Slant Concepts

Slant is the reincarnated version of Universal Mechanisms. While still basically in development we are operating with what we have.

Slant is a product micro-production and development firm. We focus on the creation of a quantity of ideas instead of a quantity of product units. Meaning we like to try one thing and if it doesn't work we move on to the next. Instead of working to develop the "One-Hit Wonder" of products we work to create good products for niche markets. We are the opposite of the mass production model.

Since Slant is based on micro-production we focus on the creation of products that can be stored digitally, which eliminates the need to store physical inventory. This means that we do a lot of 3-D printing and self-publishing. Something is made when it is purchased.

I currently run Slant alone from a dorm room. But when I need help I bring in friends and free-lancers. I suppose that 'we' is really just the rolodex of people that have helped when Slant was UniMech and will be helping with the development of Slant in the future.

Launch

Launch is a student-run incubator that I am starting on the ERAU Prescott campus.

The Space Economy

The Space Economy was a blog that I began in the spring of 2014. It is meant to be a place to share potential business ideas and future ramifications related to creating a thriving space economy.

I have a steady readership, which I have built by pulling social media strings, and I plan to eventually turn the blog into a book when there is enough material.

This project is absolutely one of my finest and favorites.

Precarius Stacking Game

Precarius is a game a designed to be a game to learn how to build stuff and have fun. It was something that I created when I was bored. I am moving toward manufacture and intend to ship at the end of the summer of 2014.

Pot Hooks

These pot hooks were something that I threw together to replace cloth potholders and oven mitts. I wanted something that would not be burned and could be washed easily with other utensils. So I made something that could get a good hold on any kind of handle. I use a pair of them in the kitchen but they are also pretty handy for camping.

"Precarious" Engineering Game

"Precarious" is basically the reverse of "Pickup Sticks" or "Jenga." Instead of taking pieces away until the tower falls, players add pieces until the tower falls.

Players build from the two "foundation" blocks attempting to create an unstable structure that will force the other player(s) to cause it to collapse while not doing so themselves. The stucture is "collapsed" whenever any piece other than the "foundation" blocks touches the tabletop. Since there are limited pieces, players must make the structure become precarious quickly in order to win before the game becomes a draw from lack of pieces.

It is a lot of fun to play because it can either be very strategy intensive, for the expert, or just a pastime, for the average player. Changes in the arrangement of the "foundation" blocks changes the difficulty and type of structures. It can even be played alone to set records of highest tower or most pieces. It is incredibly versatile.

I am planning to begin building game sets and probably selling them on Etsy. I'll add a link when I'm ready.

Power Claw

The Power Claw was an early prototype for an ultra-strong prosthetic/exoskeletal hand. It had over 100 lbs of gripping force using the simple linear actuator assembly. It was made from solid steel which made it far too heavy to be usable, but I was able to get a feel for the proportions and the effectiveness of the gripper arrangement.

This type of prosthetic, once fully developed, is for those who wish to have an extremely active and dirty lifestyle. Most prosthetics today are dexterous by very delicate. I wanted to work on the other end of the spectrum for those who will want to ride snowmobiles and work in construction.

The Power Claw would also be useful as a kind of "metal glove" for those that want to have a tougher hand for certain jobs.

I intend to re-work this hand in machined aluminum. I've also have found linear actuators that are faster, stronger, and more compact. This prototype will probably be added to the SPExs suit prototype.

Personal Shorthand Alphabet

I could have learned shorthand to speed up my note-taking ability but I decided to create my own version instead.

I replaced nearly every letter in the alphabet (k was redundant) with a symbol that can be written quickly and simply. 

In order to create the greatest efficiency the most commonly used letters, like the vowels have the simplest symbol to replace them, in order to speed the writing. Also all of the symbols were chosen to ensure that the pencil always moved forward and never backward, which would be a waste of motion. (j, x, and c were the exceptions)

I use this shorthand system now in conjunction with the normal alphabet until I am better aquainted with my own creation. Once I have practiced enough, the mechanics of the letters will speed my writing significantly. It will also keep people from asking to use my notes.

Thumb-Biased Smartphone GUI

How many of use are able to use our smartphone with only a single hands. Not many, most of us hold the device with one hand and use the finger of our other hand to navigate and select buttons. This is because using the thumb of the hand holding the device usually isn't very easy.

Most App buttons today are designed horizontally. Stretching across the screen to allow for symmetry and a limited ability to use the thumb. But with the tap of  just-2 buttons becoming the standard should we not work to optimize a one-handed UI?

So I have started to incorporate an idea I had into my projects. It is a Thumb-Biased GUI. What I have done is made the GUI adjust to the dominate hand of the user. If I have an app that simply needs the user to tap a few times for approval or the like, then I create, instead of a large horizontal button button, a tall vertical button set to the side of the screen near the thumb.

This system let's the user operate the app with the hand holding the device, with little to no fear of smearing across the wrong buttons, especially if there is only a single button. And the user doesn't have to work as hard to reposition the phone so that their finger aligns with the buttons.

You can see a general outline of my GUI concept below.

Images from a Ranch

Images from a Ranch was a photo book that I published with photos that my little brother had taken while we worked on the home ranch. It is actually the first book that I ever published.

BowlClaw

The BowlClaw was a quick idea for a way to pull hot bowls from a microwave and pack them around. It is just a solid piece of wood/plastic that you could keep in the with your potholders.

WISE

WISE was a book that was made from essays on my blog When I Say Eureka. I started to publish the book but when  I looked at the first copy I decide to wait a little longer to grow and focus the book more. I expect to have a fully published version by, no later than winter of 2015

TIMDS

TIMDS. Thoughts. Ideas. Minds. Designs. Sketches.

TIMDS is a blog dedicated to great design ideas. Whether for aesthetics or function. Whether they had a large impact of a small one. Whether they are conceptual or manufactured. I wanted to create a place where designers and inventors, such as myself, could go and get inspiration from the great ideas that are created by others everyday while recognizing the significance of those ideas.

I intend to grow TIMDS into an independent entity/business as opposed to just a side-project blog. But in the mean time, I just like writing about the stuff that I think is awesome.

PaperWeb

PaperWeb was an effort by UniMech to revive the dwindling newspaper industry. I was unique in the fact that it combined printed newspaper format with internet content through the use of a kind of augmented reality setup on the page.

We didn't get the response we wanted from our test printing so the idea was abandoned though I still think it has potential.

MyGlass

I had some spare time so I decided to throw this up on Quirky. It is just so I don't keep losing my drinking glass midst my family's

3-D Advertising

These were advertising that I came up with for one of my businesses. They are good at grabbing attention. People will definitely see this no matter how many other normal flyers are around them. They also can just be dropped without having to pin them to anything.

Tension Desk

This was a thing I came up with when I was working on making furniture that could be stored and moved more easily. This certainly does it. The prototype looks like junk because that was all that I had laying around. When I rebuild it it will be solid stock and will have a much better look similar to the CAD drawings. I use the prototype for a design desk, since I can easily change the angle of the surface.

    

"Whop" robot toy

The Whop was a toy that I made for my baby niece. A project that started as a robotic pet turned into an oversimplified walker. It is incredibly soft and cuddly and when the antennas are touched it walks forward with a simple waddle. I will probably return to this project to make it a full blown automation but it is still awesome as is.

       

A Giant Leap

A Giant Leap is a screenplay that is tells the story of a groups of friends that create a new space technology and try to get it to work and fly. It is focused mainly on human achievement, leadership, and entrepreneurship.

I finished the script in the fall of 2013 and it is currently under evaluation by studios.

HeritageTold.com

www.heritagetold.com

This is a project that I am particularly proud of. HeritageTold is a website dedicated to storing the wisdom and experience of generations before they are lost. Today everything is stored on facebook or twitter but what about the generations before the computer. These people do not communicate on the computer and they are slowly being lost and thier experiences with them. Heritage told is working to collect the experiences from these people before they are lost. 

We currently take submissions in text but are working to enhance the site with video and voice recording. We're are still in early development.

The Talking Pancake

www.thetalkingpancake.com

The Talking Pancake is an online custom pancake business that I am working to get off of the ground. People will be able to go to the site and construct their mixes from my list of ingredients. Below was our pitch video. While I failed on Indiegogo to get funding I have moved to an Etsy store that will get me rolling for less capitol

Bring 'R' Up

bringrup.com

This is a food courier service that has become a subsidiary of my company Universal Mechanisms. Bring 'R' Up delivers groceries from local stores right to the customer's door using only a generic shopping list provided by the customer on our site.

Three Minute Classes

This is an Youtube education series where I took any topic and create a three minute informational video about it. In this way people are able to get information fed to them in a visual manner quickly and easily. I did videos on topics ranging from chess to American History.

YouTube Video

Embry-Riddle Innovation Lab

This is one project that I am very proud of thus far. Embry-Riddle has had an apparent lack in space where students such as myself could work on personal innovation outside of classes. So, since 2012 I have worked with some friends to create a maker/design space on campus. We have the space up and running now we have to continue the grow the Maker influence on campus

Addendum: The lab is still operating and continues to be frequented by students. My involvement has ended as I will be graduating in 2015, but I still use it. The lab is fully accepted by the campus administration and there is talk of another being built. 
Here is the website for the Innovation Lab 

Club "Innovation"

This was a club that I started Freshmen Year at Embry-Riddle that was intended to be a lot like Benjamin Franklin's Junto. It would be a group of like-minded people that would be able to meet and share and pursue ideas  that they as individuals couldn't do. It was meant to be a way to pool resources and be able to allow people to make their ideas a reality.

While to me it was a good idea it just didn't get the response that it needed to continue. This was partially my fault because I didn't have crystal clear direction for the club and screwed up how it was supposed to operate. But there was also just a limit of interest from the student body that made it difficult for it to be a worthwhile use of my time. But with that said, if I have time again and a few more friends that would be willing to help with it I would start it back up again.

Universal Mechanisms LLC

Universal Mechanisms is the parent company to many of my other ventures that are business related. We focus on innovative concepts in engineering, design and business.

UniMech was originally a robotics company based on the modular, Model R hobby platform, but quickly morphed into a more general product design firm.

UniMech was shut down in 2014 in order to be rebranded as Slant Concepts.

Quickbot from Model R

This was a project that I made to demonstrate how easy it is to create a working robot with the Model R platform that I designed for Universal Mechanisms LLC. So I grabbed some surplus drill motors (one of my favorite power-cores) and a model truck battery with a couple of switches and built this guy in under an hour. Gross and ugly, but it showed the concept.

Model R

This project is the development of the Model R modular hobby robotics platform. It was recently presented in an uncompleted form on Kickstarter.

This is the link to the Universal Mechanisms website                          er

Universal Mechanismsg                                 

                        

RC System for New Holland TV 145 Tractor

I was contracted to build this system for a local rancher so that he could control his tractors from a wagon that they pull so he alone could complete a certain task, which used to require two people.

I completed a product form of this system several months ago that the rancher is using extensively. The very first test of the project can be seen below. 

It is much prettier now, believe me. It looks nothing like the first draft prototype in the video.      

Test of RC Tractor System

Un-powered Exoskeleton

This project is meant to be the implementation of an exoskeleton that uses no power to offset loads that workers and soldiers must bear in their respective environments  I have made several prototypes that have proven the concept. I am currently refining the design.

Longboard Electric Illumination Concept

This project was an attempt about a year ago to implement electro-luminescent lights into long boards, skate boards, and even snow boards. Below are pictures of the first quick proof-of-concept. 

 

3D Printed MultiTools

These multitools, which I designed with Google Sketchup, are something that I wanted to have around.
So I made them and had them printed. Since they were there, I decided to set-up a Shapeways store so anyone can get the designs printed.

The PentaTool at the right actually has, up to eight separate tools in it.

This bracelet multitool was meant to reduce
the clutter in my pockets if possible.

The TriTool at the right is actually my favorite. One because it is cheaper, two, it is just better. It has the same seven tools in it that are also part of the eight that the PentaTool has.

Large Personal Robot

This project is old. I started it  few years back but he was just shoved aside by my other real work and now he's just waiting to be finished when I have the time. 

He was started as a project in modular/slim personal robot design, and wood was the closest material that was handy. So I machined his body  and then started adding the systems. Right now he is outfitted with motors and a rough wired remote. The things you see sticking out of his middle section are the arms that are waiting to be installed if he doesn't get scrapped.

A Video of My Voice Impressions

I enjoy doing some impressions from time to time. So I decided to make this video

Cardboard Laptop Case

Here is a very quickly-made laptop case that I created out of cardboard. It works great, but it isn't the best fashion item. And don't worry my laptop doesn't fall out of it. There are small flaps at each end that stop this.

 

Kindle Cover Made from a Book

What could make more sense. I got my Kindle but I really like the feel of a book and I didn't want to pay for an expensive case. So I cut out this prototype Kindle case from a book that was out of date.

Steel Cow-Catcher

A cow-catcher is a head latch for cattle that holds them in place so that people are able to vaccinate the cow or help her give birth.

During my time as a ranch-hand I was asked to build this one out of scrap metal. It is able to hold a 1500 pound cow without any problem at all. 

To use, the cow is directed into the catcher where, when she pushes on the gate with her shoulders, the two flaps latch catching her. When the work with the cow is done a person simply pushes down on the handle and the gate will allow the cow to move away.

This project probably took a little less than a day to finish but it will be standing for the next twenty years.

Vertical Wind Turbine

This is a project I built in high school when I was interested in renewable energy. This wooden turbine prototype was designed to react to wind in any direction and have as little resistance as possible. Each turbine flap is hinged so that each will fold in against the center of the turbine when moving into the wind but extend when moving with the wind. The hope was to gain the maximum efficiency from a breeze.

When it was done it did work. But because the wood is a little too heavy for the application, when the turbine began to spin very quickly the flaps would begin to extend, due to the centrifugal force, and the efficiency would be lost. But that is an easy problem to fix with reduced generator speed and lighter flaps.

It was made with a lazy-susan and a few scrap pieces of plywood from the high school wood-shop.

BEAM Tank Robot

This is about as basic as any of my projects get but it was still fun. It simply uses the whiskers as contacts to turn one side or the other on and off based on what the robot hits. the hardest part was probably taking the tank apart and then using it's battery pack for power. I'm adding in a few more complicated circuits which is why the top is off in the picture.

Horse Shoe Bar Stools

This was one of my artier projects that a friend contracted me to do. Each stool was made completely out of used horseshoes. and some scrap metal stripping that I had available. The wooden seats have been changed. they were originally covered with cowhide. I made these about eight years ago.