fire Alliance
earthfirealliance.org

Earth Fire Alliance

Earth Fire Alliance is a global, community-led, non-profit coalition aligned to deliver transformative real-time data from all fires on Earth.

United States of America 🇺🇸
Satellites, Emerging tech, Hardware
fires
FireSat
blog.google/outreach-initiatives/sustainability/google-ai-wildfire-detection

FireSat

A new global satellite constellation designed specifically to detect and track wildfires the size of a classroom within 20 minutes.

United States of America 🇺🇸
Satellites, Emerging Tech Report Projects, Hardware
fires
Radiant Earth
radiant.earth

Radiant Earth

Increasing shared understanding of our world through community-led initiatives that make data easier to access and use.

Washington, DC
Satellites, Emerging tech, Hardware
Portable Network Kits
communitytechny.org/portable-network-kits

Portable Network Kits

The Portable Network Kit (PNK) is a wireless network in a suitcase that helps people understand how to build their own mini-internet – and with it, how the internet works and might be owned and govern...

New York City (NYC / New York, NY)
Hardware, Connectivity, Disaster response and humanitarian tech
Air Quality Improvement and Monitoring
testbed.cityofnewyork.us/pilots-aq

Air Quality Improvement and Monitoring

6-month pilot of three pole-mounted static air quality machines

New York City (NYC / New York, NY)
Smart Cities and sensors, Hardware, Emerging tech
air quality, city, Reduced inequalities
NYC Smart City Testbed
testbed.cityofnewyork.us

NYC Smart City Testbed

The NYC Smart City Testbed Program is inspiring innovation within City government by streamlining and accelerating the citywide process for piloting emerging technologies.

New York City (NYC / New York, NY)
since 2023
Govtech, Emerging tech, Hardware
city, Sustainable cities and communities
The Things Network
thethingsnetwork.org

The Things Network

We are a global collaborative Internet of Things ecosystem that creates networks, devices and solutions using LoRaWAN®.

Amsterdam
Smart Cities and sensors, Emerging tech, Peer networks
AfricaOSH
africaosh.com

AfricaOSH

The African affiliate of the global Open Science Hardware community, plus its global summit

Africa
Hardware, Citizen science, Open science
Gathering for Open Science Hardware (GOSH)
openhardware.science

Gathering for Open Science Hardware (GOSH)

"...Open source hardware gives people the freedom to control their technology while sharing knowledge and encouraging commerce through the open exchange of designs."

Hardware, Citizen science, Open science
Indigenius
myindigenius.com

Indigenius

Indigenius Keyboard is a smart, multilingual keyboard supporting inclusive digital communication in 180+ Languages.

Lagos
Translation and linguistic representation, Hardware
U.S. Cyber Trust Mark
whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/07/18/biden-harris-administration-announces-cybersecurity-labeling-program-for-smart-devices-to-protect-american-consumers

U.S. Cyber Trust Mark

Biden-Harris Administration Announces Cybersecurity Labeling Program for Smart Devices to Protect American Consumers

United States of America 🇺🇸
since 2023
Trustmarks, Hardware, Regulation
United States (federal government)
An Open Reference System for Connected Device Labeling
innovation.consumerreports.org/an-open-reference-system-for-connected-device-labeling

An Open Reference System for Connected Device Labeling

Consumer Reports's add-on to the White House's "cyber trust mark" for consumer connected devices

New York
since 2023
Trustmarks, Hardware, Digital security and privacy
Red Hook WiFi
redhookwifi.org

Red Hook WiFi

Red Hook WiFi, a project of Red Hook Initiative (RHI), is a community-led effort to close the digital divide.

Red Hook, Brooklyn, NY
Community wifi, Connectivity, Hardware
MethaneSAT
methanesat.org

MethaneSAT

A better and faster way to track methane

United States of America 🇺🇸
Satellites, Emerging tech, Hardware
Climate action, methane
Low-Cost Sensors and Systems for Ocean Discovery
oceandiscoveryleague.org/low-cost-sensors-and-systems

Low-Cost Sensors and Systems for Ocean Discovery

We are creating low-cost, easy-to-use deep-sea systems that gather the most critical data to inform environmental decision-making and deployment strategies.

Rhode Island
Smart Cities and sensors, Emerging tech, Hardware
Life below water
YAI Center for Innovation and Engagement
yai.org/services/center-innovation-and-engagement

YAI Center for Innovation and Engagement

YAI’s Center for Innovation and Engagement understands how technology can help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities better participate in their community.

New York City (NYC / New York, NY)
Assistive and Accessible Tech, Adjacent Fields, Innovation teams and labs
health, Good health and well-being
Microsoft Adaptive Accessories
news.microsoft.com/ability-summit-2022

Microsoft Adaptive Accessories

Adaptable buttons and mice for everyone

Redmond, WA
Hardware, Assistive and Accessible Tech
Microsoft
Global Atlas of AVs in Cities
web.archive.org/web/20220120052352/https://avsincities.bloomberg.org/global-atlas/about

Global Atlas of AVs in Cities

The cities in this Atlas represent the vanguard of urban governments that are hosting tests, developing their own autonomous vehicle (AV) pilots, making plans and policy, and monitoring developments i...

Automated Vehicles, Emerging tech, Hardware
mobility, city, Sustainable cities and communities
Starkey Livio AI
starkey.com/hearing-aids/edge-artificial-intelligence-hearing-aids

Starkey Livio AI

Using integrated sensors and artificial intelligence, Livio AI enhances your listening experiences, proactively manages your health and provides access to information to simplify your life.

Hardware, Artificial Intelligence, Wearables
Deaf
Solar Ear
solarear.com.br

Solar Ear

Solar Ear manufactures low cost, solar rechargeable and environment friendly hearing aids so you can hear perfectly again. Our products are manufactured by deaf workers with high quality components....

São Paulo
Hardware, Assistive and Accessible Tech, Wearables
Deaf
NuEar Hearing Aids
nuear.com

NuEar Hearing Aids

The hearing aid that tracks body and brain health.

Hardware, Wearables, Assistive and Accessible Tech
Deaf
Superpedestrian
superpedestrian.com

Superpedestrian

E-scooter company

Cambridge, MA
Hardware
mobility
Voting Equipment Database
verifiedvoting.org/equipmentdb

Voting Equipment Database

Our resource for the types of voting equipment we use to cast — and count — our votes by type and vendor.

United States of America 🇺🇸
Voting and elections, Election administration, Hardware
Ameelio
ameelio.org

Ameelio

Transforming corrections with technology

Chat and messaging, Legal tech, Open justice
recidivism, criminal justice
FaceBit
facebit.health

FaceBit

Small and easily secured into any face mask, FaceBit is accompanied by a mobile application that provides a user interface and facilitates research.

Smart Cities and sensors, High-tech COVID Interventions, Hardware
health, Good health and well-being
MapTable
smarticipatie.nl/tools/maptable

MapTable

A hardware table that lets people gather around it for collective decision-making processes

Netherlands (Nederland, Holland) 🇳🇱
Hardware, Digital participation platforms
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