Coming Soon to Kickstarter: The Open Source 3D Printed Superhero of Tablet Cases

Tablets are wonderful things. A flat, compact computer that’s easily slipped into a bag or purse? Very convenient. However, they’re annoyingly fragile, and, if you’re like me, that makes them very dangerous to travel with. I try to avoid putting anything breakable into my bag or purse, because chances are it will end up in pieces, no matter how careful I try to be. Carrying a tablet by hand is inconvenient, though, and also dangerous – someone bumps into you on the bus, and there it goes. Another broken tablet.

Devansh Shah of Mumbai had had enough of ordinary tablets and their breakability, so he decided to give them superpowers. He invented Tabulate, a versatile tablet case that he describes as the superhero of tablet cases. First superpower: what Shah describes as “Spidey-Grip.” The lightweight, flexible case has a crosshatched “spiderweb” of straps that the user simply slips his hand through to carry. If someone bumps into you, it’s not a problem – your tablet is securely attached to your hand as if glued on.

The spiderweb of straps also serves as portable storage – like Batman’s utility belt. Accessories such as pens, headphones, styluses, etc, can be securely tucked into the straps for easy travel – no more rummaging through bottomless purses and bags to find the one pen you currently own. Tabulate also lends itself to versatility, and a number of 3D printed accessories are offered so that the tablet can be propped, hung on the wall, mounted on a dashboard, or just about any other conceivable manner of storage.

A tablet stand slips easily through any of the straps so that the tablet can be propped at various angles (although a fork, the company points out, works just as well for propping the tablet up). Other accessories include a hook, for hanging your tablet on anything from a cabinet door to a chain-link fence; a bike mount; and an adhesive wall mount. My personal favorite is a dashboard mount shaped like a Buddha, for a bit of much-needed Zen to counteract whatever frustration your GPS is giving you at the moment. All accessories can be 3D printed for free; the open-source files will be available on the company’s website.

Shah and his team will be launching a Kickstarter campaign beginning on October 9th, with the goal of beginning shipments in early November. While the case is currently tailored to a few different iPad, Nexus and Samsung models, one of the campaign’s stretch goals is to create cases for additional models, including Kindles. Also, while Tabulate is currently only available in black, white, and gray, another stretch goal calls for a much wider variety of colors and patterns – because what’s a superhero without a flashy costume?

As Shah described Tabulate in an email to 3DPrint.com:

“My product gives normal phones and tablets superpowers their owners can use to take on the day like a superhero. Because the bigger and thinner devices get the more painful it is to hold them.

• The Spidey-Grip is the ultimate solution for large, unwieldy tablets and phones whether you’re stationary or on the move.  Your device becomes an extension of your awesome self and is more comfortable to use.
• The Utility Belt:  Easily carry your stylus, headphones, stands, and other travel accessories as you take on the world’s problems.
• The Costume:  Every Superhero is unique and now you can be too by choosing from a variety of colors and designs.
• ​Adapt: Tabulate adapts to your environment and activity. You’ll be surprised how versatile it can be.

Like superheros it’s the small differences that go a long way.

If you don’t want to buy our accessories, you can download our files for FREE and 3D Print them yourself.”

Let us know if you will be backing this project on Kickstarter.  Discuss in the Tabulate forum thread on 3DPB.com. Here’s a demonstration of Tabulate’s many uses: