This is my aquaponics journey. Since young, I have always had a sense of curiosity about plants and different planting methods. My curiosity and drive to achieve my own method of plant cultivation lead to the creation of my very own automated watering system. Over these years, I have spent countless nights researching about plants, their nutritionals needs and various planting technics. Until I chance upon the use of hydroponics to cultivate plant life. Eager and anxious to understand more on hydroponics, I attempted to self-cultivate a hydroponics system in year 2012. If you can imagine the excitement and anticipation I had as I waited on my first batch of plants to grow and flourish. To my delight, the first batch of plants (you may want to put in the name of your first plant) came out perfect! However, with repeated use of the hydroponics system, I begin to discover its flaws. The volume of water affects the continuity of growing plants with hydroponics method. This caused crop cultivation to deteriorate/fail eventually.
Determined to succeed, I investigated the success rate of infusing traditional hydroponics method with fish, to reach the nutrients in the water, and siphon to irrigate the plants. Yet another obstacle surface. Achieving the optimal calibration of the siphon can play the greatest benefit is a science, and understanding the dynamics that helps water micro-organism flourish is a homework. Uphold the spirit of unyielding, I try and try, again and again.
Another aspect of growing crops in an urban is Sunlight. Plants will not thrive without the sun. Hence I began to study the plant lights, and attempt to re-create it with home DIY methods. Experimenting crop cultivation at several wavelengths, to study and understand the ideal wavelength for the growth of plants. Building out from different materials to identify the best material for heat dissipation.
Through series of trial and error, countless recalibration attempts, I unearthed a deeper understanding of the symbiotic between fish and technology. My undying efforts also helped me accomplish my original aspiration: To grow plants within a natural eco-system. Without the need to water, add pesticide fertilizer antibiotic growth hormone, etc. My self-developed aquaponics method uses the inter-dependence between fish and plants to not only naturally grow organic vegetables for my family but also to add a touch of greenery to beautify my home.
I started with no prior knowledge of 3D printing to begin with. It took me years to grasp the art of 3D design, printing, calibration, and even gained an insight to the design of the printer. Being a perfectionist, I naturally have a very specific notion for the items that I print. This innate nature compelled me to personally create and design my very own 3D printer with accuracy that meets my expectations.
With the end product vivid in mind, I buckle down and started studying model maps to sketch my own blueprint designs. Couple with meticulous observation of the 3D printer at work, my knowledge of 3D printers deepens. I carefully examine its work of art, layer by layer. From the material input volume to hot bed and the precise distance for perfect output from the printer. Even the angle and intensity of the cooling fan plays a vital role in the completion of a perfect 3D model. My definition of precision art.
My sense of achievement reaches a new high as I look at my newly assembled 3D printer. I worked my fingers to the bone to personalize this piece of masterpiece, tuned to produce product fitting to my taste. Yet my ambitions does not halt here. With some fine tuning of the output, I managed to infuse Ray Carving and 3D printing into this same machine.
There is a famous Chinese saying “Failure is the mother of success”. Every single failure, is my drive. I learned from the failures and improve to realize the construction of my dream multi-purpose printer.
Hi, My name is Nelson and I work in the IT fields.
This is the story of my journey to becoming an innovative Maker.
My father played a significant role to the keen development of my interests. I grew up watching my father building small toys for me. I remembering admiring at my father in amazement as he assembled raw materials into wonderful toys for me. Inspired and intrigued by my father, Little by little, I began to appreciate and share his hobby. I build a knack at tearing things down, examining them and re-building items from scratch by myself.
Now that I am older, small toys transform into bigger toys. Building and studying these big toys becomes my passion and I get immerse into this small world. It has also becomes an important part of my life that relieves my stress and often becomes the most peace and happy times to get by busy city life.
Being a Maker is not only my belief but also became a life principle in other aspect of my life. It helped me developed a "hands-on problem-solving" attitude towards any life episodes. Regardless of success or failure, Making is an enjoyment and my kind of lifestyle.
在魚菜共生、3D打印、動手DIY，都頗有興趣。工作之餘DIY，想到什麼就做什麼，也利用OMG的資源實現了我的想法，累積了一些作品。
Javonte是我兒子的名字。現在食安問題嚴重，自從當了爸爸之後更是重視孩子的健康，自己種的最安心，也讓我更致力研究魚菜共生，希望能設計出更好更穩定的系統。可以生產出有機蔬菜，無毒蔬菜以及健康無毒的魚，不添加農藥化肥抗生素生長激素。靠著魚幫菜，菜幫魚的大自然共生原理就可以在自家採收到新鮮無毒的蔬菜！
與政府合作的案子，利用OMG的資源，從設計圖、Arduino的運作、整體架構的組裝到外殼的設計打印，都參與在其中。讓視障朋友可以利用機器就能打印出名片。
如何把天馬行空的想法變成實際作品，讓藍圖變成眼前的實品，透過工作之餘埋首在我的小天地間。家裡就是我的MakerSpace，實現我天馬行空的藍圖所在。有雷雕切割機、3D打印機、魚菜共生、焊接工具等等...。工具幫助我完成家裡許多小零件的製作，如：燈罩、廚房的LED燈，植物燈、自製小型冷藏箱、去除銅鏽鐵鏽機等。
自己的需求自己解決，Maker就是我生活的一部分。學會3D設計、利用3D print、激光切割，可以打印出生活小零件，直接拿來使用。再也不用因為某個東西壞掉了，就必須花大錢修理或是換新的。也為家裡多了很多小巧思，如：布置、燈罩、小夜燈、收納盒等等...。
