This year has thrown us a variety of ‘curves’. We hope to keep to our schedules, but we may not update this website as often as we have in the past.
We hope that 2016 will be a better year for keeping you posted.
Life, Work, Time
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Maker Spaces
Do you like to make things?
Do you love Rube Goldberg inventions?
Did you want to be ‘Q’ from the Bond movies?
Or Caractacus Potts from Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang?
Then check out Maker Spaces. Better yet, check out your local library which may have a space of their own set aside for people who just want to make things.
Open Source Hardware
Many of our clients and friends question why we don’t use Microsoft or Mac/Apple products. We support them, but we do not use them. Instead, we as a company and individuals use Linux.
Why?
- It’s Free.
- We can access the code.
- We can go to a forum and find answers to questions for free.
- It is less prone to hack attacks and malware.
- It just works.
We are also members of the Open Source Hardware Association. In fact, we are founding members. Check out what’s going on in the world at their website. Better yet, visit a Maker Space and see what’s being invented.
Open Design Engine
Have you ever wondered how people plan or design a project? Do you want to see cutting edge Open Source projects?
Check out Open Design Engine
Website changes
Just as the cobbler’s children never have new shoes, IT techs are often the last to update their sites. We are working on migrating some of our other websites over to WordPress.org sites. Please be patient as this process is being done as we have time.
Interested in Space?
Sil Suit, Final Report
Sil suit was interesting. Fun. nerve wracking. It was interesting to work out a ‘space suit’ that might work. Better yet to see that you don’t need an entire military complex to build one. Our research took more time than the actual construction. It was amazing how much work was done by groups not normally associated with space.
The other thing that stood out was how siloed the process can become. Many of our solutions came from looking at areas which had nothing to do with space suits originally. Yet when we dug deep into the original resources and developers, we found some of the same resources being quoted. Shomehow inbetween conception and production, those links were lost.
Our final report that can be given to the general public can be found here
Sil Suit!
After a disappointing effort to gain funding for Issyroo Farm research, we have received a contract from Luna Desic to make a customized space suit. We are working off of their initial design and going from there.
Due to various ITAR regulations, we will not be able to post a report until the end.
Chris Hadfield, Astronaut, Teacher, Musician
We all enjoyed Cmdr. Hadfield’s time in ISS. The National Post published an article about the seven lessons he’s taught the world.
It’s a great article full of photos, videos and highlights.
Quiet, yet productive
While this blog has been quiet, we have been rather productive.
Aaron Harper has been working with Jeremy Wright of Mach 30 to enhance and update the Shepard Test Stand as well as the Ground Station. Design improvements are based on the need and/or desire to kitify both projects.
There have been discussions on how to best update ODE as well. The website has some issues that need resolved by either an update or new code. It has also come to the attention of those that work with ODE, that they have created a Virtual Makers Space.
Last, but not least, Aaron has retooled his workshop to be more efficient and will be making various adjustments as time and funding allows. Further adjustments will be made when kits for Shephard or the ground station begin production.