When I was 10 years old, I read an article about a drone that could fly and swim underwater, which aroused my intellectual interest. I read all the computer science and design books I could find, burned my fingers with a soldering iron and slowly, project by project, became a competent and passionate designer. My room was my sanctuary – a sanctuary for my personal growth and development. However, there was one problem – I didn’t know how to expand my passion and new knowledge beyond this room.
So I decided to share it with others. Since then, I have set up a small workshop at home with various tools, where I continue to experiment with a variety of projects together with like-minded friends. We meet regularly and work on large projects, the purpose of which is pure pleasure, which brings experienced training. We’ve created some great things, from radio-controlled cars to smart pet feeders, but it’s more about the process than the end. For me, this type of organic synergy, this exchange of knowledge and experience in the name of intellectual curiosity, is extremely satisfying.
My interests in computer science and design have deepened and become more complicated over time. I have since taken part in two significant independent research projects. The first is a neural network programming project led by MIT graduate Ryan M. Sander to design, prototype and program a fingerprint scanning device, the second is led by Columbia University Professor Ioannis Kimissis, where a prototype of an easily reproducible smart chessboard using available components was designed and created. Both projects were extremely exciting and – just imagine – it all started with one article that I came across almost ten years ago!