Plasplus is an ongoing project looking into artisanal small-batch plastic recycling in
urban high-density areas. It is highly inspired by work done by Precious Plastic.

Plasplus aims to reimagine plastic as a precious and artisanal material that is reclaimed from urban waste streams. The name is a play on the suffix “++”, often used in computer science to denote a new version (as in C++). Plasplus is currently still in the research and development phase. We are hoping to launch a few products using 100% recycled plastic by the end of 2021.

In the process, we have built our own hydraulic press, PID-controlled oven, and several aluminium and steel molds.

Kamp is a collaboration among a few friends interested in urban composting.

Vermitube is a worm compost accessory for indoor potted plants.

Vermitube is an add-on accessory to any existing potted plant that transforms them into integrated vermicomposters. It works by adding vegetable food scraps and allowing pot worms or earthworms to compost the food waste. The resulting compost is embedded within the soil in the pot and fertilizes the plant.

Usually, vermicomposters (e.g. worm bin) and the potted plant are separate objects. Vermitube integrates them together to increase convenience and improve user experience.

I designed the Kamp website and also created the branding, logo, and image assets.

Find out more about Vermitube on the Kamp website

Yara approached sparkpluck in 2019 to work on the development of Yaralrix. I am under an NDA for the project, below is an excerpt from Yara’s press release:

The YaraIrix system includes a free-to-download-app (for Android & iOS), which uses the smartphone camera to determine Nitrogen demands of different crops in early growth stages. For later growth stages, the app is supplemented by two hardware options (a smartphone clip and a Bluetooth N-Tester).

I am credited as an inventor on the patent for the project. View the patent on the European Patent Register

Find out more about Yaralrix from Yara’s press release

Chrolo is a rumination on the nature of time materialized in the form of a curio.

Time is both linear and circular, continuous and discrete, and exists both subjectively and objectively. Chrolo is an attempt at reconciling the seemingly contradictory qualities of time. Impossible to manufacture through traditional processes, Chrolo is realized through stereolithography 3D printing.

Chrolo engages multiple senses of sight, touch, and hearing, creating an embodied experience of time that draws the user back to the present. The sixty steps of Chrolo descend like a spiral staircase, forming the helix shape of the timer.

Chrolo begins with the user picking up a steel ball from the base and dropping it into the top funnel. As it descends down the sixty steps, the ball creates a ticking sound reminiscent of analog clocks. The ball oscillates back-and-forth on the steps which evokes the mesmerizing quality of pendulums. At the end of sixty seconds, the ball rings the bell and signals the end of a minute.

Chrolo was successfully funded and fulfilled on Kickstarter. The project is archived on Kickstarter

Chrolo was exhibited in Venice Design and Dubai Design Week in 2018.

Stored Value is a collaboration between sparkpluck and EZ-Link, a company that creates contactless smart cards that are used primarily for public transportation in Singapore.
Description

EZ-Link cards store not only money but also record passenger’s trips around Singapore. Stored Value is a metaphor for a Singaporean collective memory that emerges from the sum of passengers’ journeys, which are each represented by the everyday sounds that we hear.

Stored Value explores the tacitness of Singaporean identity. It captures everyday sounds that people pay little attention to because of how ordinary they are. Yet, when decontextualized, they evoke specific memories that tie us to shared experiences that form a national identity.

Stored Value was exhibited at Singaplural and SHINE Festival in 2017.

The participant taps an EZ-Link card (stored value card) on the replica of a public bus fare deductor. Instead of the usual beep, the “deductor” responds by playing a uniquely Singaporean sound and also becomes illuminated, showing a graphic.

When multiple “deductors” are activated, a mix of sounds are played in concert, creating an immersive soundscape. The sounds are repeatedly played, fading in volume with time.

Tack is a product that I tried (unsuccessfully) to launch through Kickstarter during my senior year at RISD. An important objective of the project was to work with local manufacturers.

Tack is a task light designed for modern urbanites. As more people move into cities, living spaces will continue to shrink. The number of discrete spaces in typical rental housing is decreasing, as seen by the rise in one-room studio apartments. Nowadays, one space has to perform multiple functions. Millennials are also moving from one city to another more than previous generations, necessitating furniture that can be easily moved between homes.

Tack was featured as a Kickstarter “Project We Love”. It was also exhibited at RISD Senior Show 2016. The project is archived on Kickstarter

Bo is a concept social robot designed to serve the needs of independent senior adults aging in place. Bo serves three main functions, it offers companionship without maintenance, it is a communication tool between the user and their caretaker and loved ones, and it also provides peace of mind for the elderly and their family.

I designed Bo within a RISD design studio called “Aging in Place” in 2015. At that point in time, Sony discontinued Aibo and stopped support for it. I was inspired by an article about how former Aibo owners held funerals to mourn their broken robotic canine companions. In 2018, 3 years after I designed Bo, Sony launched a new Aibo.

Drawbot is my final project for Prof. Andy Law’s Computing Physically class in my junior year at RISD.

Drawbot is a wireless pen plotter robot that has no work area limitations. This is unlike most pen plotters in both the open-source community and the commercial sector. It is more broadly speaking an exploration into tetherless, free-roaming digital fabrication tools. Potential applications of Drawbot include sail-making and road painting.

Drawbot was exhibited at the RISD Senior Show in 2016.

Find out more about the process behind the work on Behance