DatArt is a project where I will create artworks that display data. I pitched the idea to MotionLab in Berlin and was accepted! The only issue was that I had to become a resident of Berlin and I was not able to do that in time to join the incubator.

Datenkunst pitch deck

I made a healthy spice blend for friends and family for Christmas in 2021 and 2022. They were well received so I am starting to sell them to the public.

You can get your own bottle here. I’m selling them for $9.99 including free shipping.

HTTC – Hacker Trips to China

Every year until COVID. Mitch Altman has been organizing a trip going to China every year to visit hackerspaces, maker spaces, and other interesting places. I’ve been on 3 of them. Mitch has given up the effort, so this year (2023) in November, I am helping to organize the trip.

Hacker Trip USA

Because of the shutdown of China because of COVID, I started an annual hacker trip across the United States. The goal is to share, learn, and teach. The idea is to do a Hacker Trip To China but in the US. More information on the Hacker Trip USA home page.

I ended up going by myself for the first trip in 2021, and I went to Berlin instead in 2022. Now that China has opened up and I can’t afford to do both this year, I going to China instead in 2023.

I am developing an open-source Arduino-based DIY kit that I am calling “Pomoduino” that includes a circuit board and set of components that you can solder and then program yourself. The goal is to create an online class and in person lectures that use the kit to teach 3 important disciplines:

1. patience and confidence to build in a physical space by building electronics (learning basic electronics and how to solder)
2. analytical and logic skills through learning how to code (C++ and the Arduino API)
3. time management – personal accountability through learning how to estimate and manage time (the Pomodoro Technique)

Here are some preliminary designs:

PVC-Duino is a simple Arduino-compatible device created for beginners. The aim is to enable more people, especially to disadvantaged children, to learn how to use open source hardware.

One of the methods to make the the modules less expensive and more user-friendly is to combine multiple functions into one unit as illustrated below.

The Arduino is an open-source electronic prototyping platform that enables makers to create interactive electronic objects. Though it has historically been inexpensive, the global chip-shortage has made them more expensive and in a lot of case unable to buy at any price.

Working with a team of Engineers, we are building a series of open-source hardware to alleviate this problem. We’ve created a solution using our network of resources to manufacture inexpensive yet high-quality Arduino boards. They work together, yet are compatible with other Arduinos.

We are developing a series of beautiful bug sculptures created from recycled components. Right now they are available for sale online or at BaijouRocks, an art gallery in San Diego.

We have hired a brand development company as we re-brand from eBugs to eloBugz. More to come, but for now, here are some links to the older stuff:

• eBugs old site
• eBugs Etsy site
• eBugs YouTube site

At the beginning of the pandemic, my friend Kalimov asked me to help him with a project that we hoped could help with mask shortage the crisis. He and his colleague Jason invented a way to renew otherwise disposable (K)N95 masks. We researched and found that you need to wash, dry, and sanitize masks within certain parameters to optimize cleaning yet also ensure the masks lasts a long time. We also discovered that these masks need an electrostatic charge in order to be completely renewed. So we designed, tested, and built a prototype that would do all 4 of these tasks in single product and called it the Mask Reborn Box.

We launched a small Facebook campaign and sent some of our devices and a box of 1000 masks to be distributed to small villages in Uganda.

We launched a crowdfunding campaign to start producing them. We first tried Kickstarter, but we were denied because it was a medical device. We also tried Indiegogo. Though we got some funding, we were ultimately unsuccessful and decided to refund our supporters.

One of the major challenges was explaining why the N95 mask needs electrostatic charge. So I made videod explaining it in simple terms.

In order to educate people on the need for electrostatic recharging their cleaned masks, we invented a device to detect static charge. We got a patent for the technology and produced and sold some of them internationally. You can purchase them from our shop.

Though we did make some sales, we ultimately, we decided that the hurdles of entering into medical products were too high. It proved too difficult to create market acceptance, educate the public about electrostatic recharging, and insure against the liability associated with medical devices. So the project has been shelved for now. That said, contact me if you have funding, experience, or the resources to help us restart this project.

With a team of talented Engineers, Kalimov and Jason, I am working on some electronics projects.

2RE18.01 – The Mask Aid Project – A device to renew otherwise disposable N95 masks so that they can be reused.
2RE18.02 – eloBugz – Beautiful bug sculptures created from recycled components.
2RE18.03 – UNI-Duino – A cheaper alternative to Arduinos to help with the global chip shortage.
2RE18.04 – PVC-Duino – A simple Arduino-compatible device created for beginners.
2RE18.05 – Pomoduino – a programmable, solder-yourself Arduino in the shape of a tomato that is a Pomodoro.

I am working on a no-nonsense series of books and a blog about self-help. The first project is Shut The Fuck up And Go To Sleep that has tips and tricks on how to effectively get the sleep you need.