Independant Side Projects
Homegrown recycling initiative
Inspired by Dave Hakkens, a Dutch engineer, and his Precious Plastic organization, my project is to work his designs into loacal communities and schools in order to create a meaningful recycling program that includes polystyrene (foam trays for example). Everyone thinks that "foam", polystyrene, and other thermo-expanded plastics arent recyclable. Those that know the truth, that it is recyclable will state that recycling the material is not feasible due to the weight vs. mass issue. My goal is to start localized recycling centers, preferably in schools, that give kids hands-on experience in recycling and education as a STEM project, creates an individualized recycling stream that each kid can be a part of, and provides a potential revenue stream, virtually cost free, that makes good use of all types of plastic!
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Progress: Currently in the Extruder and grinder build phase. My focus is in improving the system's safety mechanisms to include photo sensors and interlocks that prevent operation while doing things like loading the grinding hopper. I am also looking into grants that could support this initiative.
Social Marketing Application - InPact
When my business partner and I were starting up a restaurant, I noticed a very significant gap in the consistency of the clientele. One month, the restaurant was always packed, and in the next month, it seemed like a ghost town. Our stellar reviews, facebook promotions, traditional marketing campaigns, and regular events seemed like they were missing a key element of our audience. So, in trying to solve my problem, I came up with an idea that utilizes the concepts of social apps and influencing. Since I also have a Bachelors Degree in Software Engineering, I thought I would teach myself how to program an app in the Python coding language. I am overly excited about the project and I am certain it is going to take off exponentially! I will be sure to publish more details as I finish up the app programming and get a prototype ready. Be sure to look for InPact in the app stores in three months or so :)
Electronics Engineering and IoT tinkering - Plant watering and soil moisture analysis
I feel it is worth mentioning that a hobby of mine is gutting older electronics and making use of their parts for other things. At first, I thought what I was doing was considered hoarding, as I would keep anything that had a battery or a plug. Then I was concerned that taking things apart was some sort of mental illness. It is not, thankfully, as I was also utilizing the parts and designing my own circuit modules, I was practicing electronics engineering. So, with some tinkering under my belt, as well as a few really cool gadgets and Arduino Shields, I am working on a couple projects. The main one is focused on a system that analyzes soil moisture. A LED would indicate whether the soil is good, or needs water and could be programmable via DIP switches as to the water content of the soil vs. what the plant requires. there are also upgrades to this device that would water the plant for you if the soil needed water. This is a better improvement than automatic watering systems that just water based on a timer, not what the plant actually needs. There is a similar project that I am also working on using photo-resistors that would tell you if your plant is in the right lighted environment. My hope is to design these and sell them in local garden centers and nurseries for people that want plants but are not good at taking care of them, or alternatively, for people that take care of a lot of plants (like nurseries) that could use a hand with menial things like ensuring proper soil moisture.
IOT - Social Distancing Device - The Digi-Bubble
In response to an immediate need to regulate social distancing at my site as an Amazon Operations Manager, I developed a Covid-19 Digital Safety bubble, or The Digi-Bubble: a wearable device that helps managers know, through auditory and visual indicators, if they are too close to another person, assisting in maintaining 6ft of distance as recommended by the Center for Disease Control. I was able to make a working prototype within 4 hours of conception of the idea and have trialed it out with supervisors with success. The Prototype worked well, Digi-Bubble R1 was more compact and ran off a 9v battery. Plans for R2 incorporate a Wifi chip and utilize location clustering inside buildings to identify hotspots for preventative action, along with text alerts for real-time monitoring and prevention.
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Urban Microgreen Farming/mycology
My partner and I started being more health conscious due to the current pandemic. Upon researching natural immune boosting methods and natural anti-viral consumables, I learned about urban farming and the benefits of microgreens and mushrooms. For example, Reishi Mushrooms contain anti-viral compounds that can help the immune system combat illnesses such as the flu. Lions Mane mushrooms are one of the few natural compounds that actually reverse mylean sheath degeneration on the axons in your brain, effectively reducing alzheimer's Disease symptoms. Microgreens such as Buckwheat and Beet sprouts are packed with loads of anti-oxidants that boost the immune system. Adding these to morning shakes or on a sandwich is a great way to get extra vitamins in your diet. The fun part of this is learning how to create systems and devices to make growing these resources possible. Combining quick learnings on Youtube with electrical knowledge to create the right environment for seeds to grow, along with chemistry knowledge to optimize water and soil conditions has been a fun learning experience that has already yielded some amazing results!
