technology Archives - PeopleSpace

Designing, Prototyping and Producing Innovations

July 6, 2018 by Geraldina

Designing, Prototyping and Producing Innovations: 3D Printing the ZeroTier Edge

Unilab Manufacturing is an eco-friendly 3D printing farm who helps their clients bridging the gap between prototype and mass production. Unilab Manufacturing designed and 3D printed the first ZeroTier’s hardware device, the ZeroTier Edge.

Making the ZeroTier Edge

Digital manufacturing company, Unilab Manufacturing, was a vital component of the creation of the ZeroTier Edge. Located in the PeopleSpace building, both companies collaborated to design and manufacture the newest ZeroTier hardware product.

Unilab Manufacturing is centered on designing, prototyping and producing innovations through the use of 3D printing. Typically, to make a product like the Edge, one would need to use aluminum tooling, an expensive process to create prototypes. However, 3D printing ensured that metal tooling was unnecessary and in turn, costs were greatly reduced.

How were the models manufactured?

Over the course of 3 to 4 months, seven different variations of the design for the Edge were created. Initially, the ZeroTier team provided a concept which was digitally drawn by an industrial designer. Later, Unilab printed a physical prototype that was revised and recreated multiple times until the 3D printing was ready to commence.

Why was 3D printing a good strategy?

Fortunately, what could have cost about $15,000 simply for tooling, only cost a few thousand for design while actual 3D printing only cost $5 per unit. Additionally, printing saved approximately 30 days of tooling.

By bypassing excessive spending of time and money, 3D printing continually satisfies the need for rapid development of plastic products.

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Want to learn more?
Visit Unilab Manufacturing website

The Future of Network Virtualization

June 28, 2018 by Geraldina

The Future of Network Virtualization: ZeroTier introduces the ZeroTier Edge

PeopleSpace resident ZeroTier developed a open source network virtualization software that now has several years of operational history. They recently launched their first hardware device, putting the power of their software into a convenient package.

Launching the ZeroTier Edge

Toward the end of 2017, ZeroTier released a presale campaign for the ZeroTier Edge, a new hard drive holding network virtualization software. In other words, the innovation allows users to create virtual networks. Remarkably, with this network, any device can join and communicate directly with any other device.

What makes the product different?

Compared to many enterprise networking softwares, ZeroTier One is incredibly open and more user-friendly. As a matter of fact, ZeroTier has focused greatly on increasing the efficiency of networking as a field, allowing them to be built more easily.

The model focuses on giving consumers a product closer to the Apple experience — instantly on and working — a feature uncommon in networking. Unfortunately, most networking products tend to be rather clunky and completely manually operated.

What was the vision for the business side of the innovation?

According to founder and CEO of ZeroTier Adam Ierymenko, “It’s important to look at how to achieve the task and what it would cost to achieve it.” They wanted to create a product of reasonably high quality that could be achieved on a small budget.

What made their vision possible?

To do so, they purchased circuit boards made by a local company and used 3D printing to micro-manufacture the box that encases the boards. This strategy allowed them to prototype the ZeroTier Edge for a fraction of what it would’ve cost 10 years ago.

Importantly, they had to consider which approach would be the best in the market.
So they used Indiegogo…

The site handles payment transactions for users so that a payment website does not need to be built. Additionally, most of the customers on Indiegogo realize they’re buying primary developmental versions so they’re more sympathetic to the product not being perfect. Indeed, it proved to be a good platform to use for the very first release of the Edge.
The response on Indiegogo was surprisingly positive. They received more orders than the 300 they actually have in their office ready to ship!

How did they make their strategy the most efficient?

ZeroTier followed an entrepreneurship model that prioritized minimal risk. By incrementally using off-the-shelf items and on-demand manufacturing along with 3D printing, they were able to risk little capital and build as needed more economically. Thus, their strategy became a more viable option for a smaller company versus risking a lot of capital through injection molding.

In the long term, the ZeroTier team wants their software to give people control of their data and the electronic world more than they have today.

Furthermore, they want to make it easy enough so that ordinary people can use it too and not be completely dependent on 3rd party systems to get their work done. Hopefully, people can use products like the ZeroTier Edge to gain privacy, security and more control of the digital world.

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Want to learn more?
Visit ZeroTier website

Crafting Youth to Be Creators

June 13, 2018 by Geraldina

Crafting Youth to Be Creators: Bit Scouts Coding School

PeopleSpace resident Code Campus, also known as Bit Scouts, is doing a great job making coding school and technology education easy and fun for young children – and ultimately having an impact on the community as a whole.

Coding & Computer Science for Kids

For over a year now, PeopleSpace has been fortunate enough to allot office space to the innovative company Code Campus. Also known as Bit Scouts, Code Campus specializes in bringing coding and computer science education to elementary and middle schools around Orange County. What originally began as a mere extracurricular activity has evolved into an organized set of after-school coding classes only a few years later.

How does it work?

The operation is fairly straightforward. Instructional staff hold 40 minute extracurricular lessons for students to engage with holistic introductory coding in a convenient after-school environment. After that, it’s simple. The students learn about coding and computer science.

Why is it important to teach coding young children?

Already, we consistently see the newer generations growing up with technology just at their fingertips.

Children are learning to swipe on iPads or are using touch screens before they can even read or talk. If the youth are already interacting with technology, what is the harm in teaching them about what they’re using? In fact, this technology is only going to continue to develop and become more complex.

Instead of letting these students remain unknowing, Bit Scouts teaches them how to use technology and inspires them to learn more about creating and developing it on their own.

Students can educate others too

On a larger scale, by teaching kids, in turn, the students can use their knowledge about technology to also educate others. Whether it be parents, friends or any older people, these educated youth can teach those who may not be as interested yet may be consumers of technology.

Making an impact does not come without challenges…

Of course, generating such a widespread impact does not come without difficulties. Depending on the district, administration and community, Bit Scouts has to consider many factors in order to set up their classes at various locations. Additionally, most instructors don’t have both computer science backgrounds and teaching experience; yet, the company helps them gain experience in whichever they may lack. Unexpected last minute schedule changes are also not unfamiliar to Code Campus. Nevertheless, they continue to work through dynamic problems and problem solve on the spot in order to benefit the company.

…but results are great.

Despite difficulties, the company has truly gained influence and has even been recognized by the Los Angeles Times. In the future, Code Campus hopes to work with schools during the school day so that all kids in the given classroom or grade level can have access to this education. In doing so, kids who may not have been interested or could not afford it before will be able to participate and expand their computer science knowledge.

Obviously, the times have changed. Now, it is time for kids to not just be consumers but to also be users and most importantly creators for the future of technology.

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Want to learn more? Thinking about bringing coding to your school?
Visit Bit Scouts website