Evoke the magic of Harry Potter with ‘Cauldron Magical’ Kickstarter campaign

Why it matters to you

We’re not so far away from a magical world after all — at least not if we utilize the magic of the Internet of Things.

We may not have gotten into Hogwarts, but that doesn’t mean we can’t introduce a little magic into our lives. And thanks to the innovations of the 21st century, we’re pretty close to living, if not in a magical castle, then at the very least in Weasley’s Burrow. That’s because of a new Kickstarter project that’s designed to bring even more of that magic to life. Meet the Cauldron Magical Pub & Inn, a new crowdfunding project hoping to bring the magic of Harry Potter to life with technology and design.

The end goal of the project (which hopes to raise an ambitious $500,000), is to create a “physical location that straddles the line between the magical and non-magical worlds.” Meant as a watering hole for adult fans (and pint-sized ones, too), the team seeks to build an environment that adapts current technology made possible by the Internet of Things to accomplish many of the wonders described by J.K. Rowling in her hit series.

What’s on the roster? A number of ideas are on the table, including moving photos (which Apple has already made effectively possible), floating candles, and responsive lights. Indeed, many of the team’s ideas seem perfectly within the realm of reason, given the existing capabilities of connected devices and smart homes.

But perhaps one of the more unique aspects of this campaign lies in its uncertainty. As Matthew Cortland, a former reading teacher turned designer and entrepreneur, told Digital Trends, “The exact technology is to be determined, which is an intentional aspect of the crowdfunding project. We are crowdfunding the initial capital, but just as important is that we are crowdfunding input and ideas from a community of engaged fantasy fans. We want to know what type of magic people want to see and also how they think it is achievable.” That means that you, the supportive public, will ultimately decide what and how the technology is implemented.

That said, Cortland has a pretty good idea of how things will turn out. “I strongly expect the pub will use core technology like connected devices and sensors that respond to voice commands and wand touch,” he told us. “I love the idea of taking ordinary objects apart, bewitching (programming) them to behave in a certain way, and putting them back together. It’s the part of the magic of the wizarding world that I find most intriguing — that ordinary objects are somehow magical.”