Social responsibility in science
When I was 10 years old, I read an article about a drone created by Princeton students that could both fly and swim underwater, and I was amazed at how cool and wonderful this invention was. This ignited a spark of intellectual curiosity that is still burning inside. I read all the books on computer science and design that I could get, burned my fingers with a soldering iron and slowly, project by project, turned into a competent and enthusiastic designer. But learning can’t happen in a bubble, so I decided to share. I have a small workshop at home with all kinds of equipment and tools. First, I showed my brother how to make a basic diagram and write basic code, and the reward for seeing how excited he was about new skills prompted me to invite friends and colleagues. Later it became more extensive and diverse, becoming a…
General 3D modeling
Scroll to see my completed projects: • 3 types of chess that I designed in Blender • 3D drawing of a knife that I made in Blender for fun. • Freelance order that I completed with Blender
Revelations of a volunteer
When one of my closest childhood friends, Anton, committed suicide a few years ago, I was completely devastated and thought I would never recover. However, after months of denial and avoidance – not knowing how to talk to anyone about this topic – I realized that, despite our many cultural and political differences, the universal experience of personal tragedy is what binds us all together. After many difficult discussions, I decided to devote myself to a meaningful service project in which I could keep the conversation going. Having found and supported PAPYRUS (the Parent Association for the Prevention of Suicide among Young People), promoting its patronage at my school, I found meaning in Anton’s death. Today, PAPYRUS uses many ways to prevent suicide among young people. Speaking to over 1,000 people at a school meeting, I promoted PAPYRUS to the point where it was chosen as the school charity of…
Chess
“Checkmate,” I said, pushing my queen into position for a fatal blow. I couldn’t help but smile when I announced the victory over my father: a triumph that had been preparing for five years! I have already told you for a reason that one of my first serious inventions was a smart chess board. My love for chess originated at a young age and has been steadily growing ever since. As the president of my school’s chess club, I am very proud to promote this game. In a few short years, I turned the club from a small circle with rare meetings into a full-fledged co-educational association, which entered the top three schools (out of 100) of the national championship. Combining passion with strong organizational skills, I helped develop something important both for myself and for others. Although I enjoy being an active participant, creating something that could last beyond…
My laboratory
I have a small engineering lab at home where I create most of my projects. When I start a project, I first research the topic, then look at existing products, and then proceed to the design phase: I create several drawings, choose the best one and then create 3D models (I usually use Solidworks for engineering projects and Blender for more “artistic” ones). As soon as the form is ready, I move on to the electronic flowchart, and then to the diagram. I use EasyEDA to model printed circuit boards. Then I create component models in 3D / find ready-made models on the internet and put them in the main body. Usually I just print a 3D model and assemble all the components, however, if I need to use a more complex material (wood/metal), I work in a school workshop. For all projects with electronics, I use my favorite soldering…
My Projects
I have a huge range of projects in my portfolio: from 3D modeling to woodworking and programming. I have already talked about many of them in my blog. Conditionally, all of them can be divided into: • electronics, • programming, • computers, • general 3D projects, • metal, • other. Some projects (for example, the ETH tracker) were created to study new components and technologies. Some more complex ones, such as a smart chess board, were created to find solutions to specific problems; in this case, creating a solution for accessible interactive chess learning. Sometimes I create projects related to my hobbies – I am an ardent printer, so I made myself an individual keyboard: I will tell you more about it in the following publications and show you how it looks. Most of the projects are created just for fun, while others are created as freelancing and earnings.
I am a super hero
All my projects are aimed at solving some problem, whether it’s a reminder to feed the cat on time or an attempt to make interactive chess training more accessible. With each project I learn something new – a new skill. It makes me feel like a superhero when I realize that a new skill that I have acquired through my hard work, sweat and tears can help others and be useful! Every project is a challenge with a lot of small problems that I need to solve, but the ultimate goal is always the same – to make people smile. When I use my skills to solve a problem, I always know that it will make someone happy. At least the person who was struggling with a certain problem that I solved thanks to my skills and knowledge. Creating things is my way of making the world a better place…
My own community
My experience as an international student with diverse global lives has taught me the importance of diverse viewpoints and the power of collaboration. Past movements in Eastern Europe before my teenage years forced me to find myself in the UK at the age of 14 without a social network or support. I began to understand the depth of common interests when I began to share my love of chess with others, both informally and through the chess club at school, which I founded and headed. At first, the club consisted of no more than a few participants gathered in an empty classroom on a Wednesday afternoon to study and play chess in a largely uncompetitive manner. But soon it acquired status and diversity, turning into a full-fledged club. Now we are participating in regional and national competitions, taking third place in a nationwide competition in which more than 100 schools…
Family and support
“Good afternoon, can I ask for five 100kOhm resistors, two 440 UF capacitors and a 2 by 16 LCD display.” – I asked. “Aren’t you too young for this kind of thing?” the salesman at the Radio Shack store replied. He smiled, knowing about my frequent visits and persistent questions. I grew up in a small town in Ukraine called Simferopol, knowing one simple truth: if you strive to learn something, there are almost no restrictions that cannot be overcome. Despite the frequent shortage of resources available in the Western world, I tried to support my intellectual curiosity with various projects, always having the unwavering support of my family. I have three brothers and sisters who have always supported me in my endeavors. My younger sister plays with my so-called “inventions” with great pleasure, and my brother is passionate about my explanations of the differences between BJT and FET transistors.…
What does the fan have to do with it?
The pure joy and intellectual curiosity of my first engineering project still lives in me. At the age of 10, I “designed” and built an “engineering piece” that was so messy and confusing-in form, function, and design-that it was almost impossible to describe. The fan, assembled from a disassembled radio-controlled helicopter connected by a coarse soldering flux and a clumsy box, was so confusing in its foundation and execution that it is now puzzling. Voltage and current were not in balance, and I never thought about its use, usability, or stability. But it was a product of true curiosity and a relentless experiment that will stay with me forever. Since then, I have created a small workshop at home with various tools, where I continue to experiment with all kinds of design productions, both alone and with like-minded people. We meet regularly and collaborate on projects of a fairly large…