Once known primarily for design piracy, Chinese companies are finally moving towards true innovation and original experimentation. Companies that made smartphones ten years ago are now making electric cars. Anker, which once made phone chargers and power banks, now has an A/V spin-off called Nebula; their latest is this crazy Soundcore Nebula X1 Pro, a portable outdoor theater system.
In its travel configuration, it looks like a rolling piece of luggage or maybe a karaoke machine.
Once on-site, these little rectangular thingies…
…can be deployed from the unit. They’re actually a quartet of wireless speakers that provide 360° sound.
The 16.7′ inflatable screen comes with a battery-powered air pump. The company says it takes about five minutes to inflate or deflate the screen. You do have to anchor the thing down, of course; it comes with ropes, stakes, and ballast bags that you can fill with water.
The projector can be placed at up to a 25° angle from the screen; built-in sensors detect the actual boundaries of the screen and automatically compensate, the company says, to provide a focused and proportional image.
And it actually can be used as a karaoke machine; two wireless microphones are included, while a built-in subwoofer provides the bass.
Obviously the image quality in the renderings is depicted as perfect. Here’s video of an actual unit in operation, which looks pretty impressive:
Demand is high, to say the least; the company’s racked up $4.4 million on Kickstarter and counting, with 43 days left to pledge at press time. With the 16.7′ screen, the units are going for $3,700 and are slated to ship in December.