Amazon’s Build It program includes cuckoo clock, smart scale and printer

Amazon announced a new program on Wednesday called Build It, which gives consumers control over some of the products Amazon will produce.

In a Kickstarter-like effort, Amazon customers can choose to back a new product, and if it gets enough support within 30 days, Amazon will build it. Customers only pay when the product has been developed and shipped.

The program should help Amazon decide which products will be popular before it even builds them. Amazon has used a similar program in the past called Day 1 Editions to build experimental products such as the smart glasses Echo Frames. Amazon wouldn’t say whether it plans to use this program for all of its products or whether it will open it up to outside inventors.

Amazon Build It starts with three concepts: a $ 89.99 smart sticky note printer, a $ 34.99 smart food scale, and a $ 79.99 cuckoo clock. Customers who return a product receive a discount on pre-order. The price will increase if it is made widely available.

In recent years, Amazon has released a ton of wild products with Alexa built-in, ranging from microwaves to wall clocks to glasses. Many of those products haven’t gotten off the ground, and the Build It program is a way for Amazon to gauge customer interest in one of its ideas before it goes into full production.

The printer works with Alexa and uses thermal technology instead of ink to print small reminders. The scale can tell you how many calories are in certain foods. The cuckoo clock has Amazon Alexa built in and a mechanical pop-out cuckoo bird.

Amazon said it won’t say how much money a specific product will take to launch. It shows a progress bar that shows how far a product is and a percentage of the support it needs to complete.

The current concepts are available until March 19 at promotional prices. Amazon said more ideas are coming.