Buy One, Give One Business Model: Engineers Give Back

100. We want Tech Will Save Us We’re not a single product start-to be the gateway for millions of up. We make an ecosystemfamilies to become creators of of kits and digital experiencestechnology around the kitchen that support a tech learningtable, in a classroom, in a field, journey though different agesmakerspace, after school club and abilities. We’re also more- anywhere and everywhere. accessible and priced in a wayThere are so many wonderful that allows all kids to get handsresources cropping up, we think on creating with technology, allempowering parents to support of our competitors are priced atthe inner maker in their kid is over £100, our kits start at £25.hugely important. Giving youngpeople and adults access to real THE CHALLENGES &practitioners and entrepreneurs SOLUTIONSin tech is really transformative. What challenges did yourWhat are the future innovations company face while developingthat you and your company are your product?pursuing? Global markets are reallyWe have lots of exciting projects important to us from thein the pipeline… Watch this beginning we’ve sold our kitsspace! globally, in the US, UK andDo you think your product in Europe too, we have nowhas made an impact on your expanded to big retail storescustomers and in your industry? in Australia too. What I thinkAbsolutely! We’ve been is really interesting as we growawarded some incredible and scale is the maturity ofrecognitions, the Museum different markets. For instance,of Modern Art in New York the maker movement, isacquired our Gamer Kit for really important to us. Ittheir permanent collection is a movement that is much‘Humble Masterpieces’. We more mature in the US, sowere selected as part of the the opportunities to sell arepermanent collection displayed greater as there is a lot morein the newly built London understanding of the productDesign Museum. We’ve won and services that we areGold Parents’ Choice awards creating.for 2 of our best selling kits, How did your companythe Gamer and Electro Dough overcome these challenges?kits. Our newest kit, the Mover It’s extremely important toKit, has already won a D&AD test, test then test some more.Graphite Impact Pencil and a We use customer insights inFast Company innovation by every aspect of the company todesign award. Our company help us better understand thewas also recognised as the markets we are dealing with.‘Best Hardware Startup of theyear (2016)’ at the Europas. ADVICE TO THE YOUNGWhere do you see your products ENGINEERSheading 10 years from now? I would say that alwaysAs part of the plan to grow remember this is a journey,Technology Will Save Us into the not a destination. Make suremost accessible tech company you surround yourself within the toy industry, we plan to examples, mentors, advisorsgrow our toy range. We want to who inspire you to be the kinddo this by launching products of entrepreneur and personthat are insight driven and you want to be. Always keepvigorously user tests. Children’s learning.toys tested by children, lovedby parents.What makes your productsdifferent from yourcompetitors? DECEMBER 2016 51Engineers Give Back This Christmas

A ONE-MAN TOY STARTUPTO WATCH OUT FORBehind the toys that kids now play so we tapped Dorasamy for anwith or place in their cupboard is e-mail interview to unravel howa collective genius that made he got it all done by himselfthem happen. They are a product and what separates Aran Blocksof a long, complicated process from the rest.of design that went throughdifferent levels, starting from ARAN BLOCKSits concept to production. Every Tell us about your product.toy manufacturer operates like Aran Blocks is a patent-this – except one called Aran pending building block that fitsBlocks that is yet to enter the toy horizontally as well as vertically.industry. While the vertical connectionAran Blocks is a one-man startup is basic, the way the blockby Dev Anand Dorasamy. Despite connects horizontally is uniqueof his lack of experience in the and allows any structure madetoy industry, Australia-based from it to be strong and able toDorasamy was able to develop bear weight. Meaning, it allowsa product for about two years a user to make structures thatnow largely thanks to his friend can be used on a daily basiswho was an automotive design such as a bedside table, laptopengineer. The product, which stand or bookshelf, without anyis named after the startup, will glues or reinforcements.officially go to market early next Basically, Aran Blocks is whatyear. you would get if Lego met IKEA,One would wonder how it is like fell in love, and had a baby.to handle a one-man toy startup, The entire system only involves52 DECEMBER 2016 Engineers Give Back This Christmas

2 shapes: a block and a cover. The design principle that allows it toblocks are 5cm across and fit on all make weight-bearing structuressides with their counterparts. They and apply it larger applicationsalso have a hole in the middle to such as quick deploy bridges andallow the user to run a wire through disaster housing.it, for instance headphone or phonecharging cables. It also has a small What makes your toy differentsemi-circle opening at the bottom, from your competitors?so that structures remain flat even The most unique feature of thewhen run a wire through the base. Aran Blocks building system is itsThe covers have 2 functions: one, ability to make structures thatthey form a smooth surface for are able to bear weight.any structures you make from theblocks; and two, they help make the THE CHALLENGES &structure stronger due to the fact SOLUTIONSthat they lock the blocks in place. What challenges did your companies face while developingWhat’s the inspiration behind your your product?products? How did you come up Let me be the first to admit thatwith these ideas? I am no designer or engineer butI was driven to create these blocks allow me to tell you why that waswhen I was playing with my son a good thing. I truly believe thatAran (yes they are named after him) this is a design that could haveand his Lego bricks. We have a ton only been imagined by someoneof these at home but I didn’t like with zero design skills such asthe fact that they fit only vertically. myself. Had I any design skillsTo build horizontally you needed to to speak of at all, I may havelayer the way you would do with explored some complex way toactual bricks. Also, I was not a big solve this problem. But havingfan how easily Lego structures tend none, it forced me to look for theto break apart. So I set about trying simplest solution to the problem.to solve these issues. How did your company overcomeWhich group is your target market these challenges?and why? To get it into production though,The blocks are easy to build with I relied on a friend how was anbut are not as simple or intuitive as automotive design engineer thatLEGO. As such we recommend it for helped tremendously.ages 5 and up. That being said wefind that adults love it too. ADVICE TO THE YOUNG ENGINEERSWhat are the future innovations Please give advice and words ofthat you are pursuing? wisdom to millennial engineersWe plan to introduce more blocks who want to start their ownshapes that allow creating strong companies and develop their ownthat are more versatile. Also we will products as well. Any inspiringbe adding modules such as lighting words that you can share?systems that can be added to your If you have a problem and wouldcreation seamlessly. like to solve it, just go ahead and try to do it even if you don’t haveWhere do you see your product the necessary skills. Skills can beheading 10 years from now? learnt or found in others to helpWe would like to use the basic you. All you need to do is try. DECEMBER 2016 53Engineers Give Back This Christmas

THIS TINY NES CLONE CAN PLAY ALL OF YOUR FAVORITE 8-BIT GAMES If you’re looking for a little optimizes the games in such a nostalgia, you don’t need to way that lag times are reduced. bother getting a NES console The console also enables you to that’ll probably be incompatible play the games directly on an with your brand new flatscreen HDTV without any problems. television. Clad in aircraft-grade As an added touch, the console aluminum, the Analogue NT comes with your standard NES makes sure that you’re able to controller that looks exactly like play all the cartridges from your what you had almost 30 years FamiCom and NES childhood ago. If you want this console for that you might’ve stored in a box your own nostalgic reasons, it way up in your attic or basement. comes in at around USD 500.00 Not only does it allow you to and is almost always sold-out. play your old 8-bit games, it also Photo by GizmodoAustralia54 DECEMBER 2016 Engineers Give Back This Christmas

THIS MAY BE THEWORLD'S SMALLEST ARCADE CABINETIf you enjoyed playing Pacman Machine Emulator) cabinets Phillip Burgess, the builderand other 8-bit games in your are the so called gaming boxes of the cabinet, used a toolchildhood days, then you may of the 90’s that house emulators called Nanoscreen to be ablebe interested in playing this. that can hold a lot of classical to downsize the video gameIt’s a micro arcade cabinet with games. Here’s a video of graphics so the size would bea screen that’s just a bit larger Adafruit’s tiny arcade cabinet. just right for the tiny screen.than your thumbnail. It was Many MAMA enthusiasts love According to Adafruit’s blogmade by online hardware store to build complex cabinets to post, the cabinet was great toAdafruit. According to them, house their emulators, this one play but very difficult to build.it’s the world’s smallest arcade included. This cabinet uses acabinet. .96-inch RGB OLED displayMAME (Multiple Arcade and a Raspberry Pi Zero. Photo by Make, TechTimes DECEMBER 2016 55 Engineers Give Back This Christmas

MEET THE ENGINEER WHOINSPIRED PHUNSUKHWANGDU’S CHARACTER IN‘3 IDIOTS’56 DECEMBER 2016 Photo by RolexAwards Engineers Give Back This Christmas

Yup, that idiot is real, and his and write Ladakhi, which was Photo by FlameUniversity release water for agriculturename is Sonam Wangchuk. an opportunity he didn’t get that the core difficulty in and so far have significantlyPhunsukh Wangdu is perhaps at school. His father, Sonam their education was with the reduced the problem of waterthe most admired character Wangyal, a politician who language. shortage. With farming asin the 2009 Bollywood later became a minister in A year after he graduated the primary source of incomeblockbuster movie 3 Idiots. the state government, was in mechanical engineering of the Ladakh people, thisPlayed by Aamir Khan, the stationed in Srinagar. in 1987, Sonam, together innovation is called for.engineer has left us many When Sonam was admitted with his brother and five It works by storing wintergreat lessons about learning to a school there, he was not peers, formed the Students’ water in the form ofand excellence, making it one like the others in appearance Educational and Cultural 40-meter—high mountainsof the best movies ever for and in language. He was Movement of Ladakh made of ice. These act asengineers. often misunderstood. Many (SECMOL). In this institution, glaciers during winter andIf you have come to like adults have thought he he coached school students supposedly provide up toWangdu, the odds are that is stupid because he rarely and offered vocational 16,000 cubic liters of water,you will also like the man responds to them. training courses to dropouts. enough to irrigate 10 hectareswho inspired the character. Time came when Sonam This was his benchmark in of land.Yup, that idiot is real, and his couldn’t take it anymore. He transforming the educational After two years of workingname is Sonam Wangchuk. fled to a Delhi school he knew institutions in Ladakh. at a 3,500-metre altitude,While the movie had about, and pleaded to the Now, Sonam has adopted Sonam has enabled the desertfocused in his college life, principal for his admission. a three-tiered localization landscape to turn green, withthere’s more to the real-life He was successful. Sonam strategy to bring about the level of groundwater inPhunsukh Wangdu: he has was able to enter into a free, educational reforms. In the area rising significantly.an advocacy to transform the residential, government-run creating Village Education He told The Indian Express,education style and produce school for children from the Committees, he has “I’m not doing anythingprojects that improve the border areas of India. Being provided teacher training revolutionary. It is ninth-agriculture sector where the bright and active young and introduced language standard science put to use.he’s from. He is an engineer boy that he is, he shone in and cultural reforms. Sonam We mountain people haveturned educationalist and his studies and extracurricular hopes to build an educational to find new ways to workenvironmentalist. activities. That is where his model to improve Ladakh with nature, not against it.”Sonam had his childhood greatness started. schools. With this effort, Sonam hadyears spent in a remote Before he became an Apart from this educational earned the prestigious RolexLadakhi village with his engineer, he opened a tuition reform, Sonam, who is now 50 Award for Enterprise 2016,mother. There, he climbed center where he introduced years old, has improved the being one of those “whotrees, helped his mom with new teaching methods that agriculture sector in Ladakh have reshaped the world withchores, and learned to read encouraged peer learning. through his engineering their innovative thinking and From there, he discovered solutions. dynamism”. He is given with Photo by RolexAwards He built ‘ice stupas’ in the 100,000 Swiss francs, which he arid region of Ladakh, or the will contribute as seed money desert areas of the western towards the establishment of Himalayas, which are conical an alternative university in ice mounds that act like Ladakh. mini-glaciers. They slowly DECEMBER 2016 57 Engineers Give Back This Christmas

GINEERSNOW WILL SOON LAUNCH A GN COMMUNITY OPEN TO ALL ENGINEERS Photo by Kingofwallpapers This 2016 has been a great you, we’d love to read your badass engineering first year for GineersNow. what you have to share journey-frustrations-and For the past months, we’ve as well. That’s why we are triumphs, or just want to tell been sharing with you introducing GineersNow the world about how awesome kickass engineering stories Community. Nikola Tesla is, then this is the that make your jaw drop GineersNow Community perfect place for you. in amazement, inspiring GineersNow Community Imagine having a social stories that brings out the is the home for kickass media primarily for engineers. best engineer in you, and engineers who want to share Stay tuned at our website we’ve also been featuring what’s happening in their www.gineersnow.com and our amazing people and daily lives as engineers, their social media pages for further companies in the field of work, and to share ideas or announcements. engineering that surely innovations with different spiked your interest. Let’s engineers around the world. not forget the funny jokes, If you want to share cool memes and quizzes that gadgets you’ve found, brighten up your newsfeed insights or questions about once in a while! any engineering topic, Now, as much as we love innovations, geeky videos or sharing new information shows, inspirational stories, and amazing stories with58 DECEMBER 2016 Engineers Give Back This Christmas

One for One: Buy aTOMS Product andHelp the Less-FortunateChristmas is year-round at TOMS withtheir One for One philanthropic program.By Dion Greg ReyesToms Shoes (TOMS) is best-known people in the world. The companyas a company which produces a works with water experts at Givingvariety of quality footwear for Partners to create sustainablemen, women, and kids. People water systems in seven countries.from around the world wear the Through the collaboration, theybrand to have comfortable and provide 140 liters of safe water,stylish shoes, among the many which lasts for a week, to personsproducts they manufacture. But in need for each bag of TOMSlittle do the patrons know that this Roasting Co. Coffee purchased.California-based shoe store has a Over 335,000 weeks of safe waterphilanthropic cause – and they are have already been given out.part of it.Called One for One, the promise The Gift of Safe Birthis to provide for a person in need By providing clean birth conditionswith every product purchased and skilled attendants, nearly halfat TOMS. Other than shoes, the a million of lives can be saved. Thisgifts provided by the company for is what TOMS aims to do with theirthe less-fortunate communities gift of safe birth, thanks for everyinclude sight, water, safe birth and purchase of TOMS bags. Safe birthbullying prevention services. services by TOMS, which include delivery of safe birth kits, trainingThe Gift of Shoes for skilled birth attendants, andSince the company started healthy delivery for newbornoperations in 2006, TOMS has baby, have already supported overgiven more than 60 million pairs 25,000 mothers all over the world.of new shoes to children in needunder the One for One program. The Gift of KindnessThey have provided different One-third of the students in thestyles of shoes from the classic United States aged 12 to 18 reportsslip-on, wet-weather slip-on, to being bullied. TOMS believessports shoe which fit kids, toddlers that nobody ever deserves toand teens. This has allowed the be oppressed or burdened,recipient to have improved health, this is why they are holdingconfidence, and more importantly bullying prevention and responseaccess to education. programs. It includes training school communities to createThe Gift of Sight bully-free campuses and makingKids with eye problems are helped it easy for students to reportby TOMS whenever the company’s bullying and get the help theyeyewear is bought. They are need. With the proper preventiongiven with full eye exam by and response techniques readilytrained medical professionals and available to students, we can helpreceive the necessary treatment. reduce up to 90% of incidents ofCommon vision issues that bullying.they attend to are prescriptionglasses, sight-saving surgery, and Christmas is right around themedical treatment. So far, TOMS corner. People are sharing a piecehas helped restore sight to over of themselves to others by giving400,000 people in need. gifts. For TOMS, you can do this evenThe Gift of Water not in December – they only needTOMS takes part in solving the you buy their products and theyglobal water problem which will do the job of helping the lessaffects more than 780 million fortunate. Photos by TOMS DECEMBER 2016 59Engineers Give Back This Christmas

AWESOMESHIELD: THECOOLESTHANDS-ONCODINGPROJECT FORKIDS AGED 10TO 10060 DECEMBER 2016 Engineers Give Back This Christmas

With only a core team of three members, AwesomeShield has proven itself tomake a difference in the toyindustry in the past two years.The three founders of thisstartup company didn’t haveany experience on setting upan educational startup beforebut they managed to launch asuccessful Kickstarter campaignand show parents that there’s abetter way of teaching kids howto code at their own pace.Powered by Arduino, AwesomeShield teaches kids how to codefor hardware. Offering parentsand children 100 online videotutorials, a simplified code anda custom hardware, childrencan easily create hands-onprojects. These tutorials teachkids the basics of coding witha touch of Science, Technology,Engineering, Arts and Math, thesimplified code guides the kidson the fundamentals while thehardware brings the code to lifethrough its light, color, soundand sensors. By working on eachproject, children are able todevelop important learning skillsthat will eventually help them asthey get older.In this exclusive interviewwith the founders of AwesomeShield, they share their journeyfrom starting this businessto delivering their productsafter their successful Kickstartcampaign. They’ve alsoexpressed their thoughts on thefuture of the toy industry andshared their advice on how tomake a difference in this worldfor young engineers.THE PEOPLEIntroduce yourselfThe core Awesome Shield teamconsists of three founders,two Canadian brothers and aGerman. We’re registered inGermany as U.G. which is asimple type of limited liabilitycompany popular with smallbusinesses and startups.How many years have you beenworking in your industry?None of us had direct experiencewith building an educational DECEMBER 2016 61Engineers Give Back This Christmas

startup before we created generously sharing insights andAwesome Shield but we’ve expertise during preparations forall had a tapestry of relevant manufacturing.professional experiences in theprivate sector. The three of us Describe your mission, vision andhad collaborated on a startup values.and when that failed we knew Our mission is to equip kids (agedthe real magic lay in the team 10-100) with the skills to inventwe’d created. the world they want to live in.Our CEO is an Engineering Our first product is a learning kitChemist by training which gives that teaches kids to code whileus a solid science background for building fun projects (a theremin,teaching grade school science lock box alarm, candle, etc.).concepts. Our UX Designer and While kids build and code, theyand our developer each have learn about the math and scienceover a decade of professional behind their projects.experience. Even though we’re a small team, we work hard to be inclusive,THE COMPANY transparent, and act as what weDescribe your company view as a moral company. We(structure, brief history, board strive to treat each other withor advisers) kindness and understanding andOur company structure is quite we do the same for those weflat. The three founders take work with.on projects as their availabilityand skill sets allow. The CEO is Where is this company headed?full time the other two are part What are your future expansiontime. We’re a small team doing plans?an ambitious amount of work, The future is difficult to predict.so there’s necessarily a lot of That’s one reason why we focusflexibility in terms of who does on teaching deep skills andwhat. new ways to look at the world,We’ve been working on Awesome rather than more prescriptiveShield for approximately two rote learning. Our feeling isyears. We have been developing that if you’re well equipped tothe learning platform and understand and contribute tohardware through a series of the world you can participate inworkshops that we use to do the creation of the future rathertesting and gather feedback. We than just being an observer orran a Kickstarter campaign in consumer.May 2016 and are delivering the To that end, we’d love to growhardware and our first learning Awesome Shield, while stayingvideos in December 2016. focused on our mission. TheWe have several unofficial bigger our community is, andadvisers that we consult with on the more resources we have, thean individual basis as needed – more kids we can empower.people with deep professionalexperience that compliment our INTRODUCTIONteam’s experience (in Marketing, What do you think is the future ofBusiness Development, and the toy industry?Education). One trend we see a lot of is theThe core team, of three, is consumerization of technology.based in Berlin. We share a tiny Things are becoming moreoffice in Berlin’s Prenzlauer polished and “magical”. ButBerg neighbourhood. We have technology isn’t magic. It’salso had the good fortune and engineering, science, maths, andpleasure of collaborating with creativity. We’ve seen educationala group of extremely talented toys move in that polishedinterns, freelancers, friends, direction as well and while it hasand family. Our manufacturer, a place (and we certainly striveWatterott Electronics, has for approachability ourselves) wealso been a major asset, think it’s important to demystify62 DECEMBER 2016 Engineers Give Back This Christmas

tech for kids and empower them and hardware system that letto become makers, instead of us create and test prototypesjust consumers. very quickly. We realized that its simplicity could also make it aHow will today’s toys and great tool for beginners. A biggadgets make a difference as turning point was when we usedcompared to the ones from the it to explain coding to a cousinpast? and realised that it had a tonneThere’s a wonderful focus of potential as a learning tool.on coding that is developing. Since then we’ve been testingEspecially in terms of teaching and adapting our teachingcoding logic to really young kids methodology, hardware, and– which is something that’s quite software. Through manynew and really exciting to see. iterations, we arrived at AwesomeToday’s toys and gadgets Shield.need to help kids learn aboutprogramming, and also explore Which group is your targetmaking in an interdisciplinary market and why?way. Kids and Teenagers are our coreAs soon as you start inventing, market. We feel that you can haveyou realize that it’s impossible the biggest impact on a person’sto separate coding, science, life at this point. Also throughmath, art, and crafting. We see our workshops and speaking withAwesome Shield as a new kind educators, we found that if youof educational kit that helps kids make an educational productexplore these areas holistically, for someone that’s 10 yearswhile creating inventions. old (and you don’t talk down to them), most people who are 10Which toy/gadget from your and up will find the experiencechildhood made an impact on approachable and engaging.you while growing up?LEGO was a big one. It’s so What are the future innovationscustomisable that you can really that you or your company arepour your imagination into it. It’s pursuing?so important in learning to be Right now we’re pretty laserable to make things your own. focused on finishing our firstLEGO also helped us explore product and are excited to hearthe power of iteration. Trying from our Kickstarter backers whata design, testing it, identifying they think. We know we’re goingweaknesses, and then making to learn a tonne from them onceimprovements is a powerful we get the product into theirprocess that LEGO helped us hands, and their feedback willexplore as kids. help us identify our immediate next steps towards improvingTHE PRODUCT Awesome Shield.What’s the inspiration behind Long term, our goal is to developyour products? an ecosystem of learning kitsBefore we started Awesome around interesting inventionShield, we often spent weekends themes like musical instruments,doing little hack projects – botany, games, and robots. Theplaying around with Arduino and opportunities for learning byRaspberry Pi – to build little tools combining STEAM and buildingand gadgets for our homes and physical projects are myriad.office.Awesome Shield began two years Do you think your productago as a major pivot from a has made an impact on yourprevious joint project in which customers and in your industry?we were building a process After two years of runningmonitoring and automation workshops we’ve taught moresystem for microbrewers. While than 600 people to write theirtesting different designs, we first lines of code. There havedeveloped a simplified code been a lot of really special DECEMBER 2016 63 Engineers Give Back This Christmas

moments in there where people installations) to kids who are 10 the resources (especially time) really love.achieved things they didn’t and older. We make this powerful available to grow the company On the hardware front, we keptthink were possible for them tech fun and accessible. and build the product. It can the product simple and thento accomplish. We’re looking Many other products for this age often be frustrating not to just started making things andforward to delivering on our group put kids in a sandbox and be able to match the pace of reading and again talking toKickstarter and sharing that teach them to invent with tools our growth with our vision for experts. A brilliant electricalempowerment with even more that limit the scope of what they Awesome Shield. But this also engineer that does freelance workpeople. We’re also very excited can accomplish. Awesome Shield helps us laser focus on only the with us and our manufacturerto have a standalone product. makes it easy for kids to start most important tasks which has both helped to fill in the gapsWe can only reach so many kids using powerful tools right away resulted in a honed company and here. And our CEO really steppedthrough events. Having a kit that which they can build on to create product. up to the plate and did a tonnekids can use to learn at home will anything they can imagine. There was also a huge learning of learning.really help us reach even more curve for us (and still is). Whenpeople. THE CHALLENGES & we started, we’d never registered ADVICE TO THE YOUNG SOLUTIONS a business, run an education ENGINEERSWhat makes your product What challenges did your company, or done a round of You can do it. Pick somethingdifferent from your competitors? company face while developing electronics manufacturing. you’re interested in or solve aAwesome Shield helps make your product? problem you see in the world.coding hands-on through We’re doing what’s called How did your company overcome And just start chipping away athardware and invention. This “bootstrapping” in the startup these challenges? it – learn while you go and don’thelps kids be more excited and world, which basically means that We learned a lot by asking be intimidated by what you don’tengaged than they are with most of our team is working on experts for advice and through know yet. Find some other folks tomany purely digital learn-to-code Awesome Shield part time while loads of trial, error, and iteration. collaborate with who complimentproducts. we earn our living elsewhere. This In the educational space, we ran your strengths and weaknesses.Awesome Shield brings the lets us focus entirely on creating workshops, spoke with educators, Don’t be afraid to try new things,power of Arduino (which is used the company (rather than, for and did a bunch of reading and iterate on your ideas. Prettyby pros worldwide in everything example spending time finding and thinking to discover an soon you’ll be blown away by thefrom science experiments to art investors) but it also really limits educational approach that folks impact you’ve had on the world!64 DECEMBER 2016 Engineers Give Back This Christmas

DECEMBER 2016 65Engineers Give Back This Christmas

Photo by Leggilo Photo by PowerPinoys MEET THIS 4-YEAR-OLD MATH PRODIGY FROM CEBU, PHILIPPINES He could teach you how to solve for the total resistance on a parallel circuit.Miko Secillano is probably the smartest kid was writing down, as if teaching a class. This Since then, Miko taught himself how to read,you’ll ever meet at his age. Well, if you viral video was so famous that it reached 29 which was easy since the child was a hugeknow any other smart 4-year-old that can thousand views in a small span of 3 weeks. fan of picture books. At age 3, Miko was intocalculate the square root of numbers 1 to Numerous people messaged Miko’s parents geography. Continents, countries, and cities30 in 3 minutes, you can tell us otherwise. commenting that the child is pure genius. A were all basic for the young prodigy. MikoThe young Cebuano is a child prodigy when math professor in Brazil even quoted that the even had a video posted of his mom naming ait comes to his very intelligent brain. If child is “a fantastic promise” and that he’s country and him replying with the capital city.you think that’s not impressive, he also nothing short of a prodigy. This is pretty surprising as the kid was able tomemorized all the 118 numbers and symbols Miko’s parents are both Filipinos, but have name a total of 164 cities.of the Periodic Table of Elements. A typical been residing in the US for almost 8 years If that wasn’t enough to impress you, did wefour-year-old would just be playing in the now. His dad, Philip, is originally from Albay, mention that Miko only learned how to addmud, or eating glue at that age. Bicol, while his mother, Imee, is originally from at the age of 4? Yes, this child genius has justMiko had his intelligence measured this Cebu. They’re now residing in Florida but are started math and he’s already doing geometryNovember and it wasn’t that surprising that still very close to their Filipino ties, frequently and algebra. The secret behind this is that hishe got a score which equated to him being visiting the Philippines every two years. Philip dad gives him a 5-minute tutoring lesson“gifted”. That said, his dad Philip is sending always records his son’s math endeavors every morning to learn a new math concept.over his results to MENSA, hoping to get on camera and posts them on Facebook for Any information retained after that is purelythat membership. For those of you that are everyone to see. Miko’s whiteboard and math based on his ability to absorb information.unfamiliar with MENSA, it’s an international skills, which his father personally taught him, Aside from that, like any other 4 year old, Mikoorganization of whizzes and geniuses that are often the subject of all his videos. While loves to play and spends a lot of time with hishave IQ scores above the 98th percentile. Miko’s videos are fairly new, his gift is not. His friends. He practices karate on the side andThat means members of this group are parents have reported that his learning was also goes swimming with his play buddies. Ifsmarter than 98% of the people in the very advanced and was apparent since he asked whether his friends or teachers knowworld. was 2 years of age. about his math skills, Miko would just replyThe wonder child was first popularized by Philip said that Miko was already able to “No. We only learn the alphabet. We don’this video of solving the volume of a cube in count from 1 to 100 at the age of 2, but still have Math in Pre-School!”the cutest way. He was saying everything he could not answer basic addition at that time.66 DECEMBER 2016 Engineers Give Back This Christmas

THIS WOMAN TRANSFORMS OLDCONTAINERS INTO HER DREAM HOUSECanadian Claudie Dubreuil created her dream house out of 4 old containers.We’ve seen different Photo by Newsnerarchitectural designs of houses,most of them unique andpractical. But Canadian ClaudieDubreuil is taking uniquenessand practicality to a new level.Claudie chose to use four metalcontainers to build her dreamhouse—yep, those huge metalshipping containers!She got the help of anengineering company andwas able to find four shippingcontainers. In a short timeof creativity and hard work,they were able to spruce upthese old containers into asurprisingly beautiful home!Acquiring the containers wereeasy, then comes the hard part.They started off by wielding thecontainers together accordingto Claudie’s design.Photo by Newsner Photos by CollectionsDubreuilThis is how the skeleton lookedlike. It doesn’t seem like muchyet except that the structure islarge, so let’s move one withthe next photos.The transformation on theexterior of the housingskeleton looks awesome. As forthe interior of Claudia’s dreamhouse, here are the photos.The results were amazinglystunning, her design andcreativity can inspire others todo the same. So, what aboutyou, how do you want yourdream house to be made? DECEMBER 2016 67 Engineers Give Back This Christmas

68 DECEMBER 2016 Engineers Give Back This Christmas

Never LoseSight of YourKids Using TheHow frightening is it to 12) smartphones yet, Chien innovative companies such aslose your kids when you thought the dokiWatch can Adidas and Fitbit.take them out for a typical help bring families together THE COMPANYfamily day in the mall? through communication and GN: Describe your companyParents can’t really be with safety. Chien: Doki is a fairly newtheir children 24/7 and the In this exclusive interview with company. We started inthought of them being Caspier Chien, founder and 2015 so it has been a rapidexposed to harm and danger CEO of Doki Technologies, growth for us going from justis really their nightmare. So, he talks to us about his plans having a product conceptis there a simple way to for his startup company, Doki to the development andmake sure the kids are safe Technologies, his thoughts manufacturing, and nowwherever they go? on the toy industry and to retail in the span of 18The idea behind the shares his advice to young months.dokiWatch started when engineers on how to make it Doki Technologies is made upCaspier Chien took his in the business world. of a small but energetic teamnephew out in a crowded THE PERSON / PEOPLE of 10 people. We’re a startupshopping area. When he GN: Introduce yourself. so the amount of manpowerthought he almost lost his Chien: My name is Casper we have is limited. Our headnephew, he came up with Chien. I am the Founder and office is based in Hongthe idea that parents need CEO of Doki Technologies. Kong but we also work witha device that can easily GN: How many years have engineers and developers inkeep track of their kids. So, you been working in your Shenzhen, China.he developed the first-ever industry? GN: Describe your mission,smartwatch that serves Chien: Before starting Doki vision and values.as a GPS locator, a fitness Technologies, I worked Chien: I believe that the Dokitracker, a wearable phone extensively in strategic team and I share the sameand even an electronic marketing and product vision of creating a worldpet to kids! Knowing that development at leading of seamless connectivityit is not advisable to giveyoung children (ages 6 to DECEMBER 2016 69 Engineers Give Back This Christmas

between parents and their GN: Which toy/gadget from children. We aim to develop your childhood made an technologies that enhance impact on you while growing and improve children’s lives, up? keep them connected to their Chien: When I was growing parents, and ensure their up, the one toy that I loved safety. playing was my Super GN: Where is this company Nintendo and Gameboy. headed? What are your future Those were the things that expansion plans? tech savvy kids at the time Chien: The future is really all had when I was growing open ended for us. I feel like up. When I think about it we can take Doki into many now and compare it with the different directions. Now dokiWatch, I know that kids we’re in the early stages of will always be attracted to planning, but we hope to products that are the most expand further into education, innovative and advanced. health, communications THE PRODUCT and safety. We also plan to GN: What’s the inspiration gamify certain features for behind your products? kids such as augmenting the Chien: The idea for dokiWatch dokiPet feature. dokiPet now really came from a situation is primarily a fitness tracker that I experienced myself. I but I think we can take it was walking with my nephew, further by making it into a and we were in a crowded fully interactive virtual pet shopping area, suddenly we that kids can feed and play got separated in the crowd with. and I couldn’t find him. THE INDUSTRY I’m sure every parent can GN: What do you think is relate to this feeling, it’s the future of the toy/gadget almost frightening when this industries? happens. Thankfully I found Chien: I think as we progress him safe and sound but it technologically, kid’s toys suddenly dawned on me and gadgets will focus very that there is a real need for a much on smart devices. It’s device like dokiWatch. almost inevitable. There’s a GN: Which group is your lot of talk now about virtual target market and why? or augmented reality. Maybe Chien: dokiWatch is aimed at there’s a way to turn virtual kids 6-12 years old. We want reality into a learning tool to target kids who are old for kids. enough to use a smart device GN: How will today’s toys and but too young to handle gadgets make a difference as the risk and responsibilities compared to the ones from of having a smartphone. the past? We understand that many Chien: It’s a very different parents do not want to give world today than it was 10 or their children smartphones 20 years ago. Now, children’s because of its limited parental toys, entertainment, and control. even educational tools have GN: What are the future shifted very much to smart innovations that you or your devices and IoT devices. company are pursuing? The wants and needs of kids Chien: At this stage, we’re have significantly changed still working on perfecting as well. Nowadays kids want dokiWatch. Our developers that instant gratification and are constantly working on having unlimited information taking in user feedback and on their fingertips. working on ways to improve70 DECEMBER 2016 Engineers Give Back This Christmas

the firmware and user comprehensive as dokiWatch.experience. We are also in the It is truly a wearable phone. Itplanning phase of our next has all the essential functionsproduct which will be another but without the risk andIoT device for kids. responsibility. Combined withGN: Do you think your product GPS location and a fitnesshas made an impact on tracker, dokiWatch is on trackyour consumers and in your to become a leader in kids IoTindustry? devices.Chien: I definitely think that THE CHALLENGES &dokiWatch has set a new SOLUTIONSstandard for kid smart devices. GN: What challenges didThere’s not really another your companies face whileproduct like dokiWatch on developing your product?the market that offers that Chien: One challenge we’vesame functionality. We’ve had to face is finding aalso gotten tons of positive manufacturer who is willingfeedback from parents and to be our partner and workeven medical professionals closely with us in bringing aand parents of special needs concept idea to fruition.kids. From these comments, GN: How did your companyI feel that dokiWatch has overcome these challenges?certainly made an impression Chien: The relationshipon the market. between Doki and ourGN: Where do you see your manufacturer is extremelyproducts heading 10 years important and was key forfrom now? our rapid growth. We areChien: Maybe in 10 years’ very lucky to be working withtime, technology have already Wherecom, a manufacturerevolved and maybe smart that worked alongside us towearables will be completely create a truly innovative anddifferent from what we know high quality product.now. But certainly, I want ADVICE TO YOUNGDoki to be a company that ENGINEERSwill adapt to the changing Chien: When you think of aclimate and still develop new idea, make sure that it isproducts that will ultimately marketable and commerciallybring families together viable. Engineers tend tothrough communication and think only of developmentsafety. and the technicalities of theGN: What makes your product, but that’s reallyproduct different from your only half the battle. I wouldcompetitors? recommend engineers toChien: dokiWatch is a partner with someone whocompletely innovative is strong in marketing andproduct. While there are other business development.kid’s smart watches on themarket, none of them are as DECEMBER 2016 71Engineers Give Back This Christmas

IRONBOT: THE ADVANCEDTOY ROBOT THAT WILL MAKECHILDREN LEARN STEMBoys love to play with robots. JornCo Information technologyThey are naturally attracted to Co., Ltd., IronBot is a 3-in-these futuristic figures given 1 educational robot kit forall the cartoons they watch 8 year olds and up. This toyor the books they read. Once redefines learning science andthey realize that they could engineering through interactivedemand things to their parents, robotics.they could go as far as bugging We talked with Tab Chiu, thethe elders for a toy, amid the ‘captain’ of the companydifferent ways that these kids behind IronBot. He shares howcould be immersed with the he got interested with robots,world of robots. Some parents how the product came into life,have no choice but to give in. and what sets their robot toyLots of robots are available in different from the rest.toy stores all over the world. Toymanufacturers barely upgrade THE COMPANYtheir robots and stick with old Describe your company’s briefdesigns – except a few, like history.IronBot. JornCo Information technologyThe brainchild of Xiamen Co., Ltd. is based in Xiamen,72 DECEMBER 2016 Engineers Give Back This Christmas

China. It is established by After releasing IronBot, we werefour founders who became extensively recognized by theteammates in the US-China public because the children andYoung Maker Competition. In their parents admire our robot.the 2nd session of that contest, Parents usually spend a weekendour invention, which is a mobile to assemble our robot togetherphone robot, stood out in the with their children, which theyover 400 entries from China and enjoy. I believe it will becomeUS. It won sixth place in the final an unforgettable parent-childround. memory for them. We want toWe were all motivated by this continue bring this memory andexperience. As public innovation happiness to more children andand mass entrepreneurship their families in the future.increase in China, we founded In the near future, we willXiamen JornCo Information research and develop moretechnology Co., Ltd. with the robot suits which are suitable forexpectation of converting our children. Our online RoboSpaceworks into products. community enables childrenIn June 2016, we gave our first to understand and learn robotgeneration of mobile phone related knowledge, as well asrobot called IronBot to Vice share their own robots. Ten orPremier Liu Yandong and United twenty years later, we hope thatStates Secretary of State Kerry as our product becomes the LEGOa maker gift in the 7th session of of robots.US-China High-level Consultationon People-to-People Exchange. INTRODUCTIONThe following month, IronBot What do you think is the future ofwas crowdfunded in Indiegogo the toy industries?through an overseas platform. Instead of being independentIt was brought to 25 customers small toys, all toys in the futurein several countries around the will become intelligent and canworld. Come November 2016 already connect to Internet.when IronBot was awarded as Children should also be able tothe Optimal Innovation and operate, program and controlCreativity Prize in China High- their toys.tech Fair Entrepreneurship Night. How will today’s toys make aHow big is your company? difference as compared to theOur team presently has 10 ones from the past?members. Both mobile internet and InternetDescribe your mission, vision and of Things have developed greatlyvalues. in the last 10 years. In the future,Xiamen JornCo Information everything will be connected totechnology Co., Ltd. devotes the Internet including auto, airto setting up establishment, conditioning, and toys.innovation realization and Compared with previous toys,sharing platform. RoboSpace is for many toys when connected tochildren’s robot modularization, internet, can give more extensionswhich, just like the four-wheel and functions. For example, adrive, can enable each child to children’s story-telling device canhave his/her own robot through download stories from Internet.DIY. We aim to become their While this will become a commonunforgettable childhood memory trend, of course, there will beand even turn into a brand many differences like studyingaffecting an entire generation. from playing, and modularization,Where is this company headed? etc.What are your future expansion Which toy from your childhoodplans? Describe briefly your made an impact on you whilestrategic goals. growing up?We are confident that developing When I was young, my mosta robot suite is the fastest method memorable toy is a mini four-of helping each child to have his wheel drive, which not only Ior her own DIY, so we also take it played a lot with but also let meas our primary task. learn about structural design andAll Photos by CodelcoViaMining.com DECEMBER 2016 73 Engineers Give Back This Christmas

simple circuit. By using all the space to make their dreamcomponents of the four-wheeldrive, I refitted it into a paddler robots.steamer. It left deep impressionwith me because I enjoyed What are the future innovationsplaying it, learned, and achievedapplications as well as expansion. that you or your company isTHE PRODUCT pursuing?What’s the inspiration behindyour products? How did you Our current goal is to establishcome up with these ideas?The robots in my university a DIY platform RoboSpace forlaboratory are expensive, whichare thousands to ten thousands children so that each child canYuan. This is why I did not seekfor these robots anymore after make his or her own robot. If yougraduation.However, since I always hold high want to DIY your own robot, justpassion for robots, I have myselfthis, “Is it possible for me to make register at RoboSpace.my own robots using availablematerials?” One day, I found the Do you think your productanswer by changing my mobilephone into a robot. has made an impact on yourWhen one of my teachers cameto see my robot after completing, costumers and in your industry?he was interested in it. Wediscussed whether it is ideal to We hope that our robots can playhelp students make such a robotthrough DIY. We agreed and the role just like what four-wheelimplemented a winter camp toteach children to make a smart drive did to me. We like to thinkrobot from a steel plate. Wedidn’t expect that the winter that children can understandcamp will be well-received andthe children and their parents all our robot, learn STEM-relatedliked it. That is where we startedto produce robots commercially. knowledge and apply these toWhich group is your targetmarket and why? other applications.Our major target market groupsare kids, teenagers, and parents. Where do you see your productsWe have robot products cateredfor such ages. heading 10 years from now?At the same time, we alwaysencourage parents to assemble I hope that our robots can berobots together with theirchildren for the experience. It is a everywhere in children’s hands,pity for me since I had not comeinto contact with a robot not homes and school.until I entered college.Instead of being complicated What makes your toy differentand profound as others think,everyone can make his or her own from your competitors?robot as long as one holds thecuriosity or interest. IronBot at At present, there are many otherpresent mainly aims at childrenover 8 years. Later, we plan to robot DIY suits in market, butrelease different versions of DIYrobot suits and accessories so these are all similar with thosethat children can possess more produced 10 years ago. When information technology is in rapid development in the previous decade, they failed to be applied with these products. IronBot is born in such market situation. Its mobile terminal (mobile phone) perfectly combines the new technology. For instance, we introduce Google and Microsoft advanced artificial intelligence technologies, and then pack it into independent programming modules. This is so the children can use and operate these advanced artificial intelligence technologies personally. Therefore, I always name IronBot as smart robot, while other robot suits mostly are teleoperators. One of our customers from Taiwan who played many other robot suits before was surprised that our toy was advanced. This is the interactive effect brought by application of new technology! THE CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS What challenges did your74 DECEMBER 2016 Engineers Give Back This Christmas

companies face while developing if we hold a patient and positiveyour product? attitude.Our challenges are how toapply those advanced artificial ADVICE TO THE YOUNGintelligence technologies to our ENGINEERSAPP programming environment Please give advice and words ofand enable the children be wisdom to millennial engineersinterested with programming. who want to start their ownThis method can help children companies and develop their ownunderstand these new artificial products as well. Any inspiringintelligence technologies. words that you can share?We set up a programmable Entrepreneurship is importantartificial intelligence procedure since whether products possessin our APP we named Isaac. We certain advancement or solvenamed it Isaac to commemorate market shortcoming are decisive.Isaac Asimov, a famous American Thus, at the initial stage, it isscience fictionist, writer and necessary to make marketliterary critic. His robot novels survey, summarize data, andbrought endless imagination and dace up to reality rather thanhappiness to children! being confused by temporaryHow did your company overcome “innovation or creation”. Whenthese challenges? determining what to do, weFortunately, we possess shall persist and keep exploring.experienced software developers. When moving towards the rightIn the past year, we kept direction, everything will bediscussing, making progress smooth; if it progresses slowly,and upgrading our software the direction might be wrong.framework. One month ago, So watch out, observe marketwe successfully released our and customers’ reaction, collectsoftware. Sometimes the feedback, and adjust timely!difficulties will be readily solved DECEMBER 2016 75 Engineers Give Back This Christmas

COOL CHRISTMASTREE DESIGNSFOR THE CREATIVEENGINEERIf you’re an engineer who for the tree that you only take out trees one can find all over thealready makes his own money, of the closet every December. world. Each tree did not only takeyou know you want to celebrate Doesn’t that get a little boring a few people to work on it. GivenChristmas and make the most especially for engineers like you? its length and size, the peopleout of the holiday. There really With an engineer’s creativity behind each tree planned theis nothing as special as having and the passion to have the design really well to make sureyour family and friends come most wonderful-looking tree that all the lights are working,over and spend quality time among your circle of friends, the foundation of each tree iswith you at home. Christmas you know you have to come up strong enough and each tree willis after all the season of bright with the most brilliant designs attract thousands of tourists wholights and quality time with the for your Christmas tree. visit the areas.family. So you make sure that You want to make your design In this list, you might get theyou have a list of people you’re exquisite - something you, your perfect idea for the next designobliged to give a gift to, you family and your friends can take of your Christmas tree this year.already know what you’ll be pictures of and then post on It will be a design where you cancooking for the holiday and you your Instagram accounts. You apply your knowledge and skillsalready have Christmas lanterns want your design to be the best as an engineer. It will be a treeprepared for the entire house. and you want your creativity that would look awesome thatBut what about your Christmas and skills as an engineer to be people would love to visit yourtree? Year after year, you have shown in your tree. place to see it in person.the same Christmas decorations The list below shows ChristmasThis is a four-story Christmas tree at the Galleries The Trafalgar Square tree in London will giveLafayette in Paris. The lights will definitely cost you you an idea on how to make your tree a littlea fortune and the electricity may be too high for extra tall. Lights are vertically-oriented so whenyou this December. you look up at your tree, you’ll think your tree is just “wow”.76 DECEMBER 2016 Engineers Give Back This Christmas

If you want a design like this one from Edinburgh, This Christmas tree was the centerpiece inmake sure that the background of your christmas Germany’s Dortmund Christmas Market. Withlight will perfectly blend well together with your over 48,000 lights, and 1,700 individual fir trees,tree. with a height of 45 meters tall, you know this tree is really extravagant. Would you like a design like this? Or if you feel like recycling glass tubes, you could follow this Murano Glass Christmas tree design in Venice.Would you consider having your Christmas lights Or would you like to put a wonderfulcrisscrossed in your tree? Looks like a good idea if centerpiece in the Christmas tree like the staryou see the pattern from this Red Square Christmas they used in this Christmas tree in Tokyo?tree. Of course a list wouldn’t be complete without the iconic Reckefeller Center Christmas tree where people all over the world visit every Christmas to get a glimpse of its beauty. If you want a design like this, we wonder how much it will cost you to fill your entire tree with Christmas lights?You might be inspired to make your tree bright If you want to have a non-traditional Christmas treered with this tree from Melbourne. design, this tree from Kuala Lumpur may inspire you to deviate from the norm.Found a design you’re interested in? Already got an idea what to do foryour Christmas tree this year? Whatever the design will be, don’t forgetwhat truly matters is you spending quality time with the people you love. Sogo ahead, design a Christmas tree only an engineer can think of then havethe people you love decorate your tree with you! Merry Christmas! DECEMBER 2016 77 Engineers Give Back This Christmas

CHARITABLE COMPANIESENGINEERS MUST KNOWABOUT THIS CHRISTMASChristmas is all about giving and sharing what we have tothe people around us - may they be members of the family,friends or just strangers who look like they’re in need ofwhat you have. This is what makes Christmas special andas we fill our shopping list with all the people we plan to begiving gifts to this holiday, we also shouldn’t forget to giveback to our communities.Did you know that there are several companies that havea noble mission of helping out poor communities? Eachcompany has come up with an easy way of involving theircostumers in helping several people just by buying theirproducts. With every product you purchase from thesecompanies, you get to donate another product to peoplein need.In case you’re feeling charitable this season, you may wantto consider buying from these companies: Photo by CowleyAssociatesBetter World Books Good Spread TOMS this company. Their designs are printed with covers ofOne book you buy from them For all the peanut butter They are famous for their buy classic books.means one book for Books for lovers out there, do a good one - give one charitable deed.Africa or Feed the Children. deed by purchasing a packet They sell eyeglasses, boots Twice as Warm or jar from Good Spread. along with the company’sOne World Play Project A malnourished child will classic canvas shoe model. Give the gift of winter clothing receive “therapeutic food” in to a local shelter when youIf you need a ball for your exchange of your purchase. Skyline Socks buy a clothing item fromsiblings, you may consider Twice as Warm.buying one from One World Hand In Hand Each pair of socks is designedPlay Project. The beneficiary with a skyline from a major Smile Squaredfor this charitable work will be Because we all know American city. When you buythe poor youth from different sanitation is important for one pair, expect someone in We all want to see childrencommunities. everyone, Hand in Hand need will receive one too (with with their bright smiles so help offers to donate a bar of soap the same design as yours). a child in need have healthyPeople Water and a month supply of clean teeth by buying a toothbrush water for kids in need when The Company Store from Smile Squared. OneWe all know how scarce water you buy a bar or bottle of its toothbrush will be donated tois for some countries so how company’s soap. You know it’s going to be cold a child for every purchase.about buying a reusable water this season, so if you buy abottle from this company? Yoobi comforter from The Company BoGo BowlsThey;ll donate an equivalent Story, you may provideamount of water to those in There are so many poor warmth for a homeless child If you want to help shelterneed. schools in the US, so Yoobi in the US. animals, every bag you decided to donate school purchase from BoGo BowlsRoma supplies when someone buys Out of Print means the company will their colorful office and school donate a bag to shelterA pair of boots and some supplies. If you want to donate books animals as well.school supplies will be given to to Books for Africa, you maychildren in need for every pair consider buying a shirt fromof Roma boots you buy!78 DECEMBER 2016 Engineers Give Back This Christmas

SOLIGHT DESIGNS Together We Hold the Sun in Our Hands DECEMBER 2016 79Engineers Give Back This Christmas