arduino

This week's guest is Dan Kitchen, the founder of Make Stuff Move. Make Stuff Move is a social enterprise that aims to bridge the gap between STEM education and the skilled trades by providing hands-on kits that teach children about engineering, electronics, and problem-solving.

Dan shares the inspiration behind Make Stuff Move and discusses how he wants to empower kids to explore their creativity and learn practical skills through building and tinkering. He emphasizes the importance of integrating STEM and trades education, as well as fostering confidence and a love for learning in children.

Throughout the conversation, Dan highlights the accessibility and affordability of the Make Stuff Move kits, which utilize everyday materials and tools found at hardware stores. He also talks about the positive reception he has received from educators and school boards, despite the challenges of budget constraints.

Key Takeaways:

• Hands-on learning experiences, such as building and tinkering, can foster creativity, problem-solving, and confidence in students.
• Make Stuff Move kits provide an accessible and affordable way to engage students in engineering and electronics using everyday materials and tools.
• Educators can use Make Stuff Move kits to teach students about the practical applications of STEM concepts and introduce them to the world of trades.
• Connecting with like-minded individuals and organizations in the skilled trades community can provide support and opportunities for collaboration in education.
• The goal is to make STEM and trades education scalable and accessible to all students, regardless of their background or resources.
• Make Stuff Move is actively working on expanding its reach to the United States and welcomes partnerships and collaborations with educators and institutions.

To Learn More about Dan:

• Make Stuff Move
• Dan Kitchen on LinkedIn
•  Facebook
• Make Stuff Move Youtube
• Make Stuff Move Instagram

Connect with us:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• TikTok
• YouTube

Head to Apple Podcast for more episodes.

In this episode, we talk to Maria-Anastasia Moustaka, a software engineer and robotics trainer and mentor. She is a Gold Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador, Microsoft IoT MVP and has won many international robotics competitions with her robotics club ULP. We dive into what her first steps were with IoT and robotics, which started when she saw that her university had a robotics team. She bought her own robotics kit, practiced building robotics for a year, and gained knowledge about Arduino before joining the team. And we talk about robotics competitions, their requirements, and challenges. She explains that the languages she used in these competitions were mostly C++ and Java, but now she prefers .NET. Furthermore, we talk about her being a Gold Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador, a community for students who want to learn all about Microsoft technologies. She gives presentations and she does Twitch live streams in which she tries to inspire and motivate students to learn more about tech, development, and robotics. As a robotics teacher, she loves to help kids and also women and girls to do more in this tech (robotics) field.

About this episode, and Maria-Anastasia in particular: you can find @mariamou_7 on Twitter & GitHub. Check out her 'All about Azure IoT' presentation she gave as a Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador. And, visit her website where you can read her blogs about IoT.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

Las personas nunca han dejado de jugar ni de desarmar el hardware, pero cuando la computación personal pasó a ser un fenómeno de masas, cambió la manera de hacerlo. Una nueva generación de artistas, diseñadores y activistas se está uniendo para cambiar el mundo gracias al hardware de código abierto. Desarmar el hardware era una tarea cara que además necesitaba mucho tiempo. Los microcontroladores adaptables han facilitado las cosas. Pero aunque hemos ido ganando acceso a nuestros equipos, las prácticas en torno a la venta de hardware todavía tienden a ocultar el conocimiento sobre la fabricación y el montaje de los equipos. Ayah Bdeir, Alicia Gibb y Limor Fried se esfuerzan para que el hardware sea abierto. Las tres nos cuentan cómo ayudaron a generar el movimiento del hardware de código abierto, y cómo sortearon fuertes desacuerdos para lograr que todo el mundo pudiera acceder a los diseños de las computadoras.

Jason Kridner has 30 years of experience in the embedded systems industry. As a 28-year veteran of Texas Instruments DSP and processor businesses, founder of the BeagleBoard.org project, and invited speaker at numerous industry events, Jason knows what it takes to build an embedded system from concept to volume production.
 

BUILD YOUR HARDWARE PROJECT WITH BEAGLEBOARD

• Learn more about the Beagleboard and kickstart your open source hardware journey!
   

NEED TO BUILD A CUSTOM EMBEDDED SYSTEM? 

• Whether you are a big business or a startup needing a custom embedded system hire  the expert Jason Kridner to bring your hardware idea  to life using Beagleboard computers.
   

CONNECT WITH JASON KRIDNER:

• Connect with Jason Kridner on LinkedIn
• Connect with Jason Kridner on Twitter
   

LEVEL UP YOUR DESIGN CAREER (FREE EMAIL COURSE):

• Learn 7 proven strategies in 7 days to grow in your design career -
  https://levelup.designmba.show/

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Links from this week's episode: 

• Seed Box Website: www.seedbox.systems
• Order your Seedbox Starter Kit

Visit The EIAI Website

Links to the show: 

• EIAI on Apple:
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Social Media Links: 

• Instagram: @audaciousideas @rhea_naidoo_ 
• ClubHouse: @RheaNaidoo 
• Email: rhea@artfulladder.com

#technology #technologypodcast #worldissues #futuretech

You will hear the following terms used during the interview. I've included some descriptions here. 

• PCR - The Polymerase Chain Reaction is a technique for amplifying DNA sequences using a thermostable DNA polymerase enzyme and a cycling reaction temperature profile of heating and cooling. Dedicated instruments typically provide the temperature cycling mechanism.
• LAMP reaction – The Loop-mediated isothermal AMPlification reaction is also used to amplify DNA sequences. Unlike PCR, LAMP reactions occur at a single temperature (typically ~60 oC – 65 oC). Therefore, they do not require dedicated instruments to provide thermal cycling but can be conducted in simple water baths or heating blocks. LAMP also uses a DNA polymerase enzyme, although a different one from PCR. LAMP typically produces higher DNA yields than PCR
• CRISPR – CRISPR stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, a family of specific DNA sequences in prokaryotes. Enzymes, such as 'Cas9' can modify DNA at these CRISPR sequences, editing in or out new DNA sequences. Although this technique is known correctly as CRISPR-Cas9, the discovery and development of a range of CRISPR-associated enzymes has led to the term 'CRISPR' being used as a generic term for this suite of gene editing technologies.
• PDMS – PolyDiMethylSiloxane is the most widely used silicon-based organic polymer. It is optically clear, usually considered inert, non-toxic, and non-flammable. It is used in a wide range of medical, food, and industrial processes.

As we mentioned during the podcast, Vittorio has several videos and public announcements explaining his research areas.  These include:

LAMP SARS-Cov-2 assay in a Nespresso capsule

• https://chemrxiv.org/articles/preprint/CoroNaspresso_A_Cheap_Rapid_and_Simple_Home_Test_for_Nucleic_Acid_Amplification/14224481

Microfluidics

• https://www.nanowerk.com/nanotechnology-news/newsid=41556.php
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z8I7awRYY4

3D printing dichroic nanocomposites (Lycurgus cup)

• https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6761173/3D-printed-goblet-changes-colour-deepening-direction-light-hits-it.html
• https://www.nanowerk.com/nanotechnology-news2/newsid=54410.php
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhetC8Yd44g
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysxq4akBIVU

Standard 3D printers for microfabrication

• https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/admt.202000344
• https://3dprintingindustry.com/news/dutch-researchers-3d-print-velcro-like-mushroom-inspired-fastening-material-183135/

And some Arduino

• https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24132213-500-handheld-device-could-detect-crispr-bioweapons-before-they-spread/

Vittorio's publications are all at

• https://scholar.google.nl/citations?hl=en&user=AlppnJ4AAAAJ

Vittorio (and his research) is very present on social media, you can find him on 
LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/vittorio-saggiomo-42920617b/, 
On Twitter, search @V_Saggiomo
Vittorio's publications are all at https://scholar.google.nl/citations?hl=en&user=AlppnJ4AAAAJ

Our theme music is "Wholesome" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)

Music from https://filmmusic.io

License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Connect with me (Paul) at https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulorange/

H.E.L. group can be found at 

www.helgroup.com

 online,

on LinkedIn at 

https://www.linkedin.com/company/hel-group/

on Twitter we're @hel_group, 

https://twitter.com/hel_group

or search for us on Facebook

During the show, ee mention Kevin – Dr. Kevin Lam, a previous podcast guest on episodes 5 and 6 – accessible at https://helgroup.com/knowledge/podcasts/ . Again, Thanks to Kevin for making the connection to Steve.

You will hear the following terms used during the interview.  I’ve included some descriptions and links to deeper reading. 

• Arduino – An open source electronics and software platform – more details at  https://www.arduino.cc/
• Raspberry Pi – Similar to Arduino, Raspberry Pi is an accessible electronics and programming platform – more details at https://www.raspberrypi.org/
• FDM – fused deposition modelling – One of the most common 3D printing methods. Fused deposition modeling involves feeding a thermoplastic filament into the 3D printer. The filament is heated to its melting point through a heated nozzle and then extruded on to the build platform, tracing the part dimensions specified by the design. As the first full layer is finished, the print head moves up by one layer height, before tracing the next layer. This continues, layer-by-layer, until the part is complete.
• SLA – Sterolithography- Stereolithography was the first 3D printing technology to be invented, and involves using a UV laser to cure liquid photopolymer resins. It’s the best 3D printing technology for intricate and models with complex geometries.
• Flow Chemistry - or continuous chemistry is where the ingredients for the reaction are continually pumped into a reaction chamber.  The reaction chamber is often some form of a tube, with a catalyst held in place.  The reaction chamber is often heated and/or pressurized and the resulting product will continuously flow out of the reactor, as long as source ingredients are fed in.  More information can be found on Wikipedia here - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_chemistry
• Thingiverse is at https://www.thingiverse.com/
• Tinkercad is at https://www.tinkercad.com/

If you want to connect with Steve, or find out more about what he does, you can find him on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-hilton-9bab10a/

I would recommend following Steve on Twitter to see many of his amazing 3D printed and VR projects, along with the Lobster Thermidor we mention at the start of the show. On twitter, Steve is @hiltonlab - https://twitter.com/hiltonlab

You can also find Steve’s lab website at https://www.stephen-hilton.com/

Our theme music is "Wholesome" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)

Music from https://filmmusic.io

License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Connect with me (Paul) at https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulorange/

H.E.L. group can be found at www.helgroup.com online,
on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/hel-group/ 
on twitter we’re @hel_group, https://twitter.com/hel_group
or search for us on Facebook

 

Today on the show, I am talking to Camilo Parra Palacio, the founder of Otto DIY - it’s all about 3D printable robot components and project kids to take your STEAM learning to new levels.

Camilo is a Product Design Engineer and the Founder of Otto DIY. He’s a Designer by profession, roboticist and 3D printing enthusiast by passion. 

Born in Colombia a drive for adventure and pursuing his dreams took him to China in 2014, while working in Shanghai for a multinational inflatable toy manufacturer, he wondered upon the very first Hackerspace in China. There he started playing, learning and experimenting with DIY robots. At that time DIY robots were only accessible to professionals, and not well known to the general public. 

After coming up short with finding an easy to make robot for all ages, he realized what he needed to do. Bring to the market an open source robot that anyone can make. He bought a 3D printer and in a couple of months the iconic shape of Otto was made functional.

Since then thousands of people started using Otto all around the world due to it’s simple Do-it-yourself home assembly attributes. 

Otto DIY is headquartered in Czech Republic, the center of Europe where the term robot and the best open source 3D printer was created. Thanks to Otto DIY open source nature, it has become one of the most popular 3D printable robot designs in the world. And by the way: Otto is the first-ever Open Source Hardware certificated project from the Czech Republic!

I am talking to Bridget Hegarty about the SpinWheel. The SpinWheel is a small, colorful, programmable, wearable kit to facilitate student exploration of physics, engineering, and computer science.

Bridget is part of the SpinWheel Team, a group of volunteers with a passion for teaching science and building beautiful things. 

She is a postdoc researcher in Environmental Engineering at the University of Michigan. As a kid, Bridget was always asking “why?” Luckily, her parents put up with her incessant questioning and taught her to love the process of discovering new information. 

Bridget continues to pursue answers to her questions as a researcher, studying the microbes that survive in buildings. Outside of the lab, she shares her love of science and engineering by designing and leading activities that help participants, particularly girls, envision themselves as engineers. Through SpinWearables, she is excited to develop educational kits to inspire the next generation of engineers.

The SpinWheel is a colorful wearable programming kit. It can be “just” a stylish, cool,  accessoire, but can also be programmed to be way more via the popular Arduino IDE. For example you can turn it into a step counter, a compass or an exploration tool for color and vision. No prior knowledge is required to program the spinwheel and it also comes with an educational guide that introduces you to the basics. 

Overview
In this episode of the Hello Blink Show, Harris and Shawn interview firmware developer, hardware designer, technical writer, and community leader, Kattni Rembor. Kattni shares her insights into how she engages followers and educates her peers. Listeners will hear her advice as she delves into her experience with Adafruit and the process involved with fostering a community on learning CircuitPython. 

Listen after the closing credits for an update on CircuitPython and how people have been integrating it into finished products!

One Powerful Quotation

• 36:00: “I think it’s a huge part of growing a community is being open to changes and open to possibilities because, if you are rigid about things and you expect everything to fall within a certain scope, you’re either going to drive people away or you’re going to have a really bad day.” 

Key Topics

• 1:03: Shawn opens the show and asks Kattni about her story with working at Adafruit Industries. She mentions how she became involved writing libraries which led to creating communities for teaching and learning. 
• 6:00: Kattni shares how she started with no programming/electronics experience and has become a self-taught engineer, developer, and community leader.
• 7:17: Kattni highlights her inspiration for wanting to work with electronics.
• 10:43: Kattni responds to Harris’ commentary on the tangible results produced from one’s work. 
• 11:22: Shawn and Kattni discuss using Circuit Python versus Arduino. The two compare its programming application for educating users. 
• 17:18: Harris relays a question to Kattni from a listener on her thoughts on the balance between using Circuit Python for education over finished products and how this will change over time. 
• 20:45: Harris asks another a question to Kattni from a listener on adding support for RISC-V as a prioritized, developer tool for educational consideration on Circuit Python. 
• 22:14: Shawn and Kattni discuss how Circuit Python supports specific development boards.
• 23:29: Kattni gives her perspective on what it means to have a developer community for Circuit Python.
• 26:02: Kattni talks about the forums she uses for collaboration including Discord and GitHub.
• 27:27: Kattni describes the free form structure of their forums with admins, moderators, and helpers that reinforce positive feedback and build better relationships. 
• 29:43: Kattni notes that these positions consist of Adafruit employees and members that are active in the public channels. 
• 31:26: Shawn and Kattni reminisce about old bulletin board forums and how moderation teams were made up of volunteer members based on their posts. Kattni adds the one difference with their community help is the quality of the member’s contribution dictates their position. 
• 33:10: Harris, Shawn, and Kattni openly talk about planning a community and go about creating an environment that is open, safe, and non-toxic. 
• 45:11: Kattni answers Shawn’s question on when to restructure your channel setup and curate a community that is adaptable to your audience. 
• 46:47: Harris and Shawn wrap up the show and ask Kattni how they advertise and recruit members. 
• 50:19 (Post-Show): Harris, Shawn, and Kattni address the commercialization of products using Circuit Python. 

List of Resources
Website - Adafruit Industries
Website - Circuit Python
Website - Ardruino
Website - GitHub
Website - Discord

Guest Information
Kattni works as an embedded software developer, hardware designer, technical writer, and open source community leader contracting with Adafruit. She is proud to be a woman in tech. Her journey creating things began at an early age in her dad’s extensive workshop in the basement. Kattni’s foray into the world of open source, electronics, and programming began in July 2017 — that her desk has become a mess of wires and circuit boards is still unbelievably exciting. In the rest of her life, she is a maker, creator, programmer, photographer, one-time gardener, and loved partner. She is tolerated by two cats who continue to let her live with them.

GitHub
Twitter

Host Contact Information
shawnhymel.com
kennyconsultinggroup.com
LinkedIn - Shawn Hymel
LinkedIn - Harris Kenny
Twitter - Shawn Hymel
Twitter - Harris Kenny

License Information
“Hello Blink Show” by Kenny Consulting Group, LLC and Skal Risa, LLC is licensed under CC BY 4.0
Intro and outro song is “Routine” by Amine Maxwell is licensed under CC BY 3.0

Special Guest: Kattni Rembor.