WORLDS FIRST ONLINE NEWS

AND ENGINEERING COMMUNITY

FOR YOUNG ENGINEERS

DECEMBER 2016 ISSUE NO. 010

Solight Design:
Delivering Light In Our Hands
Exclusive Insight Story From The Founders

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS: SPECIAL FEATURES:

Doki Technologies An Engineer's Guide on Christmas
Technology Will Save Us Shopping and Giving Back

TROBO What To Give An Engineer and The

Unfortunate This Christmas
Aran Blocks
Charitable Companies Engineers
IronBot Must Know About
MuuseLabs One for One: Buy a TOMS Product
Tinitell and Help the Less-Fortunate
AppyKids Why Everyone Must Support Buy-
One/Give-One Products
Awesome Shield

DECEMBER 2016
1
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
 GINEERSNOW TEAM

Ems Bagatsing
Sales & Marketing Director
Ems@LincolnMartin.com
Robert Bagatsing
Editor-In-Chief
editor@GineersNow.com
Engr. Alice Hernandez
Senior Editor-At-Large

John Vauden Charity Bagatsing Raymond Gerard del Valle

Senior Editor Senior Editor Junior Editor
Asia-Pacific North America
Lauren Lloyd Del Mundo
Hina Sapra Engr. Dion Greg Reyes Video Editor
Senior Editor Junior Editor Creative & Layout
South Asia
Engr. Cielo Panda Aaron Kesel
Therese Matheren Junior Editor Contributor
Senior Editor North America
North America
Amanda Pelletier
Goran ulibrk Contributor
Newsletter Specialist North America
Afsana Alam Margaret Banford
Contributor Contributor
Middle East United Kingdom
Engr. Emmanuel Stalling Patricia Eldridge
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 Editor's
Note
Its been a crazy year for all of us.
Leonardo di Caprio finally won an
Oscar, Donald Trump surprisingly
won the US elections, amazing new
technologies have been introduced
to the public, PokemonGo made
every gamer crazy and GineersNow
was finally launched to engineers.
Wow, this has definitely been an
eventful year for everyone.
Now were in the last month of 2016
and were about to celebrate the
most famous holiday of the year:
Christmas. Here in GineersNow, we
have a lot to be thankful for despite
the challenges weve met during our
first year of publishing news and
stories that cater to every engineer
around the world.
To make our first Christmas
celebration extra special, we decided
to focus on engineers giving back
to the community. Featured in this
months Christmas issue is Solight
Design, giving us an exclusive
insight story of the companys quest
in providing light not only to the
environmentally conscious but also
to those who have no access to light.
The companys founders share their
experiences in developing a product
that can light up a poor communitys
houses without adding damage
to the environment. We also have
exclusive interviews with different
companies that offer the public very
interesting toys - toys that will teach
kids valuable lessons about STEM.
Also included in the December issue
are special feature stories that focus
on buy one-give one products. With
so many industries that only focus
on earning more money from the
public, these featured companies
focus on helping those who are truly
in need.
You see, as engineers, we can help
anyone around us - may that be
a simple donation to a special
charity or developing the most
groundbreaking product that can
change the world. Yes, engineers
are capable of doing amazing things
that can shape a nations future and
change the worlds perspective on
several important issues. Engineers
must give back to the communities
theyre in and this Christmas, its
time we start doing so.
GineersNow would like to thank
everyone who has been with us
right from the very start. This has
been an incredible year for us and
we have a long way to go. Everyday,
we aim to deliver all of you amazing
stories that inspire and guide every
engineer in ones life. Everyday, we
search for news we can deliver to the
curious engineer. We couldnt make
it if it werent for your support.
Thank you!
Wishing you a very happy christmas
and an exciting new year ahead.
Heres to another year delivering you
kickass stories all over the globe. Its
going to be an exciting 2017!
CONTENTS
PAGE TITLE PAGE TITLE

06 42
COVER STORY TINITELL: GIVING CHILDREN
SOLIGHT: DELIVERING THE FREEDOM TO EXPLORE
LIGHT IN OUR HANDS THE OUTDOORS SAFELY

14 46
TECHNOLOGY WILL SAVE
THIS JUKEBOX GIVES US: SPARKING KIDS
KIDS A MAGICAL MUSICAL IMAGINATIONS AROUND THE
EXPERIENCE WORLD

20 THESE OBSOLETE DEVICES

WONT BE SAYING GOODBYE
JUST YET 52 A ONE-MAN TOY STARTUP
TO WATCH OUT FOR

21 AWESOME TOYS GET

RE-ENGINEERED 55 THIS MAY BE THE
WORLD'S SMALLEST
ARCADE CABINET

22 56
MEET THE ENGINEER WHO
APPYKIDS: CREATING SMART INSPIRED PHUNSUKH
FUN FOR EVERYONE WANGDUS CHARACTER IN 3
IDIOTS

26 59
THIS MODULAR DRONE ONE FOR ONE: BUY A TOMS
CAN TRANSFORM INTO PRODUCT AND HELP THE
DIFFERENT SHAPES LESS-FORTUNATE

28 60
AWESOME SHIELD: THE
AWESOME TOYS BUILT BY COOLEST HANDS-ON
ENGINEER DADS FOR THEIR CODING PROJECT FOR KIDS
KIDS AGED 10 TO 100

29 68
WHAT TO GIVE THE
ENGINEER AND THE NEVER LOSE SIGHT OF YOUR
UNFORTUNATE THIS KIDS USING THE DOKIWATCH
CHRISTMAS

32 72
IRONBOT: THE
WHY EVERYONE MUST ADVANCED TOY ROBOT
SUPPORT BUY ONE - GIVE THAT WILL MAKE
ONE PRODUCTS CHILDREN LEARN STEM

37 76
COOL CHRISTMAS
THE ENGINEERING BEHIND TREE DESIGNS FOR THE
SANTA'S SLEIGH CREATIVE ENGINEER

38 78
CHARITABLE COMPANIES
WHEN ENGINEER FATHERS ENGINEERS MUST KNOW
MAKE THE TOYS ABOUT THIS CHRISTMAS
COVER STORY

6 DECEMBER 2016
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
SOLIGHT: DELIVERING
LIGHT IN OUR HANDS
Solight Design provides sustainability in its lighting
products while supplying lights to those in need.

DECEMBER 2016
7
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
The consumption of fossil fuels
along with the pervasiveness
of extreme poverty in 90% of
the world has compromised
the well being of our climate,
ecology, economy, and safety.
Extreme poverty and climate
change are inextricably linked.
1.6 billion people live without
access to electricity and spend
up to 30% of their income on
kerosene to light their world
at night. This toxic fuel gives
off black carbon emissions,
compromising the health of the
worlds most vulnerable people
while adversely impacting our
environment, globally. In the
last 50 years there have been
200 species of animals that have
become extinct, which is in direct
correlation to the exponential
use of fossil fuels. Climate change
effects have also exacerbated
internal conflict in regions of
extreme poverty, indirectly
creating millions of refugees.
To provide solutions to these
problems, Solight Design
Founder Alice Min Soo Chun
invented the Solar Inflatable
light and the Solar Light Climate change effects
Assembly. Solights first product
called the SolarPuff, is the have also exacerbated internal
ideal solution for providing clean
and affordable lighting to those conflict in regions of extreme
living off the electrical grid
as well as for the ecofriendly poverty, indirectly creating
millions of refugees"
conscious in the First World. The
beauty and elegance of this
lantern has touted accolades
from MoMA, Modern Museum
of Art, the New York Times, and
most recently the 2017 German
Design Award for Lighting.
Arguably the SolarPuff is the
safest and most hygienic lantern
available.
SolarPuff is a patented
flat-pack solar light with an
adaptable, lightweight, and self-
inflating design that emits zero
carbon. The origami-inspired
design allows for the quick
pop-open function, resulting
in a magic unfolding cube of
light. There is no need to use
your mouth to inflate, since

the simple pull of the handles
allows air to fill the expandable
bladder in 2 seconds. Its Lithium-
ion Polymer battery is recharged
with a thin solar panel, so there is
no need for batteries. It charges
in approximately 8 hours, giving
light that lasts for 8 to 12 hours.
The SolarPuff is only 2.3 oz. and
flat packs to 0.25 in so there is
major cost savings in shipping.
You can fit 120 in a box vs 8 in
a box of conventional bulky hard
plastic lanterns. It is the perfect
solution for emergency relief
and refugees in plight, where the
most important things are food,
water, and light.
Solights CEO Alice Min Soo Chun
realized the need for alternative
solutions to harness energy after
the birth of her son, who had
severe asthma. The number of
children with asthma has been
increasing so rapidly, in NYC
alone; 1 out of 4 children have
asthma which is 40% higher
than the rest of the country.
The research shows pollution to
be the underlying cause. As a
species, the human gene pool
should not be changing this
soon, the reason has to be the
environment. With the knowledge
that solar energy is the most
efficient source of renewable
energy, Chuns research then
focused on innovations in
harvesting solar energy. While a
professor at Columbia University
Chun received a grant to develop
this research and started
experimenting with photo-
voltaics and thin film substrates.
At Columbia University in 2010,
in response to the devastating
Haiti earthquake, Professor
Chun turned her class into an
innovation studio to research
and design solutions to help
Haiti. Chun rightly pointed out
to her class that Haiti was really
a microcosm of the rest of the
world, the country. Haiti was and

8 DECEMBER 2016
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
 COVER STORY

DECEMBER 2016
9
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
 Burning kerosene
has harmful
health consequences
on humans as well
as devastation on
ecology"
still is only 12% electrified. Most
of the population was living on
3 dollars a day, and a quarter
of humanity was spending what
little money they had on deadly
kerosene to light their world
at night. It was in Professor
Chuns lab that the SolarPuff
and the inflatable solar light
were invented by Chun. Early
prototypes were more like an
inflatable pillow with a mouth
nozzle to inflate, but Chun
realized this was a dangerous
detail for regions of poverty
and for emergency response,
due to lack of sanitation, and
10 DECEMBER 2016
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
the eminent risk of Cholera
and Ebola spreading. She
continued improving the design
by eliminating the need for a
mouth nozzle by using a folded
method and finding the perfect
material, similar to sail cloth, that
was engineered for strength yet
soft enough to fold flat.
In 2010, she started a non-
profit with students called Focus
Architecture Art and Making,
FAARM. Early prototypes were
distributed in the plateau region
of Haiti and Chun was even
invited by the Clinton Foundation
for the Green Tech Expo, where
she had the opportunity to
present her invention to Bill
Clinton and Haitian President
Martelly. Chun then distributed
500 SolarPuff lanterns as part
of a pilot project. For 5 years,
FAARM measured the quality,
effectiveness, and demand for
good design in products for the
under privileged. She wrote a
book from the research called
Ground Rules in Humanitarian
Design, Wiley Press 2015.
Chun realized that in order to
get the SolarPuff product mass
produced, she had to build a for
profit company that could work
in tandem with FAARM. Today
Solight Design likes to call their
business a For-Purpose company.
Chun was joined by co-founder
Stacy Kelly who supported her
vision and Solight Design, Inc.
was officially established in 2014.
In December of 2015, Chun was
granted the Utility Patent for
the Solar Light Assembly and
has a Patent pending for Solar
Inflatable Light with a priority
date of 2010. Alice Chun is
literally on fire to change the
world one SolarPuff at a time.
She has become an unstoppable
voice in the global solar energy
community
Solights lantern distinguishes
itself from other solar lanterns
because of the belief that design
matters in the First world and
Third World. Solight Design
fosters the belief of SMART
DESIGN FOR ALL.
Most companies that sell to the
underserved communities make
products that are not designed
with beauty, wonder or awe in
mind. Solight believes design
matters and design provides
dignity to all people, no matter
your socio-economic status in the
world.
Solight manufactures and
distributes in 25 different
countries worldwide and is
working on micro-lending models
for distributors in regions of
need. This holistic model works
to empower and incentivize the
local community in creating and
sustaining revenue models that
 COVER STORY

DECEMBER 2016
11
Engineers Give Back This Christmas

eliminate the need for kerosene,
create economic independence
and grow and thrive with their
own governance.
The company motto is Together
We Hold the Sun in Our Hands.
Solight has created a giving
model, where 10% of retail sales
goes to their Non-profit Partner
FAARM working to bring clean,
hygienic light to regions of need.
Solight also donates a light to
FAARM automatically with every
12 DECEMBER 2016
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
sale of a 3 pack of the SolarPuff,
Solar Helix, or Merlin.
In partnership with FAARM, and
"world renowned" humanitarian,
Alison Thompson, who also leads
the global volunteer network,
Third Wave Volunteers that is
administered within FAARM,
Solight delivers SolarPuff to
"electricity poor" areas in need
and provides training, aid,
and kindness to marginalized
communities. Solight and FAARM
have a common commitment to
develop sustainable solutions to
improve conditions for vulnerable
communities around the world.
The result has co-benefits among
the Sustainable Development
Goals for health, biodiversity, and
energy security.
Burning kerosene has harmful
health consequences on humans
as well as devastation on ecology.
In India alone there are at least
30,000 documented house fires
each year. Kerosene lamps emit
270,000 tons of black carbon
per year world-wide, creating
climate warming equivalency
of close to 240 million tons of
CO2. According to the United
Nations Development Programme
UNDP, two million documented
children die each year due to
toxic kerosene fumes. New
research findings by Independent
Development Trust (IDT) as well
as reports by the UNDP in Sub-
Saharan Africa conclude that the
wide scale use of solar powered
lighting in rural communities
offers many benefits including:
positive health effects, enhanced
safety, significant cost and
time savings, and more school
homework completed by "children
a toxic free environment."
Building infrastructure would take
billions of dollars and years to
execute. People in rural areas
still would not be able to access
a grid. Many pillage the hillsides
for wood in order to cook and eat.
The ravaged land is an adverse
direct result and acerbates the
planets ability to cool green house
gases. Carbon emissions from light
bulbs connected to an electric grid
cause billions of tons of carbon
emissions in the United states
and Europe. Regular light bulbs
used every day, causes over 11
million tons of carbon emissions
per year. Solight through Chuns
inventions address and mitigate
these negative environmental
impacts that contribute to global
warming.
Solight takes the SDG, Sustainable
Development Goals established by
the United Nations, very seriously
and is working with the United
Nations, as well as other NGOs
such as Operation Blessings, to
mitigate negative environmental
impact caused by climate change
and poverty.
We all have the power to hold
the sun in our hands. Solights
solution is an ecosystem of smart
well designed individualized
infrastructure, local economic
development, and community
collaboration. It can all begin
with one light.
 COVER STORY

DECEMBER 2016
13
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
14 DECEMBER 2016
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
 THIS JUKEBOX
GIVES KIDS A
MAGICAL MUSICAL
EXPERIENCE
DECEMBER 2016
15
Engineers Give Back This Christmas

Photo by InfoMine
W hen we were young, we
explored the beauty of
listening to music using the
CDs we played on the disc
players we had. There were no
smartphones back then to easily
store a playlist and have easy
access to whatever songs we love
through the internet. The simple
pleasure of listening to music on
the radio was enough to keep us
entertained the whole day.
Though times are different now,
the important family bonding
of sharing the magic of music
to each and everyone in the
family is still important. This
is why Thodore Marescaux
designed a fun music player that
everybody can use wherever they
go, whenever they want - yep,
even the youngest member can
use it. Jooki is a fun figurine-
based music player that uses
16 DECEMBER 2016
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
figurines instead of a screen to
let its users choose what music
they want to hear from its high-
quality speakers. Its kid-proof
so parents no longer have to
worry about playing the wrong
songs or stories. Its definitely
a fun jukebox designed for the
youngest members of the family.
In this exclusive interview with
Thodore Marescaux, one of
the co-founders of MuuseLabs,
the company in-charge of Jooki,
he shares his story on how he
and his team developed Jooki,
the challenges they had to
go through for their startup
company and his advice on how
to mix engineering and business.
GN: Introduce yourself.
Marescaux: I guess I can be best
described as a European; French
citizen, born in Romania, living in
Belgium. The company is called
MuuseLabs, and the product is
called Jooki.
GN: How many years have you
been working in your industry?
Marescaux: I have started
my career as a researcher
at IMEC (Leuven, Belgium),
Europes largest independent
nanotechnology centre and did
a PhD in parallel at the TU/e
(Eindhoven, The Netherlands).
Then I did an MBA at Vlerick
(BeNeLuxs #1 biz school) to
re-orient my engineering career
to a more business and strategy
one. Then I joined Barco and
had an amazing ride as product
manager for digital cinema;
Barco is the worlds leader in
digital cinema projection.
GN: Describe your company
Marescaux: MuuseLabs is a tech
startup with three founders. My
co-founders Will (Moffat), an
ex-Googler, and Pieter (Palmers),
former team lead at Huawei, are
two amazing engineers. We have
Alan Munn as advisor, the former
CEO of Tomy in Europe. He has
also been a SVP at Hasbro and
has over forty years of experience
in the toy industry.
Right now, it is just the three of
us, based in Brussels, Belgium. We
are currently hiring to increase
the team. The first talent we are
looking for is a digital marketeer,
before further increasing the
engineering fire-power.
GN: Describe your mission, vision
and values.
Marescaux: We believe
technology is for everyone,
whatever their age and technical
qualifications are. But the
technology is there to make a
product truly magical, so we are
striving to hide the technology to
focus on the user experience. Our
focus is primarily on children, and
we believe in imaginative play as
a very powerful means to have
them excited and having fun
experimenting and learning. This
is one of the main reasons why
we want Jooki to be a screen-
less experience. Screens are too
cognitively-intensive and kids
end-up passively staring at them.
We want to use technology to
enhance the imaginative play
experience.
GN: Where is this company
headed? What are your future
expansion plans?
Marescaux: MuuseLabs is a
family tech company. On a short
term, we are preparing to launch
Jooki and expand/create a full
ecosystem around it over the
next few years. Our core is using
technology to spark the magic
enhancing imaginative play. On
a long term, I see MuuseLabs
continuing this trend to create a
real toys-to-life experience, with
deep AI to power holographic
and robotic kids companions,
who can share their play and
learn experience and create
bridges within the family to
encourage yet more interactions
with the parents.
GN: What do you think is the
future of the toy/gadget
industries?
Marescaux: I see the smart
gadget industry taking over a
significant portion of the more
traditional toy industry in the
coming years. The traditional
simple toys are here to stay, but I
see todays electronic toys being
disrupted with a new generation
of toys-to-life products.
GN: How will todays toys and
gadgets make a difference as
compared to the ones from the
past?
Marescaux: The best toys,
whether modern or traditional
are those who engage the
imaginative play in children,
those who spark the magic and
who can challenge the child.
Some of the recent tech toys and
gadgets are flashy and create a
magical experience, but this may
be short lived as they tend to be
too directive or limited and fail to
trigger that imaginative play.
Many toys are played with
only for a short period of time,
I believe a new generation of
smart gadgets is coming, a new
generation that can truly engage
as they adapt to the child and its
environment.
do not really have any other
GN: Which toy/gadget from your
childhood made an impact on
you while growing up?
Marescaux: Without any doubt
that would be Lego, but this was
for the more simple bricks that
one would want to combine and
create own universes. Nowadays
this has been shifting away from
the imaginative play with very
dedicated sets where one has to
follow guides step-by-step.
GN: Whats the inspiration
behind your products?
Marescaux: Jooki comes from
a personal need. When my
eldest daughter was three, she
asked me to play a song for her
(Queens - We will rock you :)). We
dont use CDs anymore, so I had
to find that song on my mobile
phone. Then she wanted me to
play over and over again. Since
I didnt want her to have my
phone, I realised kids nowadays
company are pursuing?
options to truly listen to music &
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
stories. So I set to create a system
where she could experiment with
music and stories independently
and screen-free. Jooki is much
more than a simple jukebox,
it is a truly connected object
and we are developing it to be
a kids companion to enhance
imaginative play, but this is
where it all started.
GN: Which group is your target
market and why?
Marescaux: We are starting
with 3-12 year olds as this is the
initial target for Jooki, but we
have many ideas for a broader
audience. There are so many
opportunities to make our lives
more enjoyable and magical
while fostering imagination and
sharing in the family.
GN: What are the future
innovations that you and your
Marescaux: The very first step
DECEMBER 2016
17
is to make Jooki available for all.
But without revealing too much,
we are looking how to augment
the experience with content
and a whole smart peripherals
ecosystem.
GN: Do you think your product
has made an impact on your
costumers and in your industry?
Marescaux: As we speak, we
have been running a Kickstarter
campaign and the product is still
in its industrialisation process
to be delivered in June 2017.
The reactions we see from
our backers on Kickstarter are
really enthusiastic with people
telling us that we are filling
a true gap in the market. We
also have regular basis public
demonstrations and tests, it is
very rewarding to see both adults
and children experiencing Jooki,
their reactions of surprise and joy
are a real treat. What people like
most are the independence and
18 DECEMBER 2016
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
screen-free aspects.
GN: Where do you see your
products heading 10 years from
now?
Marescaux: I see toys-to-life
products where technology is
present but hidden to enhance
imaginative play. Deep AI
companions are certainly one of
the elements in transforming the
way imaginative play is led.
GN: What makes your toy/
gadget/product different from
your competitors?
Marescaux: Jooki is unique. It
is the only 21st century music
player that is kids-appropriate.
GN: What challenges did your
company face while developing
your product?
Marescaux: Starting a hardware
company is easier than ever before
from a technical standpoint, but
it is still a challenge as most
investors do not yet understand
them. In Belgium, the norm
for tech startups is to be a B2B
software startup. As a B2C
hardware company we are a real
UFO. This made it tougher to
start and convince people, but it
is now turning to our advantage -
as we are unique.
Another challenge was to address
the market, the toy industry is still
quite traditional and the more
advanced consumer electronics
/ gadgets do not yet fit well in
that box. We ended up planning
distribution in the consumer
electronics industry, and that
was fine. As a startup you need
to find a fine balance between
attempting radical disruption
and moulding yourself to the
existing industry. You are likely
too small to disrupt a big industry
on your own, and you cant either
100% play by its rules because
you dont have a competitive
advantage.
Finally, striking the right balance
between functionality and
product cost is not only difficult,
but also critical to business
success.
GN: How did your company
overcome these challenges?
Marescaux: The answer is not
engineering, but MARKETING
By creating the visual support
for our product (the industrial
design and prototypes) together
with the story we could convince
people to follow us and help us
out. The Kickstarter campaign
has been a fantastic tool to get
engagement and build credibility.
Finding the right distribution
channel for our product has also
been key. Different channels can
have very different cost structures
and business implications.
ADVICE TO THE YOUNG
ENGINEERS
Marescaux: First of all, go for
it! Building products and sharing
them with the world is a lot of
fun and it is very rewarding to
see your creations on the shelves
in shops. As an engineer, you
have an advantage in that you
understand technology and can
imagine how to build creative
products. The maker movement
is also making this easier than
ever. At the same time, be aware
of some of the biases that
engineers tend to have and focus
on those first before jumping to
hack a product together.
Who are you making this product
for? What unique benefit is it
bringing to them? What else
could they use instead and why is
your offering significantly better?
Why will they want to buy it from
you? How will they know about
it? How many people will want to
buy? How many will you sell?

If you are planning a hardware

product, be aware that there
are many knowledgeable
manufacturers in the world. They
will greatly help you create and
industrialise your products. They
will not help you invent your
product: you will have to specify
what it does (and to some extent
how it does it, as well as how
it looks (the industrial design),
but they will definitely help you
in creating prototypes including
as much of the electronics,
software and mechanical design
as you want. You probably want
them to do the DFM (design for
manufacturing) part. They have
experience and often access to
components you do not even
know about. Do not hesitate to
reach out to manufacturers early
on.
Last but not the least, you are not
on your own. There are several
hardware startup hubs and
accelerators that can help. Check
out the HardwareClub, Bolt, HAX
and others they even have freely
accessible resources on the web!

DECEMBER 2016
19
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
 THESE OBSOLETE DEVICES
WONT BE SAYING
GOODBYE JUST YET
Everything around the world is
getting an upgrade, yet why are
these obsolete tech still laying
around? Heres a list of a few
technological predecessors that
refuse to kick the bucket.
1. Vinyl Records
These things have been here for
ages but since gramophones
are being modernized till today,
its not going to go anywhere
anytime soon.
Photo by GoodWp
2. Beepers
Most of you probably think just
having a cellphone is better but
doctors find that these are the
only communication devices that
can penetrate thick hospital walls
Photo by DaysofaDomesticDad
20 DECEMBER 2016
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
3. Floppy disks
Kids from the 80s and 90s still
remember the need of floppy
disks to play games but only the
US Military has use of them now.
Photo by RecycleNation
4. Fax machines
Emails and Facebook seem more
convenient but there are still a lot
of corporate offices that require
you to fax in information rather
than email it.
Photo by Wikipedia
5. Cassettes
Casse-what? you might ask, but
even though kids do not know
the correlation between this and
a pencil, some prison facilities
still do.
Photo by PutItOnVideo
6. Windows XP
A lot of people have died
inside when the famous
operating systems updates got
discontinued, but the US Navy is
still paying to get extra updates
on the software.
Photo by Softonic
7. Checkbooks
While not really tech, we can all
agree that this is already a little
too outdated with the presence
of online banking some people
from the US still have use for this
piece of paper.
Photo by wiseGEEK
are some better alternatives to
8. Travel agents
Again, not tech, but they are
getting obsolete with websites
like Expedia or TripAdvisor
available for the masses but
business travelers and non-tech
savvy people still use them for
planning complicated trips.
Photo by FredericGonzalo
9. Dot matrix printers
This is the old and noisier version
of the printers that we have today
and if you think theyre gone,
airlines, distribution companies,
and kitchen workers are still using
them today.
Photo by Aux.tv
Though you may thing that there
these old tech, people who use
them beg to differ. There are just
some things you cant shake off
just to stay ahead of the times.
AWESOME
TOYS
GET RE-
ENGINEERED
Are toys just for kids? Well
not if you add lasers, high-
definition cameras and
programmed chips!
These DIY guys werent
satisfied with their average
toys, so they vamped them
up using other gadgets and
gizmos.
Here are 3 hacked toys that
will amaze you.
DIY Death Ray Drone
This Attacknid, a spider-robot,
was toy-hacked by Drake
Anthony, also known as The
DIY Laser Guy. With his alias,
you can guess what kind of
hack he did with this toy
yep, he added a laser to it. But
thats not the only feature he
added, he also integrated his
old digital camera and radio
transmitter to the Attacknid,
so that he would be able to
aim and fire from another
room. Whoa!
LEGO Laser Gun
David Neese has a lot of
videos featuring his Lego-
based robots. Here, he used
Legos to build a laser gun
that I bet kids, (and kids at
heart) would want to get
their hands on! He installed
Photo by Gearburn
three motors: the first one
to turn the laser on and off,
another motor to guide the
up and down movement of
the laser and the third one
to drive a turntable. With
some awesome programming
on his toy, he was able to
use his Lego Laser Gun to
carve LEGO onto a wooden
surface.
Nerf Sentry Gun
Jason Wright and Jeremy
Blum are students who Photo by Youtube
created the Nerf Sentry Gun
as a final project for their
Cornell Universitys CS1114
MATLAB Robotics class. They
created and programmed
a Nerf Gun that reacts to
motion, ask for credentials
and then fire foam darts to
students who left their IDs at
home. They mounted a Nerf
Vulcan automated rifle above
a motor which is secured by
two napkin holders, and used
a MOSFET to act as a trigger
mechanism. The gun is then
connected to their computer
through a digital I/O device
via USB.
Photo by Hackaday
DECEMBER 2016
21
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
APPYKIDS: CREATING
SMART FUN FOR
EVERYONE

22 DECEMBER 2016
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
Designing for the future, and How big is your company?
creating high-quality, innovative We are a team of 14 people
edutainment content for young based in the UAE and India.
children around the world. Describe your mission, vision and We will see
In our technological world values.
today, everything is becoming Our mission is to create Smart technologies like AR
smarterfrom smartphones, Fun for Everyone. Designing for
Virtual Reality gadgets, the future, creating high quality and VR playing a
wearables, and many more. All innovative edutainment content
these tech are being developed for young children around the big role in creating
and improved everyday to help world.
us perform different tasks faster Where is this company headed? new experiences for
and more efficient. For children What are your future expansion
however, tech is usually used just plans? Describe briefly your
for fun and entertainment. strategic goals.
children"
This is why a company named Our strategic goal is to create a
AppyKids wants to merge the 360 degree edutainment solution
entertainment side of technology that connects with children at
with education. By doing so, every touch point. We started
children will be able to play and with apps, but are growing our
learn at the same time. library to cover key sectors such
GineersNow conducted an as education, entertainment and
exclusive interview with Dinesh retail.
Lalvani, the founder and CEO of
AppyKids. INTRODUCTION
What do you think is the future of
THE COMPANY the toy/gadget industries?
AppyKids was founded in 2013. I think we will see a proliferation
We are a team of game designers, of smart toys that help children
illustrators, writers, musicians, play and learn. We will see
filmmakers and developers technologies like AR and VR
who work with distinguished playing a big role in creating
educational technologists and new experiences for children.
teachers to create high quality We will also see more AI being
innovative edutainment content used in toys that try to read
for young children around the and understand the child so
world. theyre responding to the child in
We have released a total of more customized ways, to keep
sixteen interactive apps, which the child engaged and happy.
have over 3 million downloads Traditional, tactile toys made
with 375,000 monthly active from wood and cloth will always
users. Two of our apps have been find a place with the little ones.
awarded as Apple Best of App Were hoping there will be less
winners. plastic in the toys of the future.
We recently launched the How will todays toys and
AppyKids Play School Smart gadgets make a difference as
Kit and App, a fun interactive compared to the ones from the
educational toy that bridges past?
the best of digital and physical Toys that use smart technology
play to offer an entertaining and are interactive. So there is an
immersive learning experience input-response mechanism
for children. Our Play School App which gives the child immediate
just won the Broadcast Pro App feedback. These technologies
of the Year award. We were also are getting smarter, which allows
awarded a Forbes Middle East makers to deliver truly unique
Most Promising Startup Award in products to children. Toy makers
October 2016. have a greater responsibility to
be more aware of what is good
Our company has a board for children. Customization in
which oversees company affairs, toys is gaining popularity and will
corporate governance and continue to define production in
investor relations. the future.

DECEMBER 2016
23
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
Which toy/gadget from your
childhood made an impact on
you while growing up?
It wasn't as much a toy, but
a computer that had the most
impact on me when I was a
child. My first computer was
the Commodore 64. It was on
this machine that I learned to
program and design. I was always
fascinated with how you can use
technology to create art from a
very early age. true especially for children at this
THE PRODUCT What are the future innovations
Whats the inspiration behind
your products? How did you
come up with these ideas?
Our inspiration will always be
our kids. They guide the creation
process by showing us what kind
of products they would enjoy.
As a company, we have built
a reputation for creating high
quality products for children,
notably our apps and cartoons.
At one point, we thought, why
not merge the two? The AppyKids
Play School Smart Kit is a product
of this merger.
Which group is your target
market and why?
Our target audience is children
24 DECEMBER 2016
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
between the ages of 3-6. We
believe this age bracket is the
most important and sensitive
in a childs life because brain
development happens at its most
rapid rate between these ages. If
we pay attention to what children
learn between these ages, it can
make a huge impact to their
overall development. We believe
every child deserves only the best
quality products, and this holds
age.
that you or your company are
pursuing?
We already have a pipeline of
smart products that help children
write, learn and play music and
improve their cognitive and
problem solving skills. We want to
merge cutting edge technology
with traditional learning methods
to help children learn and play
better.
Do you think your product
has made an impact on your
customers and in your industry? invest in educating parents about product and your abilities. Never
Its still too early to tell, but the
initial feedback from parents
and teachers has been extremely
positive and exciting. We hope
more kids will be able to benefit these challenges?
from all the work weve put into By tweaking our internal processes
this product. as we were experiencing them. We
Where do you see your products remained as agile as possible, so we
heading 10 years from now? were quick to respond to glitches.
We aim to make toys smarter and We got excellent people hired on
also offer a range of products to the ground in China who would
children so that all their senses be as driven to ensure quality as
are engaged well. we are. Our marketing team has
What makes your toy/gadget/ been doing an amazing job with
product different from your reaching out to the community
competitors? and educating them about the
Our approach to education; our product. Our retailers have been
attention to detail; our in-house, our biggest supporters and have
cloud-based technology; and our helped in getting the word about
love for storytelling, all combine the product out into the market.
well to offer a compelling
product.
ADVICE TO THE YOUNG
THE CHALLENGES & ENGINEERS
SOLUTIONS Please give advice and words of
What challenges did your wisdom to millennial engineers who
companies face while developing want to start their own companies
your product? and develop their own products as
Our main challenge was well. Any inspiring words that you
manufacturing. Getting this done can share?
in China while operating in Dubai Dont be afraid to fail. Take risks.
was a big task. We also had to The main thing is to believe in your
our product as learning through chase money, if you do a good
Augmented Reality (AR) is still a job it finds its way to you. Always
relatively new concept. innovate, dont emulate and most
How did your company overcome importantly, dont give up.
Dinesh Lalvani, the founder and CEO of AppyKids, was
born in the beautiful city of Dubai. He has an eclectic set
of skills including being an entrepreneur, coder, musician,
designer, photographer and father. Its this last skill
that has driven the vision for creating AppyKids, which
is to create fun content that will educate, entertain and
empower children.
Lalvani has been coding since the age of 12 and has over
20 years of experience. Prior to founding AppyKids, he
founded Flip Media which grew from a team of 2 people
to Middle Easts largest digital agency employing over
150 professionals across the UAE and India. Flip was
acquired by The Publicis Groupe in January 2012.
It was in late 2012 that Lalvani began to develop
childrens edutainment apps. It all started when he was
searching for an app that could teach his son the Hindi
language, but couldnt find anything good on the app
stores. AppyKids soon grew from there.

DECEMBER 2016
25
Engineers Give Back This Christmas

THIS MODULAR DRONE
CAN TRANSFORM INTO
DIFFERENT SHAPES
Photo by TheVerge
26 DECEMBER 2016
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
If youre the type of person who
loves designing gizmos as much
as playing around with one, then
this new drone by Makeblock
is the right toy for you!
Makeblock has created a
unique modular Lego-like
drone, wherein you can build
everythinga drone, a hovercraft,
or anything that crosses your
mind. They call this the Airblock.
The Airblock is meant to be easily
constructed and deconstructed,
and its easily flown as well. It
has eight modular pieces which
can be turned into wheels, a
ws
er tNe
AV Exp
yU
to b
Pho
flyer, as well as a cup holder.
This drone is controlled via
Bluetooth, and is designed to
be easy to use. Their designs are
open-sourced as well, so all you
design aficionados can create
your own hardware around the
Airblock as well! Imagine all
the designs and new projects
you could do with this drone.
The possibilities are endless!
They plan to sell their drone at
a retail price of $149.
GET READY FOR NINTENDO
SWITCH: NINTENDOS NEW
GAMING CONSOLE
If youre a gamer, youve probably
heard a lot of rumors about
Nintendos next home gaming
system. Well, its here! Theyve
named it the Nintendo Switch.
Nintendo recently released preview
trailer of the Nintendo Switch, for
viewers to have a first look at the
new gadget. Previously codenamed
the NX, the Nintendo Switch was
already being worked on last March
2015, but it is only now that
theyve shown the world a
glimpse.
The system looks like a home
console or a portable console
hybrid. It has a controller that
connects to your TV for home
use, and you can slide off the
controllers sides and attach it to
the portable display so you can
play on the go as well.
Photo by Polygon
You can also share a portable
display with friends! After all,
no gaming console is complete
without multiplayer access! You
and your friend can use the Joy
Con which can slide off the
portable consoleor your friend
can bring his own. Nintendo
said that you can bring multiple
Nintendo Switch units together if
everyone wants their own screen.
DECEMBER 2016
27
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
AWESOME TOYS BUILT
BY ENGINEER DADS FOR
THEIR KIDS
Having an engineer for a dad GoodNite Lite
has a lot of awesome perks, Former software developer Adam
they can help you with all your Nelson created the GoodNite Lite,
math homework, and you get a device that teaches children
to learn nifty engineering tricks to have proper sleeping routines.
from them. But one of the best Parents set the times on the light
perks of having an engineering to reflect night and day.
dad is that they get to create
awesome toys for you. Here are
some awesome toys made by
Photo by GoodHousekeeping
engineering dads:

Photo by bunchoballoons

Bunch O Balloons
Filling water balloons is a tedious task,
since you have to fill them up individually.
Mechanical engineer Josh Malone has Photo by Foodiggity
devised a solution for this task. He created Pangraph
Bunch O Balloons, which easily attaches Nathan Shields is a math teacher
to your garden hose and fills 100 empty and father of two who created
balloons simultaneously in around 1 the Pangraph. The Pangraph is a
minute. spirograph that lets users create
works of art with pancake batter.

MacRide
Glen Dobson is an engineer and
mountain biker who found a safer
way to include his two young Photo by YouTube
children in his outdoor escapades.
He created a lightweight, front-
mounted bike seat for children.

MorpHex
Kre Halvorsen is a Norwegian
engineer and robotics hobbyist.
He created the Morphex, a
hexapod robot. This toy looks
like a sphere and is fastest when
Photo by MerkaBici
rolling, but has siz legs that helps
it walk.

28 DECEMBER 2016
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
WHAT TO GIVE THE
ENGINEER AND
THE UNFORTUNATE
THIS CHRISTMAS
Here are some awesome gift ideas for your
beloved engineer and some tips on how to
give gifts to the unfortunate.
by Cielo Panda
The time for giving draws
near as the yuletide season
comes upon us. While
not all of us celebrate
Christmas, its not all that
bad to receive gifts from
people close to you. But
if youre in the giving side, this might be a
spirit this holiday season,
particularly towards an
engineer, here are some
ideas on what you can get
for your beloved this year.
Robotic Arm Edge
This gadget-slash-toy is
one of the best thing you
can get for a gearhead
this season. Its freely
controllable and is a joy
to play with. Any engineer
would be glad to get
their hands on a tool like
this, especially if they
love to do robotics. An
excellent choice for young
enthusiasts and adults
that are still kids at heart.
Photo by amazon
Math Formula Tie
If your engineer is leaning
towards the corporate
the presents you get and
better option. This geeky,
blueprint-style necktie
is chuck full of formulas
that only nerds would
understand. A tie like
this might just become
a special gift to your
math-inclined friend. This
is a great choice for a
professor, or an engineer
working in an office-based
environment.
Photo by uncommongoods
Metal Inkless Pen
This is an awesome gift
for both engineers and
astronauts alike. The point
that it doesnt need ink
is a good enough reason
to get it. But we know
engineers like to explain
how stuff work, so its good
as a conversation starter as
well. And need we say how
cool this thing is?
Photo by cmzone
Photo by amazon
Mini Weapons of Mass
Destruction: Build
Implements of Spitball
Warfare
We all know engineers love
to tinker with stuff and this
book lets them do just that. Volunteer!
This book contains guides No, were not talking
on how to build miniature about volunteering as
weapons out of ordinary tribute, were talking
everyday items. Darts, about real volunteer work.
catapults, minibombs, Simply helping out in food
slingshots; you name it, its assistance programs can
in there. Engineers will have do so much for our less
loads of fun with this one. fortunate friends. Not only
Great for office warfare. does it bring warmth to
their stomach, it brings
Dont let it end at just warmth to your heart
giving to friends as well. You can reach
Its easy to get lost in the out to your local service
Christmas spirit, with all organizations to see what
you can do to help.
all. Its also easy to forget Photo by hswstatic
that not everyone is lucky
when it comes to life. There
are some people who dont
even have food on their
plates this time of year. So
if youre really in the giving
spirit, why not spread some
love to our less fortunate
brothers and sisters, too?
To get you in the right
track, weve also included
some ideas to help you do Start a fundraiser
just that. If you want to be able to
generate some funds for a
charity youre supporting,
why not start a fundraiser?
You can teach kids basic
courses for a fee and give
the proceeds to a charitable
institution. Coding, STEM,
Art, you name it! Youre
Donate old books and in charge! Youre not just
toys to charity helping the less fortunate,
Giving away preloved youre also helping young
toys that you or your kids people dive into science
dont play with anymore and technology.
can bring smiles to the less Photo by blogspot
fortunate. There are plenty
charity organizations that
take in old toys to give to
childrens shelters and local
shelters. If you dont have
any old toys lying around,
then ask an engineer friend
to make one for you.
Photo by moneycrashers
DECEMBER 2016
29
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
6 GADGETS
If theres one certain toy every engineer as a child loved
to play with, Ill bet its building things using LEGO bricks.
When we play with LEGO, anything we plan to build are
limited only by our imaginations. From a rocket ship to a

MADE FROM
bulldozer, from a simple robot to a skyscraper. While, our
creations as children werent able to really do much, we
were content with the simple joys of being able to create
our first designs as young engineers.

LEGO BRICKS
Now, we would like to show you some awesome creations
made from our once cherished toys. These creations will
bring you back to your childhood days and show you that
its possible to create almost anything if you just put your
mind into it.

The working LEGO camera

This creation is a camera
that was created to capture
indelible images. Cary
Norton, an Alabama-based
photographer built this
working 127mm f4.7 camera
by using LEGOs Digital
Designer application.

The working LEGO printer

Some years ago, a 14-year-
old boy designed this working
LEGO printer which moves a
pen to write drawings and
text. Its called the LEGO
Mindstorms NXT printer, or
PriNXT.

The Prosthetic arm that gives

kids LEGO abilities
Carlos Arturo, a former LEGO
intern, developed the IKO
prosthetic arm. It was made
especially for children, so they
can create custom-built limbs.
Torres was inspired by his
childhood in Colombia, where
many children lost their limbs
during armed conflicts.

30 DECEMBER 2016
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
 The DIY LEGO 3D printer
The LEGObot 3D printer was
created by Matthew Kreuger.
This is the LEGO version of
the Makerbot, an inexpensive
NXT-powered printer.

LEGO's Musical Beatboards

This year, LEGO will be
launching a new line called
Beatboards, wherein anyone
can use LEGO bricks to create
original musical compositions.
Touch sensors are built into
the baseplate and it registers
the resistance formed under
the weight of the LEGO bricks
and turns those messages
into sound.

The PancakeBot
This clever invention uses
pancake batter to draw onto
a sizzling griddle. It can create
any elaborate shape you want.
Youll never see pancakes the
same way again.

DECEMBER 2016
31
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
WHY EVERYONE MUST
SUPPORT BUY ONE -
GIVE ONE PRODUCTS
This Christmas, its quite
common for all of us to rush
into malls to buy gifts for loved
ones and friends. When doing
so, we pick out what seems
like something they would
be glad enough to have. But
did you know that there are
stores - specific companies
- that have a buying concept
such as buy one - give one? If
youre not familiar with this
concept, its when you buy
a product and the company
youre buying it from would
give the same product to
someone in need.
If you really think about it,
doing so allows you to do good
in this world where everything
is filled with bad news. These
companies that follow a
buy one - give one concept
give out their products with
every purchase you make
to homeless people, shelter
animals, poor communities
and other charities. TOMS,
Out of Print, Better World
Books, The Company Store
and WeWood are among
some of the companies that
are dedicated in helping
those who are in need in
different communities.
These companies have been
doing this for some time
already, and so far, its been
a successful attempt to earn
and help as well.
The buy one - give one concept
has had good effects on several
communities. For example,
TOMS have donated shoes
32 DECEMBER 2016
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
to different communities for
all the purchases made by
its customers. In doing so,
the company reports that
over 2 million children were
protected from hookworm
with the medication and
TOMS Shoes theyve
received. Several children
were identified to be needing
malnutrition care from the
shoe-integrated health
screenings in Malawi.
Enrollment in schools in
Liberia increased after the
TOMS Shoe distribution
program began.
So it doesnt really take too
much effort to convince
people why everyone of us
needs to support buy one-
give one products. By helping
the people around us, the
good deed goes a long way.
We may not directly see how
it can affect someones life
but it does. This Christmas,
all it takes for us to help
is know which companies
follow the buy one - give one
concept and buy products we
like from them. Not only will
you be able to make a loved
one happy, you could also
help those in need even if
you dont know them.
Christmas is, after all, a
season of giving and sharing.
For anyone out there with
extra money to spend,
support these companies and
their noble pursuit of helping
everyone in need.
AN ENGINEER'S
GUIDE ON
CHRISTMAS
SHOPPING AND
GIVING BACK
Here are some tips on how to do your
Christmas shopping wisely.
by Cielo Panda
The season for gift giving, holiday win-win situation. If youre not
cheer, and long vacation is finally confident in making stuff on your
here! Its also time for Christmas own, there are a lot of tutorials
shopping. With all the presents on the internet to help you out.
youre buying, its very easy to When in doubt, Google it out.
deplete your cash reserves. So
here are some tips on how you Buy early
can do your Christmas shopping
wisely. People often think of buying
presents during a holiday sale,
Plan ahead, seriously but that isnt always the best way
to go. Sometimes, youll come
Just hopping into a shopping across items which would make
center without a plan of some sort excellent holiday gifts when
can lead you to spend excessively. you least expect it. If you see a
If you dont know what to buy promising item in the middle of
for a specific person, dont buy the year, dont wait too long to
anything, yet. Its very helpful get it. Buying presents early will
to write gift ideas down on a help in cutting down your holiday
list tied with a specific budget. spending and also remove names
This way, youll easily be able to from your list.
monitor how much youre willing
to spend thus reducing the risk of Last-minute buying
overspending.
This is only applicable for
Do some Googling online buyers. Some companies
completely remove their shipping
Not all good deals are found costs the closer Christmas day
in stores, some are just waiting approaches. You can also do some
to be found online. Checking research on retailers that do not
for prices online can help in charge shipping if you exceed a
your planning, which can help specific amount. This way, you
lower your spending. Sales like wont be forced to do some last
Cyber Monday that happen after minute shopping but still save on
Thanksgiving are good sources shipping fees.
of more affordable items for your
holiday gifts. Its also great to do
some product research before
buying. This allows you to sort
out the good deals from the not.
Do it yourself
Every thrifty shopper knows
that a gift made by hand is light
on the pockets. If you think you
have the crafty skill to create
gifts on your own, do it. For
some people, handmade gifts are
more heartfelt, so its basically a

Nobody knows where the first
Christmas tree was made. Its
origins are traced long before
the advent of Christianity,
where plants and trees that
are green always had a special
meaning.
It was only in the 1890s that
Christmas ornaments grew
in Germany as accessories to
the celebration of the birth of
Christ. At the time, Christmas
trees are still getting popular
in the United States, which
reach from floor to ceiling;
and in Europe with only small
trees about four feet in height.
During the early years of
the 20th century, Christmas
trees were decorated with
different designs. In America,
they were placed mostly with
homemade ornaments. The
German-American sect used
apples, nuts, and marzipan
cookies to enhance their
Christmas trees.
Photo by Dyson
Photo by Envirotect
In no time, electricity was
introduced to the tree. The
bright lights made Christmas
tree glow, completely
redefining the ornament.
That was the start of the
flourish of the famous
tree. It began to appear in
town squares and plazas
all over the world, which
already became a December
tradition.
Since then, the Christmas
tree has been updated so
little. Its still the same
evergreen but with the
varying colors, heights,
and decors. The farthest
innovation it got was it was
stuck to the ceiling which
made the tree in reverse.
Not until Dyson, a British
technology company that
designs and manufactures
vacuum cleaners, hand
dryers, bladeless fans, and
heaters, have developed an
WORLDS MOST
ENGINEERED
CHRISTMAS
TREE
It has floating decorations!
by Dion Greg Reyes
engineered Christmas tree
in 2015 that is out of the
ordinary.
Before it got to the
firms reception area at
Dyson's headquarters in
Malmesbury, Wiltshire in
the UK, the 12-foot futuristic
Christmas tree was worked
on by their eight researchers
and designers. It was
applied with aspects of
Dyson technology and used
the Bernoullis principle in
fluid mechanics.
The base of the tree is
composed of transparent
hoover tubes, while the body
consists of nine hovering
ornaments floating in the
air. It has tubes which use
jets of wind to have the
foam decors suspend in mid-
air this is possible because
of the said engineering
principle.
A senior fluid dynamics
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
engineer at Dyson explains,
The tree uses Bernoulli's
principle to suspend
baubles at the end of
the tree branches. Swiss
scientist Daniel Bernoulli
demonstrated that, in most
cases, the pressure in a liquid
or gas decreases as it moves
faster, this is why the baubles
[stay] suspended in the air.
The Christmas tree is not
complete without its star.
Its designers had made a
yellow foam ball ornament
atop the tree.
The worlds most engineered
tree was not made overnight.
Its creators said it took a
month of creating the Dyson
tree, with multiple iterations
along the way before
arriving to the final design.
They had to consider a lot
of factors including fluid
dynamics, acoustics and
model making.
DECEMBER 2016
33
GRUSH: THE SMART
TOOTHBRUSH THAT MAKE
KIDS BRUSH MORE
Tooth decay is the most
notorious chronic disease. It
even tops asthma and early
obesity. This is due to the
struggle that parents and
dentists have when it comes
to convincing the little ones
to brush at least twice a day.
Well, those problems are no
more with Grush, winner of
Americas Greatest Makers,
who won the $1 million prize
money on the show created
by Intel and TBS.
So, what differentiates this
smart toothbrush from any
other toothbrush out there?
34 DECEMBER 2016
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
you may ask. The Grush
enables children to get goals
with brushing by allowing
them to immerse in real-time
brushing games that appear
on their Android or iOS
device. A fun experience will
create a good environment
for kids to enjoy brushing on
their own time.
There are currently 3 games
on the system for your kids
to choose from: Monster
Chase, Toothy Orchestra,
and Brush-a-Pet, all of which
are guaranteed to get your
kids brushing.
Photo by Readwrite
ES
FIRE SOME
SNOWBALLS
USING THIS
CUSTOM TOY
MACHINE
GUN
Some former NASA employees
have left the engineering part
on their jobs and just live their
lives like normal people (Im
not saying NASA engineers
are not normal on the job).
But when one is bored on a
winter family vacation, why not
use the engineering curiosity
into something fun? Like a
snowball-firing machine?
This is what exactly happened
to engineer Mark Rober, who
realized that making and
throwing snowballs with hands
might be a little too imperfect.
So he, together with his brother
during the vacation, devised
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
Photo by Youtube
a machine that will make it
easier for snowball fights.
Using only a leaf-blower and
a plastic pipe the brothers got
from a hardware store, they
produced a snowball machine
gun that can fire 13 snowballs
in just half a second. The toy
gun can be loaded with 15
snowballs at a time into the
magazine, with a trigger that
can control the snowball
shooting airflow either hard
or soft.
Who says the uncles cannot
have some fun on winter
vacation? Definitely not Mark
Rober and his brother.
DECEMBER 2016
35
 ENGINEERS DID
THE MATH: SANTA
CLAUS IS NOT
Sorry for ruining your Christmas, kids.
REAL
by Dion Reyes

Photo by weknowyourdreams

Its the most wonderful time of
the year!
December is just right around the
corner and everyone is excited to
experience the joy and warmth
of Christmas again. People are
coming home to their families,
lighting up their houses with
decors, exchanging gifts, and
sharing their blessings. Perhaps
this is the perfect time for
everyone to relax after a years
work.
But not for Santa Claus. This only
means that he should be working
again in the North Pole with his
reindeers mostly for the kids who
are expecting him. All for the
spirit of Christmas to be alive
among the young ones.
While most of us have entertained
the belief that Santa Claus is
just a figment of our imagination
(kids, sorry for ruining that),
engineers have further provided
mathematical proofs here and
there that the non-religious
Christmas poster boy is just
impossible. Or in this dimension
of the universe, at least.
Here are the conclusions that
engineers have made when they
think too much about Christmas:
The total number of children in
the world is about 2 billion. Given
that Santa only takes care of
the Christians, this eliminates
the Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist,
and Jewish children in his list,
leaving 15% of the total children
population, which is more or less
378 million. On average, there are
3.5 children per household. There
are approximately 8 million
homes in all. Lets settle with the
notion that there is at least one
good child in each.
Reindeers do not have the
capacity to fly. There are no
reports that one of their species
can be in mid-air. Perhaps only
Santa has seen one and the
rest of the world hasnt. Science
says that Rudolph the red-nosed
reindeer is fake.
Assuming Santa travels from east
to west, this gives him 7 more
hours to work with thanks to time
zones and the rotation of the
Earth. This means that he has
822.6 visits per second, giving
Santa 1/1000th of a second
to do the job in each Christian
household having a good kid.
Doing this includes parking,
hopping out the sleigh, jumping
down the chimney, filling the
stockings, leaving the gifts
under the tree, going out, and
proceeding to the next house.
Lets say that each of these 91.8
million homes are distributed
evenly, the houses will be 0.78
miles per household. This gives
Santa a total trip of 75 1/2
million miles thats without the
bathroom breaks.
Given these conditions, Santas
sleigh should be traveling at 650
miles per second to cater to all
the good Christian children in
the world. Thats but 3,000 times
the speed of sound. An average
reindeer only runs at 0.00416667
mph. No human and reindeer has
ever hacked time.
Apart from the travel times of
Santa, his sleighs payload is just
as controversial.
Say the average weight of gift
to a child is medium-sized legos
weighing 2 pounds. The sleigh
should be carrying 321,300 tons
for the gifts, not counting the
overweight Santa.
A reindeer can only pull no more
than 300 pounds. Assuming that
the flying reindeer could pull 10
times their usual capacity, Santa
will need 214,000 reindeers in all.
This is an incredible weight for
the reindeers to drag 353,430
tons including them more so fly
the gifts to the households.
That massive total weight creates
a huge air resistance, which
is comparable with the heat
whenever a spacecraft re-enters
into the Earths atmosphere. The
reindeers that lead the bunch
have to absorb 14.2 quintillion
joules of energy per second each.
Just imagine that. This ridiculous
energy moves to the next pair,
unto the next, and until the last
because laws of physics say they
have to combust spontaneously
with that amount of heat. In just
4.26 thousands of a second, this
can happen.
As with Santa while in mid-air,
he is subjected to centrifugal
forces 17,500.06 times the force
of gravity. Granting that Santa
is 300 pounds, he might just be
hammered to the back of his
sleigh by 4,315,015 pounds of
force.

36 DECEMBER 2016
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
THE ENGINEERING BEHIND
SANTA'S SLEIGH
If Santa were real, then what would his sled be like according to an engineer?
by Cielo Panda
On Christmas Eve, millions of children
all over the globe who believe in Santa
Claus will be anticipating to open
their gifts on Christmas morning. Just
like the traditional Christmas tales,
they would be expecting Santa Claus,
his team of reindeer and his awesome
sleigh to glide across the night sky
and bring them their presents.
Everyone has their own version of
Santas sleigh, and if it were real,
how do you think it would look like?
Have you ever wondered how Santas
sleigh flies? Also, how does he fit
all those presents in just one bag?
Surely, theres more to it than just an
ordinary sled and a team of reindeer.
And since we engineers love
demystifying even the most bizarre
phenomenon, heres how Santas
sleigh would be like according to an
engineer.
Traditionally, we would imagine the
exterior of the sleigh a traditional and
rustic design, with its usual red hue.
The Interior
The sleigh would have a dashboard
that is equipped with Santas own
GPS navigator. The navigator being
connected to his elves in the North
Pole, wherein they would show
millions of destinations that Santa
would have to pass by. The navigator
is also equipped with backup data
of all the destinations the previous
year, just in case the signal goes out.
A touchscreen device that has all the
kids of the world monitored whether
theyve been naughty or nice. This
device checks every detail of the kids
activities until the last few hours of
December 24, and will determine if
the child deserves a gift or a shiny
piece of coal.
On the left side of the dashboard,
there will be a speedometer to
monitor Santas flying speeds. On
the right side, there will be a radio
communicator wherein Santa will be
able to communicate with Mrs. Claus
and the elves to update him with
weather report, toy inventory as well
as emergency news.
Santa Claus could get bored or lonely
during his solo flight, so to keep him
company, we can imagine that his
sleigh includes an installed iPod dock
and a matching peppermint-designed
iPod that plays Christmas songs for
the entire night. His sleigh would
also have a hot cocoa dispenser
and carrots for the reindeer in the
compartment.
Transdimensional Gift
Compartment a.k.a. the Gift Bag Photo by BusinessWire
Okay, so how in the world does
he fit his presents in one bag? We
can call this a transdimensional gift
compartment in a bag, which serves
as a portal between the sleigh and
the North Pole. Therefore, the bag
is never really filled. You can imagine
Mary Poppins bag, the theory may be
similar.
The Antimatter Propulsion Unit
In science fiction, antimatter is what
is used to allow spaceships to travel Photo by GrabCAD
at warp speedtheyre referred to
as antimatter propulsion rockets. This
may be possible in the real world in
the near future. Currently, NASA is
developing a spaceship that may get
us to Mars within a matter of weeks.
According to Live Science,
Antimatter is the opposite of normal
matter. More specifically, the sub-
atomic particles of antimatter have
properties opposite those of normal
matter. The electrical charge of those
particles is reversed. Antimatter was
created along with matter after the
Big Bang, but antimatter is rare in
today's universe, and scientists aren't
sure why.
Santas sleigh would be special, it
will have a customized antimatter
propulsion unit. It would be small
enough to be installed at the back
of his sleigh and fast enough to be
able to deliver all the presents to the
children across the globe. If ever the
rocket fails, his reindeer will be there
to back him up.
DECEMBER 2016
37
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
WHEN ENGINEER
FATHERS MAKE
THE TOYS
by Dion Greg Reyes
Most fathers just take the
responsibilities of providing
for their family members
while taking care of them.
Nothing more, nothing less.
They work hard and earn
for the best interests of the
mother and the kids. But
there are just those who
want to take it further just
like Chris Harden and Jeremy
Scheinberg.
The two are family guys who
happen to be engineers. Chris
is an electrical engineering
graduate from Auburn
University while Jeremy is a
controls engineering alum at
Penn.
Out of their desire to provide
their children with toys that
stimulate young minds,
38 DECEMBER 2016
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
they used their expertise in
engineering and founded a
toy company called TROBO.
There, Chief Product Officer
Chris and Chief Engineering
Officer Jeremy developed
connected plush toys, named
after the company, which
could teach kids about science,
technology, engineering and
math. Through interactive
stories, TROBOs serve as
educational companions for
kids age 2 to 5.
We interviewed Chris and
Jeremy through e-mail to
discover how they put up the
company, their challenges
along the way, their goals and
future innovations, and their
products impact, among
others.
PRIOR EXPERIENCE
How many years have you
been working in your industry
(private, engineering, NGO)?
Chris: Ive spent most of my
career as a Software Engineer.
Im now about 18 years into
my career. Ive worked for a
variety of industries theme
parks, mobile and embedded
devices, and video games.
Jeremy: Ive spent most
of my career in the theme
park industry working for
Disney, Universal, etc... Im
now about 19 years into my
career.
THE COMPANY
Describe your companys
structure, brief history, board
or advisers.
TROBO has two founders,
Chris Harden and Jeremy
Scheinberg. We have a
series of contractors hired to
perform software and content
development. We use contract
manufacturing for the product
manufacturing. Our advisors
are previous co-founders,
investors, lawyers, and toy
industry veterans.
How big is your company?
TROBO is somewhere around
7-9 people on average, and
sometimes this grows to 12
or so.
Describe your mission, vision
and values.
Our mission is to design
innovative products and
experiences that inspire
children to learn about
the science, technology,
engineering & math (STEM)
in the world around them.
It is our vision to inspire
children to make things
that will change the world.
Our company is anchored
in these values: education,
quality, commitment, work/
life balance, and non-violence.
Where is this company
headed? What are your future
expansion plans? Describe
briefly your strategic goals.
In 10 to 20 years, we want to
have made TROBO an icon
for early childhood STEM
education. Strategically, this
requires growth of not only
the product SKUs but creation
of more content.
TOYS OF THE PAST MEET
THE PRESENT
How will todays toys make a
difference as compared to the
ones from the past?
Until recently technology was
just too expensive to provide
a value that families could
afford in the toy market, so
most toys have tech from the
80s and 90s. Now we are
starting to see the benefits of
IoT devices used in toys. The
more connected, the more
access to powerful systems
that can bring more fun.
Which toys from your
childhood made an impact on
you while growing up?
Chris: For me, its Mario
Brothers on the Nintendo NES
Classic.
Jeremy: In my case, its
visiting theme parks while
growing up in Miami.
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
What do you think is the
future of the toy industries?
It will continue to get more
technically savvy as an IoT
(Internet of Things) industry.
THE PRODUCT
Whats the inspiration behind
your products? How did you
come up with these ideas?
Our children are our
inspiration. Jeremy and Chris
are both fathers. Jeremy has a
7-year-old girl and 5-year-old
boy. Chris has a nearly 5-year-
old boy and a 4-month-old
daughter. We are engineers
who see our country declining
in the number of graduates
from STEM programs. That
drove us to help solve what
is a macro problem for the
country. On a micro level, as
parents we didnt see many
compelling, STEM educational,
non-violent products out
there for our childrens age
ranges (4 and 6 at the time of
founding).
Which group is your target
market and why?
Children age 2 to 5, who have
access to mobile technology.
TROBO is a connected plush
toy. Plush has a fairly tight
window of age where children
are interested in it. Older
children, up to about 6 or so,
are interested in our STEM
content.
DECEMBER 2016
39
What are the future
innovations that you or your
company is pursuing?
We are pursuing further
innovations in the embedded
hardware and more value in
the apps we make.
Do you think your product
has made an impact on
your costumers and in your
industry?
Yes. Our customers tell us
regularly how TROBO is their
childrens best friend and
they relay stories about how
the child recalls some STEM
knowledge learned while
playing with TROBO.
Where do you see your
products heading 10 years
from now?
The current content is
compelling to younger
children, and we are
developing content for their
40 DECEMBER 2016
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
older siblings. Once the
content library and character
stories are strong enough, we
also have plans to license the
brand and characters much
like a Disney or Dreamworks.
Well continue electronic story
development for our mobile
app, and well also produce
more hard books and products
for our customers to enjoy. As
far as the connected plush are
concerned, the technological
landscape for a connected
toys should be immensely
powerful compared to now,
and we plan to absorb what
value we can as we iterate on
hardware.
understand our target THE CHALLENGES &
What makes your toys customers. Our dedication SOLUTIONS
different from your to STEM content that is What challenges did your
competitors? nonviolent continues to set us companies face while
We were the first to innovate apart from competitors who developing your product?
in the market with a connected drift towards standard, more Competing with entrenched
STEM toy, built by engineers generic play activities such as companies like Hasbro,
and fathers who inherently cooking and play-fighting. Mattel, SpinMaster, etc.is
tough as they have enormous
budgets compared to us as a
startup. We also had some
problems getting our first
run of units FCC tested which
added delays to our internal
delivery goals. However,
having years of experience
in manufacturing, we knew
things may be delayed and
thereby committed to a
yearlong development cycle
for our Kickstarter customers.
That was the right choice, as
we ended up delivering on
that commitment about a
month early.
How did your company
overcome these challenges?
On competing with big
companies, that is really just
about finding your niche
that they dont address. On
production, were very big on
solid communications and
planning for delays in things
we cant control, especially
with new manufacturers and
development teams. So we
over-communicated and
padded estimates provided
by our vendors. Thats
pretty standard project
management practice.
ADVICE TO THE YOUNG
ENGINEERS
Please give advice and words
of wisdom to millennial
engineers who want to start
their own companies and
develop their own products as
well. Any inspiring words that
you can share?
Read or listen to Disciplined
Entrepreneurship by Bill
Aulet. Weve made a lot of
mistakes and learned a lot of
what he describes, the hard you to learn cheaply. Network someone who can sell your
way. After that, read or listen like a machine, because product/service. If you are
to as many Marketing, Sales, successful startups are made missing one, network some
and other Entrepreneurship up of teams, not individuals. more.
books as you can; always be Specifically your team is best Launch a business around
listening to a new book. Start positioned when you have something you are absolutely
trying to build a business someone who can technically passionate about. Youll be
as early as you can possibly execute, someone who is doing so much of it, that you
afford to, while your expenses the subject matter expert, will rely on your passion to pull
are low. Doing so allows you someone who is financially you through the hard times.
to fail cheaply, which allows or operationally savvy, and
DECEMBER 2016
41
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
Photo by ABC

42 DECEMBER 2016
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
TINITELL: GIVING
CHILDREN THE
FREEDOM TO EXPLORE
THE OUTDOORS SAFELY
We dont want to keep children online with a great new app. We want to
keep children offline with a great new device.
Before the age of smartphones
and Virtual Reality and even
before there was PlayStation and
Xbox, there was only the great
outdoors. Children would run
wild in the parks and play with
their playmates. They would
breathe the playgrounds fresh air
as they ran after each other in a
game of tag, or explore different
places to sneak into as they play
hide and seek. Older kids would
go to the local court and have a
friendly game of street ball, and
more daring kids would dash
throughout the neighborhood in
their skateboards.
While these may sound nostalgic
especially for 90s kids (and older),
many children nowadays prefer to
play on tablets, smartphones or
gaming consoles rather than play
in the outdoors. Some parents
choose to let them do so because
of the possible dangers of playing
outside.
Thats why Tinitell, a new startup
tech company, has created a
wearable mobile phone and
GPS tracker for kids, a piece of
technology that encourages
children to play outside more,
since it makes it significantly
easier for parents to stay in touch
with them.
GineersNow conducted an
exclusive interview with Mats
Horn, the CEO and founder of
Tinitell.
THE COMPANY
Tinitell AB is a technology company
based in Stockholm, Sweden,
set to create a new future for
simple and smart communication
devices. After a successful
Kickstarter campaign two years
ago and substantial funding in
research & development, Tinitell
as a kids phone is our first product
on the market.
Extremely simple, fun and durable,
Tinitell is a wearable mobile phone
and GPS tracker for kids, a piece of
technology that actually enables
children to play outside more, as
it makes it significantly easier for
parents to stay in touch with them.
How big is your company?
Our main office in Stockholm,
Sweden hosts the Operational and
Software Development teams,
currently counting more than
25 full time employees. The RnD
team and the production facilities
are located in China, Shenzhen.
We have logistic partners in New
York, USA, handling the North
American operations, while the
European ones are handled from
Sweden.
Describe your mission, vision and
values.
The Tinitell team is passionate
about technology and design.
Our mission is to redefine the
communication experience
DECEMBER 2016
43
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
 in simple and creative ways.
However, at the end of the day, our
core philosophy is to encourage
more kids to just go outside and
play. We want more adults to
appreciate the outdoors, without
digital screens and technology in
the way.
While designing Tinitell as a
mobile phone for kids our motto
became: We dont want to keep
children online with a great new
app. We want to keep children
offline with a great new device.
Where is this company headed?
What are your future expansion
plans?
We are focused on perfecting a
series of products that stem from
our current design.
In the long run, we are looking
for solutions to simplify
communication in everyday life,
keep us connected to reality
while making the most of the
technological advancements.
Voice recognition, voice
interaction and AI are high on our
consideration list, not only for the
current product but also for future
Tinitell IoT devices.
THE PRODUCT
The idea originated three years
ago, when Mats, the CEO and
founder spent an evening at a
friends house. His friend didnt
feel comfortable letting his child
go out to play unaccompanied,
but also had to cook dinner. The
immediate (and unsatisfactory)
solution was for everyone to stay
inside. Mats decided then and
there to create a better option for
parents looking to stay connected
without hindering their childrens
freedom.
Mats then moved back to Sweden
and assembled an accomplished
team of technology and design
experts. The solution is an
affordable, durable, and elegant
GPS-enabled wearable phone,
paired with a mobile app for
parents.
Which group is your target market
About the CEO and Founder and why?
Mats Horn, is a Swedish-American entrepreneur and the founder Tinitell is the ideal first mobile
of Tinitell. He is looking at redefining the hardware/software phone for kids, from preschoolers
(HW/SW) ecosystem with simple and creative solutions. He is an to the age when they get their first
architect, "southern boy", arctic ranger, and free spirit in search smartphone 5 to 12-year-old. Its
of the perfect consumer tech product. After he graduated from natural for parents and children
Brown University, Mats moved back to Sweden. In 2013 he pulled to stay connected and Tinitell
together a team of telecom experts, designers, engineers and encourages this connection while
marketing professionals to form what has become known as offering kids more freedom to play
Tinitell. and discover the outdoors.
44 DECEMBER 2016
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
What are the future innovations
that you or your company are
pursuing?
As mentioned earlier, voice
recognition, voice interaction and
AI are high on our list, not only
for the current product but also
for future Tinitell IoT devices. We
are looking with interest at the
evolution of Amazon Alexa, Google
Assistant and similar products that
encourage an easy voice-driven
interaction with technology.
Do you think your product
has made an impact on your
costumers and in your industry?
Definitely. We are among the first
in Europe and we are opening
a completely new market, of
wearable mobile phones for kids.
We have no industry benchmarks,
no clear industry standards, we
are actually setting them up.
Where do you see your products
heading 10 years from now?
We see how Tinitell can become
a type of simple communication
platform. We think of the
development of voice recognition
services, not as services, but as
operating systems, like Windows
or iOS. Those future operating
systems, voice systems that are
still just figuring out what they
are, belong in hardware (HW)
interfaces as simple as Tinitell,
where the use of a screen is
secondary at most. Thats Tinitells
position in 10 years, where
consumer voices meet the power
of cloud.
What makes your toy/gadget/
product different from your
competitors?
The screen-free, wonderful
simplicity of the device and the
appealing Swedish design.
And more than that the fact that
we are highly focused on quality
and performance. There are
other trackers and economical
competitors, but none of them
have invested as much as us in RnD
and in perfecting the software and
the hardware functions.
THE CHALLENGES &
SOLUTIONS
What challenges did your
companies face while developing
your product?
The largest challenge is what
everyone says, Its called
hardware because its hard.
Weve experienced it all first hand,
and have had to change supplier 4
times in 2 years. Finding the right
partner with the right knowledge
and production capacity is like
finding needles in a haystack, in a
tumbler!
How did your company overcome
these challenges?
The 1 thing that has been the
most helpful for us is our primary
company value, keep it simple.
Its not a special phrase, but for
us it makes a world of difference.
Instead of developing many
features for our device and
smartphone app, weve developed
a few simple functions, instead
of developing different products
for different 3G or 4G networks,
weve developed just one device
that works globally, instead of
making a UI for a screen, we got
rid of the screen. Small companies
have to focus, and thats what
weve done.
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
ADVICE TO THE YOUNG
ENGINEERS
Please give advice and words of
wisdom to millennial engineers
who want to start their own
companies and develop their own
products as well. Any inspiring
words that you can share?
The one thing that millions of
people still dont understand is
that you have to go all in. Imagine
if you told your day-job boss, hey,
I have this biz idea, but Im not
really sure if Im ready for it
(sounds like a convincing biz idea?)
or if you told your partner, hey, I
think I like this other person, but
Im not really sure what to think....
Doubt is extremely destructive,
so dont let it touch any world-
improvement ideas that come
to you. Its disrespectful to your
idea, to the people you discuss it
with, and most importantly, to the
world.
DECEMBER 2016
45
46 DECEMBER 2016
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
 TECHNOLOGY WILL SAVE
US: SPARKING KIDS
IMAGINATIONS AROUND
THE WORLD
DECEMBER 2016
47
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
 W hen Bethany
co-founded Technology
Will Save Us, she wanted her
Koby
companys wide range of toy
products to encourage children
to learn and become creators
of the technology in the future.
Tech Will Save Us offers toys
that were tested by children and
loved by parents for the whole
family to play with anywhere
they want - may that be in the
kitchen table, in the field or even
in the classroom. Each kit gives
a child an opportunity to unlock
his/her creative potential, which
will surely help one develop the
skills needed to secure a brighter
future.
With products shipped in 97
countries around the globe,
the company has sparked so
many kids imaginations
already. Awarded with so many
recognitions like Best Hardware
Startup of The Year (2016)
at the Europas, Koby and her
team plans to develop more
inspiring products for more
families to enjoy while learning.
They do believe that diverse,
creative and empowered kids
and families will save us and
technology will be at the heart
of how they do this!
Koby shares her thoughts and
views on todays toy industry,
the challenges her company had
to overcome and her companys
future plans in dominating
the toy industry in this special
interview with GineersNow.
THE PERSON / PEOPLE
Introduce yourself
I am a mum, CEO, designer,
art director and artist interested
in creating brands, businesses
and experiences that help
48 DECEMBER 2016
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
imagine a more positive and
collaborative future. Ive
been creating innovative
relationships between brands
and communities for well over
10 years both commercially and
personally.
In 2012, I co-founded
Technology Will Save Us. Prior
to starting TWSU, I was a design
director and social impact
specialist at the international
branding and innovation
company Wolff Olins.
I have a BFA in Graphic Design
from Rhode Island School of
Design, a MSC in Responsibility
and Business practice from
Bath University and was also
a scholarship holder at Fabrica
in Italy.
THE COMPANY
Describe your company
In 2012, I co-founded Technology
Will Save Us, a business that
instigates 21st century learning
- in the classroom and around
the kitchen table - through its
well-designed DIY Gadget Kits
for everyday life. It was based
on a radical premise: what if
kids could build the technology
they use, and learn more about
technology in the process? We
created the (now iconic) kits and
the most accessible, fun way
for kids, families, and educators
to learn, play, and invent with
technology.
Our advisors, Matt Webb, Tracy
Doree are invaluable to me and
our business. They have been
fundamental at all stages of
Technology Will Save Us.
Our London office houses a
team of around 26 content
creators, product specialists,
sales gurus, production experts,
 The toy
industry is
one of the
most powerful
industries in the
world"
educators, engineers, designers
and developers. We also have
two sales gurus in New York
and one in Paris.
Our mission is to inspire the
creative imagination of
young people with hands-
on technology and to build
the most accessible and
entertaining brand for the
creator generation. Being
customer-focused and
experience-obsessed is at the
centre of everything we do.
Where is this company
headed? What are your future
expansion plans?
I plan on growing Technology
Will Save Us into the most
accessible technology
company in the toy industry,
creating the best experience
for kids and empowering them
with the ability to make, build
and learn with technology.
We are continually developing
products for different ages,
with different themes and
different price points. We hope
to build a real community of
future makers with our online
ecosystem of coding and
programming tools.
THE TOY INDUSTRY
What do you think is the future
of the toy industry?
The toy industry is one of the
most powerful industries in the
world. It shapes and moulds
some of the most important
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
early years of people's lives
through education, play and
new experiences.
Recently there has been a shift
in the toy industry, brands
are creating child-friendly
iterations of adult tech - FitBits
for kids, tablets that teach
and faux-computers. Were
starting to see more and more
brands trying to connect apps
to everything in order to add
digital to the experience.
Despite this change, the toy
industry still has a long way to
go when it comes to adapting
to new technology and
catering to kids ever changing
interests and needs. I think
the future will be toys that
prepare, empower and help
shape kids futures.
How will todays toys and
gadgets make a difference as
compared to the ones from
the past?
Around 65% of children in
school today will have a job
that doesnt currently exist, we
want to equip them with all the
tools they need to be prepared
for these roles. The creative
tech toy space finally offers
kids the opportunity to make,
code and invent with toys. Our
aim is to spearhead this sector,
Technology Will Save Us is
dedicated to empowering kids
with technology and unlocking
their creative potential.
DECEMBER 2016
49

Which toy/gadget from your
childhood made an impact on
you while growing up?
My mother was a toy designer
turned Montessori teacher and
my Dad was a photographer so
I was always encouraged to be
hands on. I used to build model
aeroplanes with my Dad, theres
50 DECEMBER 2016
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
something really exciting and
inspiring in something arriving in
parts and being able to build and
create it together.
The toys and gadgets that really
made an impact for me were the
hands on montessori tools I was
taught with. Learning by doing
is one of the most empowering
ways for young people to learn, it
helped me become a happy, self-
motivated learner.
THE PRODUCT
Whats the inspiration behind
your products?
For us, design means putting
users at the center of our product
development process. All of our
kits and digital tools are created
with a user-centered process that
involves kids and parents at every
stage from ideation all the way
through to home, park and play
testing.
We conduct extensive research
projects funded by organizations
like NESTA, Google and Mozilla,
to understand what young
people love doing and what
skills they are learning in and
outside of school. This helps us
lead everything with what kids
love to do rather than what the
technology is capable of.
This is especially true for our
latest kit, The Mover. After
testing our prototypes with over
300 kids, we learned that kids
love technology that is portable,
reactive and open-ended. This
allows them to be engaged and
active while having fun.
We used feedback from kids to
define the form factor of The
Mover, which after testing and
iterating, became a wearable. The
technology we chose - motions
sensors, a compass and rainbow
lights - gives kids a responsive
and active product, they wanted
to keep using it again and again.
As we continued to develop
the product, we got even more
excited that this wearable was
not a smart watch, not a fitness
tracker and not about data in
a cloud but about something
very clear - kids learning through
active play.
Which group is your target
market and why?
Our kits are for people aged 4 -
100. We want Tech Will Save Us
to be the gateway for millions of
families to become creators of
technology around the kitchen
table, in a classroom, in a field,
makerspace, after school club
- anywhere and everywhere.
There are so many wonderful
resources cropping up, we think
empowering parents to support
the inner maker in their kid is
hugely important. Giving young
people and adults access to real
practitioners and entrepreneurs
in tech is really transformative.
What are the future innovations
that you and your company are
pursuing?
We have lots of exciting projects
in the pipeline Watch this
space!
Do you think your product
has made an impact on your
customers and in your industry?
Absolutely! Weve been
awarded some incredible
recognitions, the Museum
of Modern Art in New York
acquired our Gamer Kit for
their permanent collection
Humble Masterpieces. We
were selected as part of the
permanent collection displayed
in the newly built London
Design Museum. Weve won
Gold Parents Choice awards
for 2 of our best selling kits,
the Gamer and Electro Dough
kits. Our newest kit, the Mover
Kit, has already won a D&AD
Graphite Impact Pencil and a
Fast Company innovation by
design award. Our company
was also recognised as the
Best Hardware Startup of the
year (2016) at the Europas.
Where do you see your products
heading 10 years from now?
As part of the plan to grow
Technology Will Save Us into the
most accessible tech company
in the toy industry, we plan to
grow our toy range. We want to
do this by launching products
that are insight driven and
vigorously user tests. Childrens
toys tested by children, loved
by parents.
What makes your products
different from your
competitors?
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
Were not a single product start-
up. We make an ecosystem
of kits and digital experiences
that support a tech learning
journey though different ages
and abilities. Were also more
accessible and priced in a way
that allows all kids to get hands
on creating with technology, all
of our competitors are priced at
over 100, our kits start at 25.
THE CHALLENGES &
SOLUTIONS
What challenges did your
company face while developing
your product?
Global markets are really
important to us from the
beginning weve sold our kits
globally, in the US, UK and
in Europe too, we have now
expanded to big retail stores
in Australia too. What I think
is really interesting as we grow
and scale is the maturity of
different markets. For instance,
the maker movement, is
really important to us. It
is a movement that is much
more mature in the US, so
the opportunities to sell are
greater as there is a lot more
understanding of the product
and services that we are
creating.
How did your company
overcome these challenges?
Its extremely important to
test, test then test some more.
We use customer insights in
every aspect of the company to
help us better understand the
markets we are dealing with.
ADVICE TO THE YOUNG
ENGINEERS
I would say that always
remember this is a journey,
not a destination. Make sure
you surround yourself with
examples, mentors, advisors
who inspire you to be the kind
of entrepreneur and person
you want to be. Always keep
learning.
DECEMBER 2016
51
A ONE-MAN TOY STARTUP
TO WATCH OUT FOR
Behind the toys that kids now play
with or place in their cupboard is
a collective genius that made
them happen. They are a product
of a long, complicated process
of design that went through
different levels, starting from
its concept to production. Every
toy manufacturer operates like
this except one called Aran
Blocks that is yet to enter the toy
industry.
Aran Blocks is a one-man startup
by Dev Anand Dorasamy. Despite
of his lack of experience in the
toy industry, Australia-based
Dorasamy was able to develop
a product for about two years
now largely thanks to his friend
who was an automotive design
engineer. The product, which
is named after the startup, will
officially go to market early next
year.
One would wonder how it is like
to handle a one-man toy startup,
52 DECEMBER 2016
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
so we tapped Dorasamy for an
e-mail interview to unravel how
he got it all done by himself
and what separates Aran Blocks
from the rest.
ARAN BLOCKS
Tell us about your product.
Aran Blocks is a patent-
pending building block that fits
horizontally as well as vertically.
While the vertical connection
is basic, the way the block
connects horizontally is unique
and allows any structure made
from it to be strong and able to
bear weight. Meaning, it allows
a user to make structures that
can be used on a daily basis
such as a bedside table, laptop
stand or bookshelf, without any
glues or reinforcements.
Basically, Aran Blocks is what
you would get if Lego met IKEA,
fell in love, and had a baby.
The entire system only involves
2 shapes: a block and a cover. The
blocks are 5cm across and fit on all
sides with their counterparts. They
also have a hole in the middle to
allow the user to run a wire through
it, for instance headphone or phone
charging cables. It also has a small
semi-circle opening at the bottom,
so that structures remain flat even
when run a wire through the base.
The covers have 2 functions: one,
they form a smooth surface for
any structures you make from the
blocks; and two, they help make the
structure stronger due to the fact
that they lock the blocks in place.
Whats the inspiration behind your
products? How did you come up
with these ideas?
I was driven to create these blocks
when I was playing with my son
Aran (yes they are named after him)
and his Lego bricks. We have a ton
of these at home but I didnt like
the fact that they fit only vertically.
To build horizontally you needed to
layer the way you would do with
actual bricks. Also, I was not a big
fan how easily Lego structures tend
to break apart. So I set about trying
to solve these issues.
Which group is your target market
and why?
The blocks are easy to build with
but are not as simple or intuitive as
LEGO. As such we recommend it for
ages 5 and up. That being said we
find that adults love it too.
What are the future innovations
that you are pursuing?
We plan to introduce more blocks
shapes that allow creating strong
that are more versatile. Also we will
be adding modules such as lighting
systems that can be added to your
creation seamlessly.
Where do you see your product
heading 10 years from now?
We would like to use the basic
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
design principle that allows it to
make weight-bearing structures
and apply it larger applications
such as quick deploy bridges and
disaster housing.
What makes your toy different
from your competitors?
The most unique feature of the
Aran Blocks building system is its
ability to make structures that
are able to bear weight.
THE CHALLENGES &
SOLUTIONS
What challenges did your
companies face while developing
your product?
Let me be the first to admit that
I am no designer or engineer but
allow me to tell you why that was
a good thing. I truly believe that
this is a design that could have
only been imagined by someone
with zero design skills such as
myself. Had I any design skills
to speak of at all, I may have
explored some complex way to
solve this problem. But having
none, it forced me to look for the
simplest solution to the problem.
How did your company overcome
these challenges?
To get it into production though,
I relied on a friend how was an
automotive design engineer that
helped tremendously.
ADVICE TO THE YOUNG
ENGINEERS
Please give advice and words of
wisdom to millennial engineers
who want to start their own
companies and develop their own
products as well. Any inspiring
words that you can share?
If you have a problem and would
like to solve it, just go ahead and
try to do it even if you dont have
the necessary skills. Skills can be
learnt or found in others to help
you. All you need to do is try.
DECEMBER 2016
53
 THIS TINY NES CLONE
CAN PLAY ALL OF YOUR
FAVORITE 8-BIT GAMES
If youre looking for a little
nostalgia, you dont need to
bother getting a NES console
thatll probably be incompatible
with your brand new flatscreen
television. Clad in aircraft-grade
aluminum, the Analogue NT
makes sure that youre able to
play all the cartridges from your
FamiCom and NES childhood
that you mightve stored in a box
way up in your attic or basement.
Not only does it allow you to
play your old 8-bit games, it also
54 DECEMBER 2016
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
optimizes the games in such a
way that lag times are reduced.
The console also enables you to
play the games directly on an
HDTV without any problems.
As an added touch, the console
comes with your standard NES
controller that looks exactly like
what you had almost 30 years
ago. If you want this console for
your own nostalgic reasons, it
comes in at around USD 500.00
and is almost always sold-out.
Photo by GizmodoAustralia
 THIS MAY BE THE
WORLD'S SMALLEST
ARCADE CABINET
If you enjoyed playing Pacman
and other 8-bit games in your
childhood days, then you may
be interested in playing this.
Its a micro arcade cabinet with
a screen thats just a bit larger
than your thumbnail. It was
made by online hardware store
Adafruit. According to them,
its the worlds smallest arcade
cabinet.
MAME (Multiple Arcade
Machine Emulator) cabinets
are the so called gaming boxes
of the 90s that house emulators
that can hold a lot of classical
games. Heres a video of
Adafruits tiny arcade cabinet.
Many MAMA enthusiasts love
to build complex cabinets to
house their emulators, this one
included. This cabinet uses a
.96-inch RGB OLED display
and a Raspberry Pi Zero.
Photo by Make, TechTimes
Phillip Burgess, the builder
of the cabinet, used a tool
called Nanoscreen to be able
to downsize the video game
graphics so the size would be
just right for the tiny screen.
According to Adafruits blog
post, the cabinet was great to
play but very difficult to build.
DECEMBER 2016
55
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
 MEET THE ENGINEER WHO
INSPIRED PHUNSUKH
WANGDUS CHARACTER IN
3 IDIOTS

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

Photo by Kingofwallpapers
This 2016 has been a great you, wed love to read your badass engineering
first year for GineersNow. what you have to share j o u r n ey - fr u s t ra t i o n s - a n d
For the past months, weve as well. Thats 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 perfect place for you.
in amazement, inspiring GineersNow Community Imagine having a social
stories that brings out the GineersNow Community media primarily for engineers.
best engineer in you, and is the home for kickass Stay tuned at our website
weve also been featuring engineers who want to share www.gineersnow.com and our
amazing people and whats happening in their social media pages for further
companies in the field of daily lives as engineers, their announcements.
engineering that surely work, and to share ideas or
spiked your interest. Lets innovations with different
not forget the funny jokes, engineers around the world.
memes and quizzes that If you want to share cool
brighten up your newsfeed gadgets youve found,
once in a while! insights or questions about
Now, as much as we love any engineering topic,
sharing new information innovations, geeky videos or
and amazing stories with shows, inspirational stories,

58 DECEMBER 2016
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
One for One: Buy a
TOMS Product and
Help the Less-Fortunate
Christmas is year-round at TOMS with
their One for One philanthropic program.
By Dion Greg Reyes
Toms Shoes (TOMS) is best-known
as a company which produces a
variety of quality footwear for
men, women, and kids. People
from around the world wear the
brand to have comfortable and
stylish shoes, among the many
products they manufacture. But
little do the patrons know that this
California-based shoe store has a
philanthropic cause and they are
part of it.
Called One for One, the promise
is to provide for a person in need
with every product purchased
at TOMS. Other than shoes, the
gifts provided by the company for
the less-fortunate communities
include sight, water, safe birth and
bullying prevention services.
The Gift of Shoes
Since the company started
operations in 2006, TOMS has
given more than 60 million pairs
of new shoes to children in need
under the One for One program.
They have provided different
styles of shoes from the classic
slip-on, wet-weather slip-on, to
sports shoe which fit kids, toddlers
and teens. This has allowed the
recipient to have improved health,
confidence, and more importantly
access to education.
The Gift of Sight
Kids with eye problems are helped
by TOMS whenever the companys
eyewear is bought. They are
given with full eye exam by
trained medical professionals and
receive the necessary treatment.
Common vision issues that
they attend to are prescription
glasses, sight-saving surgery, and
medical treatment. So far, TOMS
has helped restore sight to over
400,000 people in need.
The Gift of Water
TOMS takes part in solving the
global water problem which
affects more than 780 million
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
people in the world. The company
works with water experts at Giving
Partners to create sustainable
water systems in seven countries.
Through the collaboration, they
provide 140 liters of safe water,
which lasts for a week, to persons
in need for each bag of TOMS
Roasting Co. Coffee purchased.
Over 335,000 weeks of safe water
have already been given out.
The Gift of Safe Birth
By providing clean birth conditions
and skilled attendants, nearly half
a million of lives can be saved. This
is what TOMS aims to do with their
gift of safe birth, thanks for every
purchase of TOMS bags. Safe birth
services by TOMS, which include
delivery of safe birth kits, training
for skilled birth attendants, and
healthy delivery for newborn
baby, have already supported over
25,000 mothers all over the world.
The Gift of Kindness
One-third of the students in the
United States aged 12 to 18 reports
being bullied. TOMS believes
that nobody ever deserves to
be oppressed or burdened,
this is why they are holding
bullying prevention and response
programs. It includes training
school communities to create
bully-free campuses and making
it easy for students to report
bullying and get the help they
need. With the proper prevention
and response techniques readily
available to students, we can help
reduce up to 90% of incidents of
bullying.
Christmas is right around the
corner. People are sharing a piece
of themselves to others by giving
gifts.
For TOMS, you can do this even
not in December they only need
you buy their products and they
will do the job of helping the less
fortunate.
Photos by TOMS
DECEMBER 2016
59
AWESOME
SHIELD: THE
COOLEST
HANDS-ON
CODING
PROJECT FOR
KIDS AGED 10
TO 100

60 DECEMBER 2016
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
 W ith only a core team of
three members, Awesome
Shield has proven itself to
make a difference in the toy
industry in the past two years.
The three founders of this
startup company didnt have
any experience on setting up
an educational startup before
but they managed to launch a
successful Kickstarter campaign
and show parents that theres a
better way of teaching kids how
to code at their own pace.
Powered by Arduino, Awesome
Shield teaches kids how to code
for hardware. Offering parents
and children 100 online video
tutorials, a simplified code and
a custom hardware, children
can easily create hands-on
projects. These tutorials teach
kids the basics of coding with
a touch of Science, Technology,
Engineering, Arts and Math, the
simplified code guides the kids
on the fundamentals while the
hardware brings the code to life
through its light, color, sound
and sensors. By working on each
project, children are able to
develop important learning skills
that will eventually help them as
they get older.
In this exclusive interview
with the founders of Awesome
Shield, they share their journey
from starting this business
to delivering their products
after their successful Kickstart
campaign. Theyve also
expressed their thoughts on the
future of the toy industry and
shared their advice on how to
make a difference in this world
for young engineers.

THE PEOPLE
Introduce yourself
The core Awesome Shield team
consists of three founders,
two Canadian brothers and a
German. Were registered in
Germany as U.G. which is a
simple type of limited liability
company popular with small
businesses and startups.

How many years have you been

working in your industry?
None of us had direct experience
with building an educational

DECEMBER 2016
61
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
startup before we created
Awesome Shield but weve
all had a tapestry of relevant
professional experiences in the
private sector. The three of us
had collaborated on a startup
and when that failed we knew
the real magic lay in the team
wed created.
Our CEO is an Engineering
Chemist by training which gives
us a solid science background for
teaching grade school science
concepts. Our UX Designer and
and our developer each have
over a decade of professional
experience.
THE COMPANY
Describe your company
(structure, brief history, board
or advisers)
Our company structure is quite
flat. The three founders take
on projects as their availability
and skill sets allow. The CEO is
full time the other two are part
time. Were a small team doing
an ambitious amount of work,
so theres necessarily a lot of
flexibility in terms of who does
what.
Weve been working on Awesome
Shield for approximately two
years. We have been developing
the learning platform and
hardware through a series of
workshops that we use to do
testing and gather feedback. We
ran a Kickstarter campaign in
May 2016 and are delivering the
hardware and our first learning
videos in December 2016.
We have several unofficial
advisers that we consult with on
an individual basis as needed
people with deep professional
experience that compliment our
teams experience (in Marketing,
Business Development, and
Education).
The core team, of three, is
based in Berlin. We share a tiny
office in Berlins Prenzlauer
Berg neighbourhood. We have
also had the good fortune and
pleasure of collaborating with
a group of extremely talented
interns, freelancers, friends,
and family. Our manufacturer,
Watterott Electronics, has
also been a major asset,
62 DECEMBER 2016
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
generously sharing insights and
expertise during preparations for
manufacturing.
Describe your mission, vision and
values.
Our mission is to equip kids (aged
10-100) with the skills to invent
the world they want to live in.
Our first product is a learning kit
that teaches kids to code while
building fun projects (a theremin,
lock box alarm, candle, etc.).
While kids build and code, they
learn about the math and science
behind their projects.
Even though were a small team,
we work hard to be inclusive,
transparent, and act as what we
view as a moral company. We
strive to treat each other with
kindness and understanding and
we do the same for those we
work with.
Where is this company headed?
What are your future expansion
plans?
The future is difficult to predict.
Thats one reason why we focus
on teaching deep skills and
new ways to look at the world,
rather than more prescriptive
rote learning. Our feeling is
that if youre well equipped to
understand and contribute to
the world you can participate in
the creation of the future rather
than just being an observer or
consumer.
To that end, wed love to grow
Awesome Shield, while staying
focused on our mission. The
bigger our community is, and
the more resources we have, the
more kids we can empower.
INTRODUCTION
What do you think is the future of
the toy industry?
One trend we see a lot of is the
consumerization of technology.
Things are becoming more
polished and magical. But
technology isnt magic. Its
engineering, science, maths, and
creativity. Weve seen educational
toys move in that polished
direction as well and while it has
a place (and we certainly strive
for approachability ourselves) we
think its important to demystify
tech for kids and empower them
to become makers, instead of
just consumers.
How will todays toys and
gadgets make a difference as
compared to the ones from the
past?
Theres a wonderful focus
on coding that is developing.
Especially in terms of teaching
coding logic to really young kids
which is something thats quite
new and really exciting to see.
Todays toys and gadgets
need to help kids learn about
programming, and also explore
making in an interdisciplinary
way.
As soon as you start inventing,
you realize that its impossible
to separate coding, science,
math, art, and crafting. We see
Awesome Shield as a new kind
of educational kit that helps kids
explore these areas holistically,
while creating inventions.
Which toy/gadget from your
childhood made an impact on
you while growing up?
LEGO was a big one. Its so
customisable that you can really
pour your imagination into it. Its
so important in learning to be
able to make things your own.
LEGO also helped us explore
the power of iteration. Trying
a design, testing it, identifying
weaknesses, and then making
improvements is a powerful
process that LEGO helped us
explore as kids.
THE PRODUCT
Whats the inspiration behind
your products?
Before we started Awesome
Shield, we often spent weekends
doing little hack projects
playing around with Arduino and
Raspberry Pi to build little tools
and gadgets for our homes and
office.
Awesome Shield began two years
ago as a major pivot from a
previous joint project in which
we were building a process
monitoring and automation
system for microbrewers. While
testing different designs, we
developed a simplified code
and hardware system that let
us create and test prototypes
very quickly. We realized that its
simplicity could also make it a
great tool for beginners. A big
turning point was when we used
it to explain coding to a cousin
and realised that it had a tonne
of potential as a learning tool.
Since then weve been testing
and adapting our teaching
methodology, hardware, and
software. Through many
iterations, we arrived at Awesome
Shield.
Which group is your target
market and why?
Kids and Teenagers are our core
market. We feel that you can have
the biggest impact on a persons
life at this point. Also through
our workshops and speaking with
educators, we found that if you
make an educational product
for someone thats 10 years
old (and you dont talk down to
them), most people who are 10
and up will find the experience
approachable and engaging.
What are the future innovations
that you or your company are
pursuing?
Right now were pretty laser
focused on finishing our first
product and are excited to hear
from our Kickstarter backers what
they think. We know were going
to learn a tonne from them once
we get the product into their
hands, and their feedback will
help us identify our immediate
next steps towards improving
Awesome Shield.
Long term, our goal is to develop
an ecosystem of learning kits
around interesting invention
themes like musical instruments,
botany, games, and robots. The
opportunities for learning by
combining STEAM and building
physical projects are myriad.
Do you think your product
has made an impact on your
customers and in your industry?
After two years of running
workshops weve taught more
than 600 people to write their
first lines of code. There have
been a lot of really special
DECEMBER 2016
63
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
moments in there where people
achieved things they didnt
think were possible for them
to accomplish. Were looking
forward to delivering on our
Kickstarter and sharing that
empowerment with even more
people. Were also very excited
to have a standalone product.
We can only reach so many kids
through events. Having a kit that
kids can use to learn at home will
really help us reach even more
people.
What makes your product
different from your competitors?
Awesome Shield helps make
coding hands-on through
hardware and invention. This
helps kids be more excited and
engaged than they are with
many purely digital learn-to-code
products.
Awesome Shield brings the
power of Arduino (which is used
by pros worldwide in everything
from science experiments to art
64 DECEMBER 2016
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
installations) to kids who are 10
and older. We make this powerful
tech fun and accessible.
Many other products for this age
group put kids in a sandbox and
teach them to invent with tools
that limit the scope of what they
can accomplish. Awesome Shield
makes it easy for kids to start
using powerful tools right away
which they can build on to create
anything they can imagine.
THE CHALLENGES &
SOLUTIONS
What challenges did your
company face while developing
your product?
Were doing whats called
bootstrapping in the startup
world, which basically means that
most of our team is working on
Awesome Shield part time while
we earn our living elsewhere. This
lets us focus entirely on creating
the company (rather than, for
example spending time finding
investors) but it also really limits
the resources (especially time)
available to grow the company
and build the product. It can
often be frustrating not to
be able to match the pace of
our growth with our vision for
Awesome Shield. But this also
helps us laser focus on only the
most important tasks which has
resulted in a honed company and
product.
There was also a huge learning
curve for us (and still is). When
we started, wed never registered
a business, run an education
company, or done a round of
electronics manufacturing.
How did your company overcome
these challenges?
We learned a lot by asking
experts for advice and through
loads of trial, error, and iteration.
In the educational space, we ran
workshops, spoke with educators,
and did a bunch of reading
and thinking to discover an
educational approach that folks
really love.
On the hardware front, we kept
the product simple and then
just started making things and
reading and again talking to
experts. A brilliant electrical
engineer that does freelance work
with us and our manufacturer
both helped to fill in the gaps
here. And our CEO really stepped
up to the plate and did a tonne
of learning.
ADVICE TO THE YOUNG
ENGINEERS
You can do it. Pick something
youre interested in or solve a
problem you see in the world.
And just start chipping away at
it learn while you go and dont
be intimidated by what you dont
know yet. Find some other folks to
collaborate with who compliment
your strengths and weaknesses.
Dont be afraid to try new things,
and iterate on your ideas. Pretty
soon youll be blown away by the
impact youve had on the world!
 DECEMBER 2016
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Engineers Give Back This Christmas

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
youll ever meet at his age. Well, if you
know any other smart 4-year-old that can
calculate the square root of numbers 1 to
30 in 3 minutes, you can tell us otherwise.
The young Cebuano is a child prodigy when
it comes to his very intelligent brain. If
you think thats not impressive, he also
memorized all the 118 numbers and symbols
of the Periodic Table of Elements. A typical
four-year-old would just be playing in the
mud, or eating glue at that age.
Miko had his intelligence measured this
November and it wasnt that surprising that
he got a score which equated to him being
gifted. That said, his dad Philip is sending
over his results to MENSA, hoping to get
that membership. For those of you that are
unfamiliar with MENSA, its an international
organization of whizzes and geniuses that
have IQ scores above the 98th percentile.
That means members of this group are
smarter than 98% of the people in the
world.
The wonder child was first popularized by
his video of solving the volume of a cube in
the cutest way. He was saying everything he
66 DECEMBER 2016
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
Photo by Leggilo
was writing down, as if teaching a class. This
viral video was so famous that it reached 29
thousand views in a small span of 3 weeks.
Numerous people messaged Mikos parents
commenting that the child is pure genius. A
math professor in Brazil even quoted that the
child is a fantastic promise and that hes
nothing short of a prodigy.
Mikos parents are both Filipinos, but have
been residing in the US for almost 8 years
now. His dad, Philip, is originally from Albay,
Bicol, while his mother, Imee, is originally from
Cebu. Theyre now residing in Florida but are
still very close to their Filipino ties, frequently
visiting the Philippines every two years. Philip
always records his sons math endeavors
on camera and posts them on Facebook for
everyone to see. Mikos whiteboard and math
skills, which his father personally taught him,
are often the subject of all his videos. While
Mikos videos are fairly new, his gift is not. His
parents have reported that his learning was
very advanced and was apparent since he
was 2 years of age.
Philip said that Miko was already able to
count from 1 to 100 at the age of 2, but still
could not answer basic addition at that time.
Photo by PowerPinoys
Since then, Miko taught himself how to read,
which was easy since the child was a huge
fan of picture books. At age 3, Miko was into
geography. Continents, countries, and cities
were all basic for the young prodigy. Miko
even had a video posted of his mom naming a
country and him replying with the capital city.
This is pretty surprising as the kid was able to
name a total of 164 cities.
If that wasnt enough to impress you, did we
mention that Miko only learned how to add
at the age of 4? Yes, this child genius has just
started math and hes already doing geometry
and algebra. The secret behind this is that his
dad gives him a 5-minute tutoring lesson
every morning to learn a new math concept.
Any information retained after that is purely
based on his ability to absorb information.
Aside from that, like any other 4 year old, Miko
loves to play and spends a lot of time with his
friends. He practices karate on the side and
also goes swimming with his play buddies. If
asked whether his friends or teachers know
about his math skills, Miko would just reply
No. We only learn the alphabet. We dont
have Math in Pre-School!
THIS WOMAN TRANSFORMS OLD
CONTAINERS INTO HER DREAM HOUSE
Canadian Claudie Dubreuil created her dream house out of 4 old containers.

Weve seen different

architectural designs of houses,
most of them unique and
practical. But Canadian Claudie
Dubreuil is taking uniqueness
and practicality to a new level.
Claudie chose to use four metal
containers to build her dream
houseyep, those huge metal
shipping containers!
She got the help of an
engineering company and
was able to find four shipping
containers. In a short time
of creativity and hard work,
they were able to spruce up
these old containers into a Photo by Newsner
surprisingly beautiful home!
Acquiring the containers were
easy, then comes the hard part.
They started off by wielding the
containers together according
to Claudies design.

Photo by Newsner

This is how the skeleton looked

like. It doesnt seem like much
yet except that the structure is
large, so lets move one with
the next photos. Photos by CollectionsDubreuil
The transformation on the
exterior of the housing
skeleton looks awesome. As for
the interior of Claudias dream
house, here are the photos.

The results were amazingly

stunning, her design and
creativity can inspire others to
do the same. So, what about
you, how do you want your
dream house to be made?

DECEMBER 2016
67
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
68 DECEMBER 2016
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
Never Lose
Sight of Your
Kids Using The
How frightening is it to
lose your kids when you
take them out for a typical
family day in the mall?
Parents cant really be with
their children 24/7 and the
thought of them being
exposed to harm and danger
is really their nightmare. So,
is there a simple way to
make sure the kids are safe
wherever they go?
The idea behind the
dokiWatch started when
Caspier Chien took his
nephew out in a crowded
shopping area. When he
thought he almost lost his
nephew, he came up with
the idea that parents need
a device that can easily
keep track of their kids. So,
he developed the first-ever
smartwatch that serves
as a GPS locator, a fitness
tracker, a wearable phone
and even an electronic
pet to kids! Knowing that
it is not advisable to give
young children (ages 6 to
12) smartphones yet, Chien
thought the dokiWatch can
help bring families together
through communication and
safety.
In this exclusive interview with
Caspier Chien, founder and
CEO of Doki Technologies,
he talks to us about his plans
for his startup company, Doki
Technologies, his thoughts
on the toy industry and
shares his advice to young
engineers on how to make it
in the business world.
THE PERSON / PEOPLE
GN: Introduce yourself.
Chien: My name is Casper
Chien. I am the Founder and
CEO of Doki Technologies.
GN: How many years have
you been working in your
industry?
Chien: Before starting Doki
Technologies, I worked
extensively in strategic
marketing and product
development at leading
innovative companies such as
Adidas and Fitbit.
THE COMPANY
GN: Describe your company
Chien: Doki is a fairly new
company. We started in
2015 so it has been a rapid
growth for us going from just
having a product concept
to the development and
manufacturing, and now
to retail in the span of 18
months.
Doki Technologies is made up
of a small but energetic team
of 10 people. Were a startup
so the amount of manpower
we have is limited. Our head
office is based in Hong
Kong but we also work with
engineers and developers in
Shenzhen, China.
GN: Describe your mission,
vision and values.
Chien: I believe that the Doki
team and I share the same
vision of creating a world
of seamless connectivity
DECEMBER 2016
69
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
 between parents and their
children. We aim to develop
technologies that enhance
and improve childrens lives,
keep them connected to their
parents, and ensure their
safety.
GN: Where is this company
headed? What are your future
expansion plans?
Chien: The future is really
open ended for us. I feel like
we can take Doki into many
different directions. Now
were in the early stages of
planning, but we hope to
expand further into education,
health, communications
and safety. We also plan to
gamify certain features for
kids such as augmenting the
dokiPet feature. dokiPet now
is primarily a fitness tracker
but I think we can take it
further by making it into a
fully interactive virtual pet
that kids can feed and play
with.
THE INDUSTRY
GN: What do you think is
the future of the toy/gadget
industries?
Chien: I think as we progress
technologically, kids toys
and gadgets will focus very
much on smart devices. Its
almost inevitable. Theres a
lot of talk now about virtual
or augmented reality. Maybe
theres a way to turn virtual
reality into a learning tool
for kids.
GN: How will todays toys and
gadgets make a difference as
compared to the ones from
the past?
Chien: Its a very different
world today than it was 10 or
20 years ago. Now, childrens
toys, entertainment, and
even educational tools have
shifted very much to smart
devices and IoT devices.
The wants and needs of kids
have significantly changed
as well. Nowadays kids want
that instant gratification and
having unlimited information
on their fingertips.
70 DECEMBER 2016
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
GN: Which toy/gadget from
your childhood made an
impact on you while growing
up?
Chien: When I was growing
up, the one toy that I loved
playing was my Super
Nintendo and Gameboy.
Those were the things that
tech savvy kids at the time
all had when I was growing
up. When I think about it
now and compare it with the
dokiWatch, I know that kids
will always be attracted to
products that are the most
innovative and advanced.
THE PRODUCT
GN: Whats the inspiration
behind your products?
Chien: The idea for dokiWatch
really came from a situation
that I experienced myself. I
was walking with my nephew,
and we were in a crowded
shopping area, suddenly we
got separated in the crowd
and I couldnt find him.
Im sure every parent can
relate to this feeling, its
almost frightening when this
happens. Thankfully I found
him safe and sound but it
suddenly dawned on me
that there is a real need for a
device like dokiWatch.
GN: Which group is your
target market and why?
Chien: dokiWatch is aimed at
kids 6-12 years old. We want
to target kids who are old
enough to use a smart device
but too young to handle
the risk and responsibilities
of having a smartphone.
We understand that many
parents do not want to give
their children smartphones
because of its limited parental
control.
GN: What are the future
innovations that you or your
company are pursuing?
Chien: At this stage, were
still working on perfecting
dokiWatch. Our developers
are constantly working on
taking in user feedback and
working on ways to improve
the firmware and user
experience. We are also in the
planning phase of our next
product which will be another
IoT device for kids.
GN: Do you think your product
has made an impact on
your consumers and in your
industry?
Chien: I definitely think that
dokiWatch has set a new
standard for kid smart devices.
Theres not really another
product like dokiWatch on
the market that offers that
same functionality. Weve
also gotten tons of positive
feedback from parents and
even medical professionals
and parents of special needs
kids. From these comments,
I feel that dokiWatch has
certainly made an impression
on the market.
GN: Where do you see your
products heading 10 years
from now?
Chien: Maybe in 10 years
time, technology have already
evolved and maybe smart
wearables will be completely
different from what we know
now. But certainly, I want
Doki to be a company that
will adapt to the changing
climate and still develop
products that will ultimately
bring families together
through communication and
safety.
GN: What makes your
product different from your
competitors?
Chien: dokiWatch is a
completely innovative
product. While there are other
kids smart watches on the
market, none of them are as
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
comprehensive as dokiWatch.
It is truly a wearable phone. It
has all the essential functions
but without the risk and
responsibility. Combined with
GPS location and a fitness
tracker, dokiWatch is on track
to become a leader in kids IoT
devices.
THE CHALLENGES &
SOLUTIONS
GN: What challenges did
your companies face while
developing your product?
Chien: One challenge weve
had to face is finding a
manufacturer who is willing
to be our partner and work
closely with us in bringing a
concept idea to fruition.
GN: How did your company
overcome these challenges?
Chien: The relationship
between Doki and our
manufacturer is extremely
important and was key for
our rapid growth. We are
very lucky to be working with
Wherecom, a manufacturer
that worked alongside us to
create a truly innovative and
high quality product.
ADVICE TO YOUNG
ENGINEERS
Chien: When you think of a
new idea, make sure that it is
marketable and commercially
viable. Engineers tend to
think only of development
and the technicalities of the
product, but thats really
only half the battle. I would
recommend engineers to
partner with someone who
is strong in marketing and
business development.
DECEMBER 2016
71
IRONBOT: THE ADVANCED
TOY ROBOT THAT WILL MAKE
CHILDREN LEARN STEM
Boys love to play with robots.
They are naturally attracted to
these futuristic figures given
all the cartoons they watch
or the books they read. Once
they realize that they could
demand things to their parents,
they could go as far as bugging
the elders for a toy, amid the
different ways that these kids
could be immersed with the
world of robots. Some parents
have no choice but to give in.
Lots of robots are available in
toy stores all over the world. Toy
manufacturers barely upgrade
their robots and stick with old
designs except a few, like
IronBot.
The brainchild of Xiamen
72 DECEMBER 2016
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
JornCo Information technology
Co., Ltd., IronBot is a 3-in-
1 educational robot kit for
8 year olds and up. This toy
redefines learning science and
engineering through interactive
robotics.
We talked with Tab Chiu, the
captain of the company
behind IronBot. He shares how
he got interested with robots,
how the product came into life,
and what sets their robot toy
different from the rest.
THE COMPANY
Describe your companys brief
history.
JornCo Information technology
Co., Ltd. is based in Xiamen,
China. It is established by
four founders who became
teammates in the US-China
Young Maker Competition. In
the 2nd session of that contest,
our invention, which is a mobile
phone robot, stood out in the
over 400 entries from China and
US. It won sixth place in the final
round.
We were all motivated by this
experience. As public innovation
and mass entrepreneurship
increase in China, we founded
Xiamen JornCo Information
technology Co., Ltd. with the
expectation of converting our
works into products.
In June 2016, we gave our first
generation of mobile phone
robot called IronBot to Vice
Premier Liu Yandong and United
States Secretary of State Kerry as
a maker gift in the 7th session of
US-China High-level Consultation
on People-to-People Exchange.
The following month, IronBot
was crowdfunded in Indiegogo
through an overseas platform.
It was brought to 25 customers
in several countries around the
world. Come November 2016
when IronBot was awarded as
the Optimal Innovation and
Creativity Prize in China High-
tech Fair Entrepreneurship Night.
How big is your company?
Our team presently has 10
members.
Describe your mission, vision and
values.
Xiamen JornCo Information
technology Co., Ltd. devotes
to setting up establishment,
innovation realization and
sharing platform. RoboSpace is for
childrens robot modularization,
which, just like the four-wheel
drive, can enable each child to
have his/her own robot through
DIY. We aim to become their
unforgettable childhood memory
and even turn into a brand
affecting an entire generation.
Where is this company headed?
What are your future expansion
plans? Describe briefly your
strategic goals.
We are confident that developing
a robot suite is the fastest method
of helping each child to have his
or her own DIY, so we also take it
as our primary task.
All Photos by CodelcoViaMining.com
After releasing IronBot, we were
extensively recognized by the
public because the children and
their parents admire our robot.
Parents usually spend a weekend
to assemble our robot together
with their children, which they
enjoy. I believe it will become
an unforgettable parent-child
memory for them. We want to
continue bring this memory and
happiness to more children and
their families in the future.
In the near future, we will
research and develop more
robot suits which are suitable for
children. Our online RoboSpace
community enables children
to understand and learn robot
related knowledge, as well as
share their own robots. Ten or
twenty years later, we hope that
our product becomes the LEGO
of robots.
INTRODUCTION
What do you think is the future of
the toy industries?
Instead of being independent
small toys, all toys in the future
will become intelligent and can
already connect to Internet.
Children should also be able to
operate, program and control
their toys.
How will todays toys make a
difference as compared to the
ones from the past?
Both mobile internet and Internet
of Things have developed greatly
in the last 10 years. In the future,
everything will be connected to
the Internet including auto, air
conditioning, and toys.
Compared with previous toys,
many toys when connected to
internet, can give more extensions
and functions. For example, a
childrens story-telling device can
download stories from Internet.
While this will become a common
trend, of course, there will be
many differences like studying
from playing, and modularization,
etc.
Which toy from your childhood
made an impact on you while
growing up?
When I was young, my most
memorable toy is a mini four-
wheel drive, which not only I
played a lot with but also let me
learn about structural design and
DECEMBER 2016
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Engineers Give Back This Christmas
simple circuit. By using all the
components of the four-wheel
drive, I refitted it into a paddler
steamer. It left deep impression
with me because I enjoyed
playing it, learned, and achieved
applications as well as expansion.
THE PRODUCT
Whats the inspiration behind
your products? How did you
come up with these ideas?
The robots in my university
laboratory are expensive, which
are thousands to ten thousands
Yuan. This is why I did not seek
for these robots anymore after
graduation.
However, since I always hold high
passion for robots, I have myself
this, Is it possible for me to make
my own robots using available
materials? One day, I found the
answer by changing my mobile
phone into a robot.
When one of my teachers came
to see my robot after completing,
he was interested in it. We
discussed whether it is ideal to
help students make such a robot
through DIY. We agreed and
implemented a winter camp to
teach children to make a smart
robot from a steel plate. We
didnt expect that the winter
camp will be well-received and
the children and their parents all
liked it. That is where we started
to produce robots commercially.
Which group is your target
market and why?
Our major target market groups
are kids, teenagers, and parents.
We have robot products catered
for such ages.
At the same time, we always
encourage parents to assemble
robots together with their
children for the experience. It is a
pity for me since I had not come
into contact with a robot not
until I entered college.
Instead of being complicated
and profound as others think,
everyone can make his or her own
robot as long as one holds the
curiosity or interest. IronBot at
present mainly aims at children
over 8 years. Later, we plan to
release different versions of DIY
robot suits and accessories so
that children can possess more
74 DECEMBER 2016
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
space to make their dream
robots.
What are the future innovations
that you or your company is
pursuing?
Our current goal is to establish
a DIY platform RoboSpace for
children so that each child can
make his or her own robot. If you
want to DIY your own robot, just
register at RoboSpace.
Do you think your product
has made an impact on your
costumers and in your industry?
We hope that our robots can play
the role just like what four-wheel
drive did to me. We like to think
that children can understand
our robot, learn STEM-related
knowledge and apply these to
other applications.
Where do you see your products
heading 10 years from now?
I hope that our robots can be
everywhere in childrens hands,
homes and school.
What makes your toy different
from your competitors?
At present, there are many other
robot DIY suits in market, but
these are all similar with those
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 your
companies face while developing
your product?
Our challenges are how to
apply those advanced artificial
intelligence technologies to our
APP programming environment
and enable the children be
interested with programming.
This method can help children
understand these new artificial
intelligence technologies.
We set up a programmable
artificial intelligence procedure
in our APP we named Isaac. We
named it Isaac to commemorate
Isaac Asimov, a famous American
science fictionist, writer and
literary critic. His robot novels
brought endless imagination and
happiness to children!
How did your company overcome
these challenges?
Fortunately, we possess
experienced software developers.
In the past year, we kept
discussing, making progress
and upgrading our software
framework. One month ago,
we successfully released our
software. Sometimes the
difficulties will be readily solved
if we hold a patient and positive
attitude.
ADVICE TO THE YOUNG
ENGINEERS
Please give advice and words of
wisdom to millennial engineers
who want to start their own
companies and develop their own
products as well. Any inspiring
words that you can share?
Entrepreneurship is important
since whether products possess
certain advancement or solve
market shortcoming are decisive.
Thus, at the initial stage, it is
necessary to make market
survey, summarize data, and
dace up to reality rather than
being confused by temporary
innovation or creation. When
determining what to do, we
shall persist and keep exploring.
When moving towards the right
direction, everything will be
smooth; if it progresses slowly,
the direction might be wrong.
So watch out, observe market
and customers reaction, collect
feedback, and adjust timely!
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75
Engineers Give Back This Christmas
 COOL CHRISTMAS
TREE DESIGNS
FOR THE CREATIVE
ENGINEER
If youre an engineer who
already makes his own money,
you know you want to celebrate
Christmas and make the most
out of the holiday. There really
is nothing as special as having
your family and friends come
over and spend quality time
with you at home. Christmas
is after all the season of bright
lights and quality time with the
family. So you make sure that
you have a list of people youre
obliged to give a gift to, you
already know what youll be
cooking for the holiday and you
already have Christmas lanterns
prepared for the entire house.
But what about your Christmas
tree? Year after year, you have
the same Christmas decorations
for the tree that you only take out
of the closet every December.
Doesnt that get a little boring
especially for engineers like you?
With an engineers creativity
and the passion to have the
most wonderful-looking tree
among your circle of friends,
you know you have to come up
with the most brilliant designs
for your Christmas tree.
You want to make your design
exquisite - something you, your
family and your friends can take
pictures of and then post on
your Instagram accounts. You
want your design to be the best
and you want your creativity
and skills as an engineer to be
shown in your tree.
The list below shows Christmas
trees one can find all over the
world. Each tree did not only take
a few people to work on it. Given
its length and size, the people
behind each tree planned the
design really well to make sure
that all the lights are working,
the foundation of each tree is
strong enough and each tree will
attract thousands of tourists who
visit the areas.
In this list, you might get the
perfect idea for the next design
of your Christmas tree this year.
It will be a design where you can
apply your knowledge and skills
as an engineer. It will be a tree
that would look awesome that
people would love to visit your
place to see it in person.

This is a four-story Christmas tree at the Galleries
Lafayette in Paris. The lights will definitely cost you
a fortune and the electricity may be too high for
you this December.
The Trafalgar Square tree in London will give
you an idea on how to make your tree a little
extra tall. Lights are vertically-oriented so when
you look up at your tree, youll think your tree is
just wow.

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Engineers Give Back This Christmas
If you want a design like this one from Edinburgh,
make sure that the background of your christmas
light will perfectly blend well together with your
tree.
This Christmas tree was the centerpiece in
Germanys Dortmund Christmas Market. With
over 48,000 lights, and 1,700 individual fir trees,
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

crisscrossed in your tree? Looks like a good idea if Or would you like to put a wonderful
you see the pattern from this Red Square Christmas centerpiece in the Christmas tree like the star
tree. they used in this Christmas tree in Tokyo?

Of course a list wouldnt 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

red with this tree from Melbourne. If you want to have a non-traditional Christmas tree
design, this tree from Kuala Lumpur may inspire you
to deviate from the norm.

Found a design youre interested in? Already got an idea what to do for
your Christmas tree this year? Whatever the design will be, dont forget
what truly matters is you spending quality time with the people you love. So
go ahead, design a Christmas tree only an engineer can think of then have
the people you love decorate your tree with you! Merry Christmas!

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Engineers Give Back This Christmas
CHARITABLE COMPANIES
ENGINEERS MUST KNOW
ABOUT THIS CHRISTMAS
Christmas is all about giving and sharing what we have to
the people around us - may they be members of the family,
friends or just strangers who look like theyre in need of
what you have. This is what makes Christmas special and
as we fill our shopping list with all the people we plan to be
giving gifts to this holiday, we also shouldnt forget to give
back to our communities.

Did you know that there are several companies that have
a noble mission of helping out poor communities? Each
company has come up with an easy way of involving their
costumers in helping several people just by buying their
products. With every product you purchase from these
companies, you get to donate another product to people
in need.

In case youre feeling charitable this season, you may want

to consider buying from these companies:

Photo by CowleyAssociates

Better World Books Good Spread TOMS this company. Their designs
One book you buy from them For all the peanut butter They are famous for their buy are printed with covers of
means one book for Books for lovers out there, do a good one - give one charitable deed. classic books.
Africa or Feed the Children. deed by purchasing a packet They sell eyeglasses, boots
or jar from Good Spread. along with the companys Twice as Warm
One World Play Project A malnourished child will classic canvas shoe model. Give the gift of winter clothing
If you need a ball for your receive therapeutic food in to a local shelter when you
siblings, you may consider exchange of your purchase. Skyline Socks buy a clothing item from
buying one from One World Each pair of socks is designed Twice as Warm.
Play Project. The beneficiary Hand In Hand with a skyline from a major
for this charitable work will be Because we all know American city. When you buy Smile Squared
the poor youth from different sanitation is important for one pair, expect someone in We all want to see children
communities. 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 healthy
People Water and a month supply of clean teeth by buying a toothbrush
We all know how scarce water water for kids in need when The Company Store from Smile Squared. One
is for some countries so how you buy a bar or bottle of its You know its going to be cold toothbrush will be donated to
about buying a reusable water companys soap. this season, so if you buy a a child for every purchase.
bottle from this company? comforter from The Company
They;ll donate an equivalent Yoobi Story, you may provide BoGo Bowls
amount of water to those in There are so many poor warmth for a homeless child If you want to help shelter
need. schools in the US, so Yoobi in the US. animals, every bag you
decided to donate school purchase from BoGo Bowls
Roma supplies when someone buys Out of Print means the company will
A pair of boots and some their colorful office and school If you want to donate books donate a bag to shelter
school supplies will be given to supplies. to Books for Africa, you may animals as well.
children in need for every pair consider buying a shirt from
of Roma boots you buy!

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

DECEMBER 2016
79
Engineers Give Back This Christmas