WIT IOT-chat
Daniel Vagg
Graduate of WIT | Physics with Computing
ESA intern | Cloud SW engineer | MSc | System architect | CTO
Presentation Overview
- Quick intro/background
- Undergrad experience
- Masters experience
- Projects
- Thoughts on the future
- The message for you
5 min
5-10 min
15-30 min
(TOTAL)
15 min
5 min
- Presentations rarely end on time
Quick Intro
- I'm Dan
- I studied here
Background
- BSc (Hons) Physics with Computing in 2011
- Internships (FH, ESA)
- Internships (FH, ESA)
- Worked with FH afterwards
- Sent a thing to space*
- Sent a thing to space*
- MSc in Space Science
- Led to current job
- Led to current job
- None of that really matters to you
*Actually not space; stratosphere.
Undergrad experience
Overview
- Lost, nervous
- Struggled
- Internships - you picked me, really?
- Graduated
- Offered a place with FeedHenry
- Python/Ubuntu/Paid/Coffee
- Offered a place with ESA in May
- Space experience/lived abroad
- Found something in a solar flare
Undergrad experience
Why mention it
- Be prepared for ANY opportunity to demonstrate what you're able to do
- Project/Internship/etc
- Project/Internship/etc
- Don't burn yourself out
- Find something to motivate you
- Opportunities don't feel different in any way
Glider
To the stratosphere!
- High altitude videos = cool
- Figured glider = better video
- So...
- I designed that
- Tested it..
- Flew it & Lost it (eventually)
Glider
To the stratosphere!
How did it work?
- Python on android phone
- GPS + Orientation + GSM
- Sent command over BT
- Arduino parsed commands
- Controlled all servos
- Power
- Battery pack powered most
- Charged phone using USB
- Phone had own power
Humble beginnings
Glider body (and box)
Some progress
Basic servo control
Balloon/Glider cable
Some promise
Arduino
Bluetooth module
Parachute
Parachute release
Power regulator
Tape (30% of structure)
Ready to fly
Parachute
HD Camera
Glider
To the stratosphere!
Outcomes
- First flight: success!
- A lot of interviews focus on it..
- Got an internship offer from Captec
- Philae programming
Glider
Why did I show it?
Because it was a poorly thought out idea
It was guesswork built around that idea
It was incremental work
Ireland:
A problem for gliders:
Legend:
Masters experience
Overview
- Physics specialising in space science
- Very interesting!
- Rocket science
- Applications of space
- Kerbal Space Program
MSc Space Science
At UCD
Studied
- Applications of space science
- Rocket science
- Machine learning
- Plasma physics (Trinity)
- Space mission design (Tenerife)
- Astronomy (Tenerife)
- Space law (well rounded)
- Presentation skills (useful)
MSc Space Science
At UCD
Outcomes
- 1 of 3 Irish space science graduates
- Lots of topical education
- Space debris (Gravity)
- Space environment
- Orbital mechanics (Armageddon)
- Mars exploration/colonisation
- Plasma physics
(Aurora Borealis & Plasma thrusters)
- Have built a "satellite" ready for launch
MosIAC output
A pretty picture
Solar telescopes in Tenerife
Inside the observatory!
Outside the observatory!
Space Science
Why show that?
Because I left a nice job to do it...
I better be able to make someone care.
Honestly, because I thought that discovery will be:
Quantum maths is really hard
Really big (Space)
or
Really small (Quantum)
Space Science
Why show that?
Importantly, it's an area where changes affect the future in a big way
This is becoming more important
I was not thinking about that kind of thing until recently.
Thoughts on the future
I'm a bit panicked but hopeful
Technology is changing
- Internet (technically): 1983
- World Wide Web: 1990 (birthday)
- Phones..
- Nokia 3510i: 2002
- iPhone: 2007
- etc
Technology is changing
The internet is connecting humanity
Middle-man stores becoming irrelevant
Fairness emerging
The world has gotten safer (for the most part)
we just know more about what's happening
Technology is changing
It's not just the internet.. Genetic programming!
http://www.nature.com/news/gene-drive-mosquitoes-engineered-to-fight-malaria-1.18858
- Malaria solution?
- GMOs
- Food shortage solution? e.t.c
Technology is changing
It's not just the internet.. Aging control!
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/355/6331/1312
- Slowing aging
- Transfusion..
- Other ways..
- Ethical questions
- Married for 200 years?
Technology is changing
It's not just the internet.. AI
- Already used in Law & Medicine
- Outperforms humans in both fields (some areas)
- Outperforms humans in both fields (some areas)
- AI will probably take away a lot of jobs being used to pay off loans
- Then there is human-computer interfaces...
We should have found life by now
Where is the other life?
We should have found life by now
A lot of ideas and discussion around why we haven't found signs of life yet..
Here is one idea:
life evolves too quickly to not blow itself up
Predatory/territorial/etc
Then we get industry/science
Then we get nukes, etc
This is a critical time for humanity.
Humans need help
Our decision-making capacity is limited
Our decisions are getting more crucial
At what point do you stop thinking about people, and use numbers instead?
AI may be key to helping humanity survive
It must be informed
IOT
The END
Things are moving quickly
Things are strange
AI may help us not blow each other up
What you're studying matters and may make all the difference
Enjoy it
Don't get burnt out
Sometimes consider the future (not too much)