February proved to be a big month for OneLab! We have been honored with the Battelle 2009 "Volunteer of the Year" award, the CEO of 3M sent a letter to our CEO, thanking us for all the hard work, and we are in the final throws of getting our Tax exempt status...
Goals for 2010:
- Secure grant funding
- Continue our great relationship with CTI and the thresher project
- Expand our work to include more people, diverse projects.
Looking forward to see what March brings!
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
501.c3...
We are tired of waiting...
We filed papers on Wednesday with the State of Ohio to incorporate OneLab as an official non-profit entity. This should allow us to seek grant funding and tax deductible donations (once we get tax deductible status...that paperwork is next), as well as set our own course for the future without having to wait for others to "get it".
We all have been inspired by the work and are amazed at the incredible opportunities which present themselves every day. We have a few new projects in the works, an exciting opportunity to bring our message to a new forum, growing interest from the public and possible expanding scope from our great partners at CTI.
The last thing any of us need is another job...but the pull to do this work is too strong, the results too compelling and the impact too important...
“Melinda and I believe that helping the poorest small-holder farmers grow more crops and get them to market is the world's single most powerful lever for reducing hunger and poverty,”
- Bill Gates, after announcing $120 million worth of new grants to support the worlds poorest farmers.
We filed papers on Wednesday with the State of Ohio to incorporate OneLab as an official non-profit entity. This should allow us to seek grant funding and tax deductible donations (once we get tax deductible status...that paperwork is next), as well as set our own course for the future without having to wait for others to "get it".
We all have been inspired by the work and are amazed at the incredible opportunities which present themselves every day. We have a few new projects in the works, an exciting opportunity to bring our message to a new forum, growing interest from the public and possible expanding scope from our great partners at CTI.
The last thing any of us need is another job...but the pull to do this work is too strong, the results too compelling and the impact too important...
“Melinda and I believe that helping the poorest small-holder farmers grow more crops and get them to market is the world's single most powerful lever for reducing hunger and poverty,”
- Bill Gates, after announcing $120 million worth of new grants to support the worlds poorest farmers.
Results from Mali...
Thom returned safe and sound from his trip to Mali...an early Christmas gift for us here at OneLab. Our friends over at CTI have already been receiving inquiries about the thresher, most noticeably from the Peace Corps Africa. The next phase of the project is to refine the design so it can be fabricated from metal. We hope to build a few more prototypes, but the end goal is to develop a system that can be built and maintained in the specific country of use.
A brief overview of the trip:
A working farm:
Harvested millet waiting to be processed:
Storage (notice pile of millet in back right...and GIANT chicken at bottom!)
Transportation from fields:
New method of threshing (we didn't expect this one...which is EXACTLY why field observation is critical) Notice small black lumps on ground at right...apparently this site also served as the mules restroom...
Winnowing:
Sifting:
Prototype test: Notice the plastic bottle. This was used to cover the panicle (stalk) during the stripping because the grains were flying all over the place (yet another example of the importance of field testing)
Power winnowing:
Final product:
Data:
The real results:
The system was left in Mali for additional testing and we hope to have more data to further validate these incredible results!
A brief overview of the trip:
A working farm:
Harvested millet waiting to be processed:
Storage (notice pile of millet in back right...and GIANT chicken at bottom!)
Transportation from fields:
New method of threshing (we didn't expect this one...which is EXACTLY why field observation is critical) Notice small black lumps on ground at right...apparently this site also served as the mules restroom...
Winnowing:
Sifting:
Prototype test: Notice the plastic bottle. This was used to cover the panicle (stalk) during the stripping because the grains were flying all over the place (yet another example of the importance of field testing)
Power winnowing:
Final product:
Data:
The real results:
The system was left in Mali for additional testing and we hope to have more data to further validate these incredible results!
Friday, December 18, 2009
Mali field test...
Thom has returned from Mali with over 400 images and video of the prototype being tested... I will post images soon!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
End to End test
This was the first end to end test of the stripper/thresher/winnower.
Dare I say...fabulous!
Thom had an moment of inspiration while tearing apart his dryer to fix it...he found a little plastic fan that put out LOTS of air with LITTLE movement. The yellow rig you see in the video is a hand cranked fertilizer applicator...not the final thing, but a HUGE leap forward...
Thom will be backing up the system, and himself, for a trip to Mali in December to test the system in remote villages. The system will most likely stay there, and we will continue to refine based on user feedback.
In the meantime, we await the first harvest of fresh millet from the USDA to validate the yield and time estimates...
Dare I say...fabulous!
Thom had an moment of inspiration while tearing apart his dryer to fix it...he found a little plastic fan that put out LOTS of air with LITTLE movement. The yellow rig you see in the video is a hand cranked fertilizer applicator...not the final thing, but a HUGE leap forward...
Thom will be backing up the system, and himself, for a trip to Mali in December to test the system in remote villages. The system will most likely stay there, and we will continue to refine based on user feedback.
In the meantime, we await the first harvest of fresh millet from the USDA to validate the yield and time estimates...
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
TEDx Columbus
Thanks to all who came out to see the first TEDx Columbus to hear our little story!
I had lots to say, and only 10 minutes to say it, so I hope it all came out clearly...
I will post the videos as soon as they are ready...
Big thanks to Thom and Jeff for all the hard work, and to all the other people who have helped make this idea into something bigger...it will surely make a difference in the lives of others...
This is good stuff...
I had lots to say, and only 10 minutes to say it, so I hope it all came out clearly...
I will post the videos as soon as they are ready...
Big thanks to Thom and Jeff for all the hard work, and to all the other people who have helped make this idea into something bigger...it will surely make a difference in the lives of others...
This is good stuff...
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Winnower Prototype Test
It took some time, but our boy Thom created a winnower prototype that works like a charm! Built from simple PVC tube and a blower, Thom played with the tube diameter and air velocity until he dialed in the perfect airflow. Next step is to create a human powered way (hand or pedal) to provide the constant airflow (no easy task...too much air blows the seed out the top, too little does not winnow the material).
This is what threshed material looked like prior:
This is the remaining chaff:
This is what threshed material looked like prior:
This is the remaining chaff:
And this is the winnowed seed:
Thom Rules!!!
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Feed bin with integrated stripping
This direction looked promising, so I built a mock up to show what the final design might look like. The blue mesh on the rollers represents ex-met. One idea was to have a single roller with ex-met and rubber combined to give extra grip to the stripping end (bottom image).
V3 prototypes
Many thanks to Doug and Chris for stopping by and helping knock out some stripping/threshing prototypes!
Earlier in the week we had a idea session with a larger team, and today we mocked up some of the concepts to see how they worked:
Concept 1: "aperture" - A series of wires wound to create a sharp stripping edge while allowing for various sized panicles to be inserted. Image shows prototype and results.
Concept 2: "tube" - Beveled hole on curved surface to guide stripped material into thersher.
Concept 3: "pie tin" - Single hole in chamber to hold stripped material and then be dumped into thresher.
Breakthrough! - After mocking these up, we were wrestling with how to integrate the stripper into the existing roller assembly without having to force the user to insert or remove new pieces or re-position the system. It occured to us that we could utilize a smaller section of the rollers to integrate the stripping feature into the feed bin. This would allow the panicle to be stripped and the material to fall directly in to the rollers. Feeding the system one panicle at a time also "self metered" the amount of material fed into the rollers. We also added a guide at the bottom to separate the used panicle from the material.
This is a video of the 1st test:Resulting millet, hand winnowed with cardboard:
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Delivered!
The thresher prototypes have been delivered to CTI, and on to General Mills for testing. General Mills will send a system to Africa, and we will be building the 3rd generation system over the summer. We are planning to accompany our little V3 thresher to Mali to see it being used in context, but have alot of work to do in the meantime...
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Build'n
Thom, Jeff and I spent Saturday morning at the workshop hammering out the last few details of the duplicate thresher.
After picking up the final parts, I worked for the better part of Sunday to assemble both units to make sure everything was working.
Once completed, I tore everything down and built a shipping crate. 4 hours later (design on the fly!) it was finished. I was able to fit both threshers (with stands) and all the residual parts in a 36"x24"x24" crate. What it lacks in size, it makes up for in weight...
If all goes well, it will be shipped Monday or Tuesday, and we can start planning with CTI about the next generation system. In the meantime, Thom will be playing with some interesting ideas that are a departure from the current direction, but could result in a substantial reduction in size, complexity and cost.
It was a lot of fun to be working on this project in a community workshop, as it gives others a chance to see what is going on and share in the positive energy!
After picking up the final parts, I worked for the better part of Sunday to assemble both units to make sure everything was working.
Once completed, I tore everything down and built a shipping crate. 4 hours later (design on the fly!) it was finished. I was able to fit both threshers (with stands) and all the residual parts in a 36"x24"x24" crate. What it lacks in size, it makes up for in weight...
If all goes well, it will be shipped Monday or Tuesday, and we can start planning with CTI about the next generation system. In the meantime, Thom will be playing with some interesting ideas that are a departure from the current direction, but could result in a substantial reduction in size, complexity and cost.
It was a lot of fun to be working on this project in a community workshop, as it gives others a chance to see what is going on and share in the positive energy!
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Project number 2...
Over the summer we will be starting a project with Don Schoendorfer of the Free Wheelchair Mission, helping him refine a second generation wheelchair.
Need to be inspired to do good things? Take a moment and read about Don's story here
This will be a summer of growth for OneLab...bigger space, bigger teams, bigger dreams...
I have no idea where this is going or what it will look like in the end, but I know it feels right...
Need to be inspired to do good things? Take a moment and read about Don's story here
This will be a summer of growth for OneLab...bigger space, bigger teams, bigger dreams...
I have no idea where this is going or what it will look like in the end, but I know it feels right...
Our new home...
We stumbled onto a great little community workshop in Columbus called "The Idea Foundry" founded by some local engineers.
"The Idea Foundry is a community workshop, learning center, and occasional art gallery located in Columbus, OH. We are a collection of students, professionals, artists, engineers, and general creative enthusiasts who wish to bring imagination to reality. "
Thom and I stopped in to see what it was all about and noticed some key features right away:
#1 - a well stocked workshop with all sorts of tools...
#2 - A computer lab...
#3 - Pet rats...
and last but not least....HEAT!!!!!
Needless to say, Thom and I were all in, and are pleased to announce that this will be the new home for the OneLab Initiative! We look forward to working side by side with others in the community who want to make a difference, and are excited to contribute to the positive energy this place has!
"The Idea Foundry is a community workshop, learning center, and occasional art gallery located in Columbus, OH. We are a collection of students, professionals, artists, engineers, and general creative enthusiasts who wish to bring imagination to reality. "
Thom and I stopped in to see what it was all about and noticed some key features right away:
#1 - a well stocked workshop with all sorts of tools...
#2 - A computer lab...
#3 - Pet rats...
and last but not least....HEAT!!!!!
Needless to say, Thom and I were all in, and are pleased to announce that this will be the new home for the OneLab Initiative! We look forward to working side by side with others in the community who want to make a difference, and are excited to contribute to the positive energy this place has!
100% yield!?!
During late March, Erv from CTI (in the black hat) visited our little workshop.
During the visit, we broke out in to a brainstorming session (sidewalk chalk and the garage floor) and threw around some ideas for reducing the number of "brokens" (cracked grain). Erv flew back to CTI headquarters and got right to work building some of the ideas. Apparently, one of the ideas produced a 100% yield (no brokens) which is a pretty big deal! If this is the case, and we can successfully implement this on a device, the thresher would allow villages to produce 70% more grain from the same amount of land! Not bad for 4 guys freezing in a garage!
During the visit, we broke out in to a brainstorming session (sidewalk chalk and the garage floor) and threw around some ideas for reducing the number of "brokens" (cracked grain). Erv flew back to CTI headquarters and got right to work building some of the ideas. Apparently, one of the ideas produced a 100% yield (no brokens) which is a pretty big deal! If this is the case, and we can successfully implement this on a device, the thresher would allow villages to produce 70% more grain from the same amount of land! Not bad for 4 guys freezing in a garage!
Millet shortage...
Our original goal was to ship the thresher prototype to Mali at the beginning of May for testing. However, it seems that all the millet in Mali has been threshed since last falls harvest, so there was not much material to test. CTI decided to postpone the ship date until the fall, which will give the team the summer to further refine the prototype, as well as save our pennies so we can hopefully tag along!
Back in the saddle...
I am back in the saddle after some much needed time off. This was the first two week vacation I have ever taken...by the middle of the first week, I had forgotten what time/day/week it was...
I am amazed at how long a day is when not measured in Outlook meeting requests...
I am amazed at how long a day is when not measured in Outlook meeting requests...
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Day two...
Day two of the EWB conference...more people, more interest, more great questions...
Jeff and I participated as real world examples of how CTI collaborates with it's partners, and had the chance to explain the 2 pass prototype to the audience.
Jeff deserves HUGE credit for this prototype. He spent many nights this last week finishing the system, and it shows...
The thresher breaks down to fit into a standard suitcase for ease of transport...
Has a minimal number of parts...
And then assembles to create a compact, stable system (1st generation is on left)...
We have 3 weeks to incorporate a stripping mechanism that removes the millet from the candle (stalk) as well as a hand powered winnower. Then our little baby is off to Mali for field testing and user feedback. Over the summer we will modify the system based on the feedback and have another device in the field in time for the fall harvest...
Jeff deserves HUGE credit for this prototype. He spent many nights this last week finishing the system, and it shows...
And then assembles to create a compact, stable system (1st generation is on left)...
We have 3 weeks to incorporate a stripping mechanism that removes the millet from the candle (stalk) as well as a hand powered winnower. Then our little baby is off to Mali for field testing and user feedback. Over the summer we will modify the system based on the feedback and have another device in the field in time for the fall harvest...
The Blue Sweater...
Jacqueline Novogratz, CEO and Founder of the Acumen Fund http://www.acumenfund.org/ gave the keynote address Friday. She has a new book called The Blue Sweater, personal memoirs of her lifelong quest to understand global poverty and to find powerful new ways of tackling it.
You can lean more, and hear interviews here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Blue-Sweater/41692100926?ref=ts
A few of my take aways:
- "Philanthropy is broken" - insight gained from her time at the Rockefeller Foundation
- "Charity alone will not solve poverty"
- "Dignity is more important than wealth"
A re-occurring theme between all the people in this field is patience and time...
...Both are critical to the success of any endeavor
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Road Trip!
Jeffy and I are on our way to the Engineers Without Borders conference in Milwaukee. We will be delivering the 2 Pass prototype, as well as helping Roger (from CTI) with a few workshops. We are looking forward to talking with others who share out interest, and hope to move our vision for OneLab one step closer to reality!
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