Over Coffee® | Stories and Resources from the Intersection of Art and Science | Exploring How to Mak

Over Coffee® | Stories and Resources from the Intersection of Art and Science | Exploring How to Mak

By Dot Cannon: Public Speaker & New-Media ReporterSociety & CultureEducationArts
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Over Coffee® | Stories and Resources from the Intersection of Art and Science | Exploring How to Mak episodes

  • Local Roots Farms: Where Agriculture Meets the Future


    Local Roots Farms founder and CEO Eric Ellestad says vertical indoor farming isn't a new idea.

    "(Ancient) Babylon discovered (indoor farming) as one of the seven wonders of the world," he explained, during his presentation at Make in LA's March Toolbox LA lunchtime event.



    Historic idea or not, vertical indoor farming is gaining traction as world population grows.  And with Los Angeles-based Local Roots Farms, Eric is using twenty-first century technology to develop produce to specifications.

    LED lights, sensors and irrigation systems allow Eric and his team to adjust the plants' environment.   The controlled climate enable them to change crops' flavor, texture or durability.

    Local Roots Farms has the goal of developing a worldwide network of indoor farms which grow crops sustainably.   Their current markets include universities, community centers, mass-market grocers and the hospitality industry.

    Eric talked about creating his startup, explained how some of the technology works and shared his vision for the future.
    On this edition of Over Coffee® you'll hear:

    *
    How Eric developed Local Roots Farms to meet the challenges of modern farming with cutting-edge technology;

    *
    How this technology works to give plants the optimum growing environment;

    *
    Some of the research Eric did, in developing his indoor farming systems;

    *
    The story of Local Roots Farms, which Eric founded in 2013;

    *
    A good "learning mistake" Eric and his team made, while developing their startup;

    *
    The resources that worked well for him, in developing Local Roots Farms;

    *
    The direction Eric wants to take his company, globally, in the future.


    Would you like to attend one of hardware accelerator Make in LA's "Toolbox LA" lunchtime presentations--which are all about innovating to support the Los Angeles ecosystem?   Their May 3 event,  "Health Tech Challenges", is happening in Pasadena.  Then, on June 1, they'll host "Social Justice and Tech" in downtown Los Angeles.  Here's the link to RSVP for these free events.
    11 min
  • Local Roots Farms: Where Agriculture Meets the Future


    Local Roots Farms founder and CEO Eric Ellestad says vertical indoor farming isn't a new idea.

    "(Ancient) Babylon discovered (indoor farming) as one of the seven wonders of the world," he explained, during his presentation at Make in LA's March Toolbox LA lunchtime event.



    Historic idea or not, vertical indoor farming is gaining traction as world population grows.  And with Los Angeles-based Local Roots Farms, Eric is using twenty-first century technology to develop produce to specifications.

    LED lights, sensors and irrigation systems allow Eric and his team to adjust the plants' environment.   The controlled climate enable them to change crops' flavor, texture or durability.

    Local Roots Farms has the goal of developing a worldwide network of indoor farms which grow crops sustainably.   Their current markets include universities, community centers, mass-market grocers and the hospitality industry.

    Eric talked about creating his startup, explained how some of the technology works and shared his vision for the future.
    On this edition of Over Coffee® you'll hear:

    *
    How Eric developed Local Roots Farms to meet the challenges of modern farming with cutting-edge technology;

    *
    How this technology works to give plants the optimum growing environment;

    *
    Some of the research Eric did, in developing his indoor farming systems;

    *
    The story of Local Roots Farms, which Eric founded in 2013;

    *
    A good "learning mistake" Eric and his team made, while developing their startup;

    *
    The resources that worked well for him, in developing Local Roots Farms;

    *
    The direction Eric wants to take his company, globally, in the future.


    Would you like to attend one of hardware accelerator Make in LA's "Toolbox LA" lunchtime presentations--which are all about innovating to support the Los Angeles ecosystem?   Their May 3 event,  "Health Tech Challenges", is happening in Pasadena.  Then, on June 1, they'll host "Social Justice and Tech" in downtown Los Angeles.  Here's the link to RSVP for these free events.
    11 min
  • The Makings of Magic


    Dylan Harter has an extraordinarily cool job.

    As General Manager at Vocademy: The Makerspace, Dylan oversees a unique program.

    Vocademy, which opened in Riverside in 2013, is a maker space with a difference.  Their program focuses on education--for everyone.  And they're teaching real-world skills that most schools no longer offer.

    "We are makers," says Vocademy's website.   They're sharing those making skills  by offering training in 3D printing, laser cutting, woodworking and a host of other hands-on areas.    With employee-training programs for companies, as well as students and the general public, they're bringing the "fun" element back to learning.



    Oh, and they're creating some fantastic cosplay, LED signs, and go-carts, too.





    In March, we met Dylan at Vocademy for a tour of the fifteen-hundred-square-foot facility.   Like the maker culture itself, Vocademy is continuing to grow and evolve. 

    These 3D printers were made specifically for Vocademy!



    This massive laser cutter has a three-foot-by-four-foot cutting area.  It can cut anything that burns.



    The day we visited, Vocademy had eight electronics stations, were adding features to their finishing room, and were continuing to explore the possibilities for a second Southern California location, sometime within, approximately, the next two years.

    They were also planning a maker faire, this autumn, in Riverside!  We'll give you more details when they announce the date.



    Dylan talked about his experiences with Vocademy, showcased some of the facility's features (a high school actually teaches shop classes onsite, due to Vocademy's high-end equipment and safety procedures) and offered a preview of what's next.
    On this edition of Over Coffee®, you'll hear:

    *
    How Dylan and founder Gene Sherman first came up with the concept of Vocademy;

    *
    How a local charter high school is using Vocademy for onsite curricula;

    *
    Some of the maker skills students and members can learn;

    *
    Dylan's recommendations for favorite resources for makers;

    *
    Where Vocademy is heading, in the future;


     

     
    9 min
  • The Makings of Magic


    Dylan Harter has an extraordinarily cool job.

    As General Manager at Vocademy: The Makerspace, Dylan oversees a unique program.

    Vocademy, which opened in Riverside in 2013, is a maker space with a difference.  Their program focuses on education--for everyone.  And they're teaching real-world skills that most schools no longer offer.

    "We are makers," says Vocademy's website.   They're sharing those making skills  by offering training in 3D printing, laser cutting, woodworking and a host of other hands-on areas.    With employee-training programs for companies, as well as students and the general public, they're bringing the "fun" element back to learning.



    Oh, and they're creating some fantastic cosplay, LED signs, and go-carts, too.





    In March, we met Dylan at Vocademy for a tour of the fifteen-hundred-square-foot facility.   Like the maker culture itself, Vocademy is continuing to grow and evolve. 

    These 3D printers were made specifically for Vocademy!



    This massive laser cutter has a three-foot-by-four-foot cutting area.  It can cut anything that burns.



    The day we visited, Vocademy had eight electronics stations, were adding features to their finishing room, and were continuing to explore the possibilities for a second Southern California location, sometime within, approximately, the next two years.

    They were also planning a maker faire, this autumn, in Riverside!  We'll give you more details when they announce the date.



    Dylan talked about his experiences with Vocademy, showcased some of the facility's features (a high school actually teaches shop classes onsite, due to Vocademy's high-end equipment and safety procedures) and offered a preview of what's next.
    On this edition of Over Coffee®, you'll hear:

    *
    How Dylan and founder Gene Sherman first came up with the concept of Vocademy;

    *
    How a local charter high school is using Vocademy for onsite curricula;

    *
    Some of the maker skills students and members can learn;

    *
    Dylan's recommendations for favorite resources for makers;

    *
    Where Vocademy is heading, in the future;


     

     
    9 min
  • Moona: A “Smart” Night’s Sleep


    Moona CEO and co-founder Coline Juin knows the science behind helping you get to sleep.

    She's also used research to improve the quality of your sleep, so you'll feel better rested.

    Coline and her team have consulted with sleep scientists before putting their findings to work in their startup's first product.




    This is the Moona sleep system.

    It's a two-part device, to be set up  in your bedroom.   One element goes under your pillow, while the cylindrical control unit can be placed near your bed.

    Then, Moona helps you get to sleep and get more rest, by monitoring and adjusting temperatures.

    At CES® 2017's Eureka Park Marketplace, in Las Vegas, Coline shared the story of creating the "Moona" sleep system and demonstrated how it works.
    On this edition of Over Coffee® you'll hear:

    *
    What medical data says about falling asleep and waking up--and how Moona is designed to optimize rest

    *
    The origins of the Moona device

    *
    How Coline and her team developed the technology

    *
    How the Moona sleep system works

    *
    Coline's own experience with using her new sleep system

    *
    How Coline found out that she and her team were one of 27 French startups selected to exhibit at CES®

    *
    The resources that have worked best for her, as a maker/entrepreneur
    Moona is currently accepting registrations for their pre-order list.  Here's the link if you'd like more information.

    8 min
  • Tennibot: Removing the Tedium From Tennis


    Tennibot founder and engineer Haitham Eletrabi loves tennis.   But he doesn't love the chore of gathering all those tennis balls, after a game or practice session.

    Enter expertise and robotic innovation.



    Haitham has created Tennibot--the world's first robotic tennis ball collector!  Through a "smart" technology, it locates the balls independently--gathering up to seventy at a time.

    Tennibot also has other ways to help players improve their game.   Its app keeps track of the number of times a player practices, and the number of  balls hit.  It also sends you reminders, to go out to the ball machine or practice your serve!



    At CES® 2017's Eureka Park Marketplace, Tennibot was drawing considerable interest.  Haitham, who is a postdoctoral engineering researcher at Auburn University, says he plans to ship a limited number of them later this year.

    Haitham talked about his background, shared the story of Tennibot and offered some resources for fellow makers and entrepreneurs, based on his experiences.  (And he shared the story of his team's win at Auburn University's "Tiger Cage Competition" in 2015!)
    On this edition of Over Coffee®, you'll hear:

    *
    How Haitham first fell in love with the game of tennis;

    *
    How Tennibot, resulted from his status as an avid tennis player;

    *
    The steps Haitham and his team took, in making their vision a reality;

    *
    How Tennibot works;

    *
    The lessons Haitham and his team learned, during their makers' journey;

    *
    One of the main problems they had to work through, during the creation process, to create an efficient robot;

    *
    A great customer-service guideline for makers taking pre-orders for a new product;

    *
    When the robot is expected to be available, later this year, and its  price;

    *
    The resources Haitham, as a maker, has found most helpful;

    *
    Haitham's advice to fellow entrepreneurs, on pitching their products successfully to potential investors;

    *
    Haitham's favorite memories of the "Tiger Cage Competition", in which Tennibot was one of the winners;

    *
    His guidelines on spending prize money, such as his team received in the competition, wisely while developing a product.

    22 min
  • The Voices of FIRST® Robotics


    "Why didn't they have FIRST® Robotics Competitions when I was in high school?"

    That's a very common reaction from anyone no longer between the ages of fourteen and eighteen.



    A FIRST® Robotics match could be described as a "varsity sporting event for engineers and assorted other creative people".



    Teams receive robot kits and instructions early in the year.  Rules are highly stringent.

    Working with mentors, from their schools or local engineering firms, each team builds a robot.  (Think NASA/JPL, SpaceX and Raytheon, and you'll have an idea of some of the firms participating--and volunteering.)  As everyone works, the clock is ticking. The goal: to complete a competitive robot in six weeks.



    Then, it's off to the ring, on the dates of the FIRST® Robotics Challenge, in cities in the teams' area.


    A refreshing difference
    Unlike other sporting events, though, FIRST® Robotics doesn't just cater to one select, highly-skilled group.

    This event is for everyone.   And if you're a novice, expect to get welcomed.   Have questions or make a mistake?  That's OK.

    The theme on which FIRST® operates: gracious professionalism, with a healthy dose of kindness.  Those qualities are, in fact, more important than "who wins", when the teams face off, robot-to-robot.



    During a FIRST® Robotics match, high-school students team up in Red and Blue Alliances.  Three against three, the teams work together, to try to navigate a specific game course with the robots each team has built.

     

    Meanwhile, that game changes every year--with different challenges.





    This year, Over Coffee® again had the pleasure of attending the FIRST® Robotics Los Angeles Regional Competition.  This seventeenth L.A. event happened in Long Beach, at CSULB's Walter Pyramid from Thursday, March 23rd through Sunday, March 26th.



    And the students with whom we spoke explained the game, discussed their experiences and told us how FIRST® Robotics was helping them discover their passion and chart a course for their future STEM careers.
    On this edition of Over Coffee®, you'll hear:

    *
    How the FIRST® Robotics competition works;

    *
    One of the central rules with which teams must comply;

    *
    The theme and goals  of the 2017 FIRST® Robotics competition;

    *
    What the robots are built to do;

    *
    How the teams customized their robots;

    *
    The ways the teams carry through the FIRST® theme of "gracious professionalism";

    *
    Life skills team participants are gaining, beyond robotics;


     

     
    17 min
  • PowerUp: A Pilot’s “Why Not?” Flight of Imagination


    PowerUp creator Shai Goitein has never forgotten the fun of making paper airplanes.

    And now, he's added twenty-first century technology, to make them innovative, as well.

    Shai, who is the owner and CEO of PowerUp Toys, has created the world's first smartphone-controlled paper airplane!

    A pilot himself, Shai has come out with a line of remote-controlled plane kits, including the "PowerUp 3.0", which can be flown in snow.

    But he didn't stop there.  His newest model, the FPV,  is a paper-airplane drone with the ability to live-stream what it "sees".

    Shai's PowerUp FPV paper airplane drone won a 2017 Innovation Award during CES®' fiftieth-anniversary show, which happened in January in Las Vegas.

    At CES® 2017's Eureka Park Marketplace, Shai talked about designing his paper-airplane drones, his experiences at CES and what fellow makers can take away from his experiences.
    On this edition of Over Coffee®, you'll hear:

    *
    How the PowerUp paper airplane works;

    *
    How Shai first came up with the concept for his paper-airplane drones;

    *
    The different types of aircraft he's created, for his line of remote-controlled paper airplanes;

    *
    His experience at 2017 CES®;

    *
    A resource that worked well for Shai, in his creative entrepreneurial journey;

    *
    His advice to fellow makers, on creating a successful new product.


     
    7 min
  • A “Revolution” to Feed a Growing World


    "Farmers are the original innovators," says RoyseLaw AgTech Innovation Network founder Roger Royse.

    And today, Roger is augmenting that innovation process, as farmers incorporate sensors, LED lights, and robotics in what amounts to a technological revolution--as they work to supply food to an increasing global population.

    Roger, who is the founder of Menlo Park-based Royse Law Firm, has been working with tech startups in the course of his tax- and business-law practice, which he started in 1984, according to his website.    Five years ago, he applied both his legal expertise and his knowledge of food production to the creation of the RoyseLaw Ag Tech Incubator.

    The RoyseLaw AgTech Innovation Network educates innovators on trends in the growing agricultural technology industry.  In addition to providing webinars and events, they connect promising startups with resources and potential investors.

    Roger was the first speaker at ToolBox LA, the second in a series of lunchtime events around Southern California.  Hosted by Los Angeles hardware accelerator Make in LA, these two-hour events focus on ways local innovators can support the L.A. ecosystem.

    Prior to his presentation, Roger talked about current developments in agricultural technology, his background and some of the most exciting new innovations involved in producing our food supply.
    On this edition of Over Coffee®, you'll hear:

    *
    The dynamics driving the current technological revolution in farming;

    *
    Some of the most exciting agricultural technologies Roger sees emerging in Silicon Valley;

    *
    The ways farmers are using data to solve problems and make decisions;

    *
    The systems currently in use for indoor and vertical farming;

    *
    A system for growing indoor crops that sounds impossible--but is happening today;

    *
    Why Roger foresees agricultural technology exploding in the future;

    *
    The implications of some of the new technologies for global food production and sustainability in the future;

    *
    What Roger observed about inefficiencies in food production, growing up with his family's business

    *
    Some of the upcoming webinars and presentations RoyseLaw AgTech Innovation Network will be offering, and how to get involved.
    Make in LA's third "ToolBox LA" lunchtime event is coming up Tuesday, April 11th at noon in Playa Vista.  "Social Justice and Tech" is the theme, and admission's free--but be sure to RSVP!   Here's the link for more information.

    19 min
  • Socos: Potentially Mind-Blowing


    Neuroscientist, mom and entrepreneur Dr. Vivienne Ming is using artificial intelligence to change the future.

    Vivienne and her wife, Norma, are the co-founders of Bay Area educational technology startup Socos,   Through Socos, they're offering an app that helps parents maximize a child's learning experiences--and life outcome.

    This app, called MuseBot, is based on decades of research and machine learning.   MuseBot will ask a parent a daily question, analyzing a child's learning process.  Then, the app sends the parent a suggestion for a customized activity.  Activities are designed to spark the child's interest and imagination, encouraging questions and exploration of his or her world.

    Currently, MuseBot is geared towards children ages newborn to twelve.  But plans are in the works for future products that can intervene at critical points in the learning process for older students, as well.  Vivienne says teen to college-age groups will also be seeing a MuseBot in the future.

    And while MuseBot is a  commercial product, Vivienne, whom Inc. Magazine named one of"10 Women to Watch in Tech" in 2013, also makes it available to low-income customers, through her nonprofit organization.

    Vivienne talked about her background, her experiences co-founding Socos with Norma, who is an educational expert, and the ways MuseBot helps children (and potentially, "big kids") to maximize learning potential.
    On this edition of Over Coffee®, you'll hear:

    *
    Vivienne's journey towards her current career as a scientist, entrepreneur and educational pioneer;

    *
    How an undergraduate machine-learning project ultimately inspired her to use AI to improve the educational field;

    *
    The steps Vivienne and Norma took towards their current work in making a difference in students' lives and futures;

    *
    How the Muse software evolved from their experience and research;

    *
    The philosophy behind MuseBot and the ways it's revolutionizing education;

    *
    How parents can apply MuseBot to maximize a child's learning outcomes;

    *
    How low-income organizations can use MuseBot--at no charge.

    *
    A MuseBot intervention Vivienne put to work to awaken her five-year-old daughter's interest in science;

    *
    How Socos is developing MuseBot for older children and young adults;

    *
    What adults can do, today, to maximize their potential--and one of the biggest predictors of future success.

    23 min

About Over Coffee® | Stories and Resources from the Intersection of Art and Science | Exploring How to Mak

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Would you like to know more about the art of twenty-first century "cool stuff" that's changing our world? Such as: robots, space exploration, new media, wearable technology and other innovations that…