Day 10: MIT Make in India

Day 10: MIT Make in India

Today we decided to focus on the Saras Organic soap company the Make in India team is currently trying to start. There were many discussions among teams--some heated--and lots of note-taking and such. This is all available on the Google Drives. A lot happened here, and I am honestly too lazy to write it all. In the end after this morning, I decided to opt out of being on the team for it. I was the finance person on the business team, but I no longer want to do it. I feel there are a lot of people and no matter how hard we try, we aren't on the same page just yet. I have full faith that all the others will make this happen and do amazing things! 

After the soap fun, we ate lunch and then set out to do some site visits. We got on the party bus (pt. 3.0) and started, but turns out we had left Daivon (which was absolutely hilarious). He had left to go get his ID (which he ended up not finding), and within that time we had all boarded the party bus and left. He then called us a few minutes later and came in on a motorcycle. That was so freaking funny.

Finally we got everyone on the bus and left for the rope/coil making place. There we saw how rope was made from coconut husks, using both manual labor and machines. It was incredibly interesting as I had never seen anything like it.

Titan tries to make rope. Tries. 

The manual crank for spinning the rope.

Machines that make rope from a thin thread and putting on the golden husk-y stuff.

Coconut husks. Or where weave comes from.

The coconuts stay underwater for about 6 months.

Daivon...

Keeping of the ropes

Then we made a quick visit to a fort right by the beach and ocean. Then it poured.

We were going to visit the fishermen's village as well, but since it started pouring our field trip was cut short and we returned to the house. The soap peoples continued their research and talked to the ladies once more with the questions they came up with. As I had quit the team, I wanted to go explore the city/village some more, so I recruited Ching-Ching, Forest, and Justin to come along with me. Of course, this was a concern that none of us could speak Malayalam and didn't know any of the ways, but we decided to adventure and yolo it. 

We set out with the goal of going to the market, and came to the train tracks and ended up taking the wrong turn away from the market. After walking for some time, we realized it was probably the other direction and asked a man (that spoke English). He told us that we were, indeed, going the opposite direction for the market, but the famous temple here was nearby in the direction we were walking. Change of plans then we decided to visit the temple instead and set out in the said direction of the man for the temple. We walked along the road for quite some time (with no temple in sight) and took a random turn into some small street and keep going until we hit a dead end and soon the railroad tracks. From there we asked a nice shop owner for directions and bought Kurkure (that I thought were banned) and CenterFresh. We walked along the railroad tracks for quite some time, asking people along the way to make sure we were on the right path. Turns out if you speak to people in English or Hindi, they will answer in broken English or Malayalam, but they know what you are saying. That was helpful. 

Finally we found the temple and it was nothing like I had ever seen of a temple before. We ventured around it and went inside (apparently guys have to take their shirt off?). It was pretty cool, but not like any Hindu temple I had been to. 

Justin, Ching-Ching, Me, and Forest

In addition, Forest had somehow spotted elephants behind the temple area. We all watched the elephants do some weird movements (dance? charging? mating call?) and saw fireworks that were happening nearby as well. Ching-ching and I decided to walk back and get our shoes, but Forest and Justin even got to pet the elephant. Not fair. Next time. 50 rupees to ride. 

We came back and ate dinner. Deepika and Mala also arrived, so nice to see them again. As our group normally does, we joke around, making interesting comments, and enjoy ourselves. I bought some Frooti as well. And ended up drinking the entire bottle, oops. I shared a little... We also got our laundry back, all mixed together and quite damp. Yay for our awesome indoor clothesline. Today was a fun day with lots of exploring. Tomorrow we all set out on the party bus to spend a day and night on a houseboat and then a day and night in Munnar. Should be fun! 

Day 9: MIT Make in India

Day 9: MIT Make in India

As yesterday was the great milestone of me hand washing my clothes, today would be another milestone. As in I actually coded something that worked. However, the morning started with idli sambar breakfast and the call that if you have any laundry to be done, please put it in the pile. I almost cried. But at least I no longer have to hand wash. 

We went over to the lab, and sat on the ground to start with some warm up brainstorming. Raj brought up the problem of shampoo bottles, the fact that the current design of shampoo bottles had issues that bug us. Some issues are:

• you can never get the last bit (wasting shampoo)
• can't tell the difference between shampoo and conditioner without glasses in shower
• waste of plastic
• hard to put in the shower (no shelves)
• slippery
• can get too much out at once (wasting)
• etc.

After we brainstormed these problems, we had to all individually come up with a design that would solve a problem or even more. I decided to fix the problem of not being able to see, slippery, and wasting the last bit by having braille-like S and C on the top, grip on the bottle, and a syringe-like plunger to get all the shampoo out. 

The day was spent mostly working with the Arduino. Instead of teaching us directly, he decided to let us come up with a cool gadget and told us to make it. Our group first each brainstormed things and finally went with Forest's idea of lights that respond to music (based on sound intensity). We initially tried to have it respond to the music using the mic sensor, but that didn't work so we decided to go with AUX jack/cable (though this had the issue that you couldn't listen to the music, still haven't fixed it yet). We also used neopixel LEDs that you could control each LED separately. 

Chingy and her chainz

I did some soldering and wire-stripping (Swapnil and I were apparently a hazard in the EE place according to Kristin). We begin putting the circuit together and coding the LEDs through the Arduino. After scrolling through and testing a lot of sample code, we finally got it to kinda work roughly! I had finally coded something that worked, although I coded it in the most simple way: if statements and for loops. 

Connections with AUX: http://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/51486/how-to-read-data-from-a-3-5mm-headphone-jack

Code found: https://github.com/FastLED/FastLED

Although we didn't make any mechanical part to it, the bugs enjoyed the blinking LED lights, and I was satisfied enough for the day. That finished our product of the day.

Mayank, Forest, Me, and Swapnil

Another big thing that happened today is that during "afternoon tea", the ladies that make soaps and sell them locally came to talk to us. We asked a lot of questions and gathered a lot of information so that we could help make a co-op and help them sell their product and make a profit for them. 

• Make soap for 32 rupees
• Sell only locally to families they know
• All organic, homemade, hypoallergenic
• A few different scents (neem, lemongrass, sandalwood)
• these could sell in hotels, hospitals, 
• each lady has 24 molds and takes 3 days to dry fully
• each soap lasts a week for the family
• price fluctuates with price of coconut oil
• Make by order and no more

We are now spending the night discussing. Things to be done:

• Market research (who's your consumer)
• Product design
• packaging
• fragrance
• size
• shape
• Strategy
• Entity: NGO, 
• Test Market
• Branding

I have joined the business strategy team for this new endeavor. Should be fun!

Also our crazily amazing friend Deepika has resigned her job to come and attend this workshop!!!! So excited! 

In other news, my clothes are still not dry, and I still get made fun of because of my name. 

Day 8: MIT Make in India

Day 8: MIT Make in India

Although it's Saturday, the group took no breaks as Raj led us to the "fab lab" this morning to begin our 3 weeks innovation and making. Although we had a very nice breakfast first (I had talked with the cook and her daughters the day before and had mentioned I didn't like coconut in literally everything). 

At the lab, we first organized all the materials that had been tossed into the box on the way back from the TechTop Workshop. Aishwarya also read us all the best #bobbyjindalissowhite jokes. The fab lab was three rooms: a "machine shop", an electrical/electronics room, and the main room with many tables and 3D printer. After the organizing was done, it was time to pick teams for the rest of the three weeks. Raj had us all put our names down in the two columns that were our strengths out of physical (MechE), plumbers (EE), logic (coding), and design. I put myself down for coding and design. Simply using the list he picked teams. My team members are Swapnil, Mayank, and Forest. We also received awesome lab notebooks. 

After that, as an exercise, Raj had us brainstorm of everyday problems we see and experience. We came up with a lot. Then he had us pick one that we wanted to brainstorm solutions for (crazy and feasible). As it had been raining all day (monsoon season probs) and doing our laundry was looming, we all decided on drying your clothes in monsoon. There were some great ideas brainstormed such as using an American dryer, water sucking iron, collapsable tent, nudist colony, disposable clothes, and ceiling fan dryer. Our brainstorming sessions are officially one "lungi dance" long. 

We went to lunch (a candlelight lunch!), but when we walked outside the whole road was a giant puddle of a couple inches. Bad day to wear sandals. And they said I wouldn't need rain boots... Poor Daivon skipped lunch just not to wade in the river. 

We then learned how to use the 3D design software Sketch Up, which we then used to make a design of something. I designed a wire holder that I would use to put my wires in to keep them organized in my backpack. I didn't get to 3D print it yet though. 

It rained more and more, and the light was simply not staying. We were going to do and learn more and even go to the beach in the evening, but unfortunately that did not happen. Instead some of us tried to go to the market. A few of us bought clothes. I bought my favorite strawberry flavored Oreos and cadbury fruit and nut chocolate bar (which is now finished, oops). 

We had a delicious dinner, talked, and played some more carrom. There was "barbeque water" which of course led to CHUG CHUG CHUG.

Aishwarya won.

Then a milestone in my life happened. Today, I learned to hand wash clothes. It was horrible. But now I have clothes and won't have to go with the nudist colony idea. Yet. Before I washed them, Titan and I installed a clothesline in our room beneath the fan as a solution to the problem we brainstormed earlier today. I felt proud. My mother was more proud of my hand washing. 

Finally it is time to sleep, though I am avoiding leaving my bed because of the wet and icky ground. Our clothesline is working fairly well. Until it falls on my face when I sleep.