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Active Projects

    Projects currently in progress in the workshop:

Potential Projects


This is a brainstorm list of projects we might work on, or projects you work on already that you want to bring to the hacker space.

Please feel free to add anything you are interested in to the list but please put your name after it so those who are interested can find you.
  • Blender Render Farm (jweiler)
  • BGP trust modeling and research. (eater)
  • Self-forming, robust, self-defending networks. (eater)
  • Workspace security (jweiler and many others)
    • access control
    • video surveilance(exterior)
  • UAV (cjr)
    • WiFi Scanning
    • IP Geolocation
  • RFID Security Cracking (cjr)
  • Bittorrent Hacking (cjr)
  • Mobile Device Hacking (cjr) (1NF0)
  • Honeynet Project (cjr)
  • Beer (homebrew) (jweiler) (liam) (rjhatl)
  • Biodiesel from algae (jweiler) (1NF0)
    • supercritical oil extraction (liam)
    • flat plate algae bioreactor (liam)
  • Solar power/battery charging projects to power some projects. (our projects, not the projects next door... *jaykay*) (tronik)
  • Organic hydroponic vegetable production w/ Arduino-based regulation of environment and nutrients. (scribbles)
    •  puredata for systems control and visualization (liam)
  • Fungi cultivation for filtration systems and DIY pharmaceuticals (liam)
    • supercritical compound extraction (liam)
  • Satellite Hacking (cjr) (1NF0) (rjhatl)
  • CO2 Laser (jweiler)
  • Applications of nVidia's CUDA SDK (DANtheMAN) 
    • Rainbow Table Generation 
    • Modeling Dynamic Systems 
    • Other Cool Stuff'
  • Open and pluggable protocol and file fuzzing framework (jlash)
  • Self-spreading agent-based vulnerability scanner and patch manager (jlash)
    • Potentially a subset to eater's self-forming/defending networks
  • A robust network packet capture editing GUI with one-side replay/recapture functionality (jlash)
  • Homebrew aerogel (jlash)
    • Manufacturing - potential funding source via sales
    • Fabricating - potential funding source via research grants
  • Free-to-air satellite tinkering (who first?) (1NF0) (rjhatl)
  • Inexpensive closed circuit video surveillance/recording systems (tronik)
  • Aquarium hacking comes to mind for some strange reason - and a few fish tanks might add to the ambiance early on (kive)
    • tronik has fish tank!
  • (Airsoft) Phalanx Anti-(Nerf) Missle system (Agox)
  • Notification to IRC channel of events in the space (mluffel)
  • Audio Circuits (DANtheMAN) (1NF0)
    • TUBE Amps
    • Synthesizers
    • Effects Pedals
    • Guitar Pick Ups 
    • MIDI Controllers (arduino based)
  • Whole-facility zoned lighting/sound controller from scratch (think home/hackerspace automation on steroids)? (kive) (1NF0)
    • area/zoned/whole lighting transforms
      • maker-space light: bright vs. normal vs. dark vs. trippy
    • area/zoned/whole sound
      • zoned/whole: voice annunciation
      • intercom (door/entry)
      • intercom (announcement-internal)
      • music? by presence-based concensus playlist kind of toy?
        • App for G1 to control or suggest music?
  • Tesla coil (1NF0) (rjhatl)
  • Hate campaign against French nobility (Agox, Andrew, Danny, and Mandy)
  • Mind-reading matter compilers (ambience)
  • Microwave Oven Transformer High Voltage Rig (jc)
    • simply following the how-to on Instructables.

Interesting Project links.

 

Comments

Ken Wehr - Mar 1, 2009 12:28 PM

I'd love to chase some DARPA grants.

E Dub - Mar 17, 2009 8:08 PM

Some "Success Stories" from previous DARPA SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) awards:
http://www.darpa.mil/sbir/Success_Reports.htm
DoD Solicitations for small business are open, but it looks like Army and Navy are the only ones out so far this year:
http://www.dodsbir.net/solicitation/sttr09A/default.htm
It looks like solicitations are a little bio-tech and physics heavy this year, but there are still topics related to UAV and autonomy.
Below is a page with links to the US Gov agencies with SBIR/STTR programs:
http://www.acq.osd.mil/osbp/sbir/othersites/index.htm

H P Ladds - Mar 27, 2009 12:17 PM

Access Control Project -- I vote that we use cell phones. Concept is this: Call an Asterisk sever with your cell phone. The server verifies the cell phone's number as one belonging to a member in good standing. Then the server forwards an entry code to a conventional access control system (or one we hack together). The door pops open. In short, stand by entry door, press freeside's # on your speed dial, entry door pops open.

David Knowles - Mar 30, 2009 12:35 PM

I've been wanting to play around with Asterisk! Sounds like a good entry method (although I'm sure we'll have to augment it with some other methods, too, in case we have members without cellphones--or if yours dies, etc)

Donald Mead - Apr 1, 2009 10:09 PM

Any ideas for an art/light project like blinkenlights or LED sheep, http://tinyurl.com/9w4o9c ?

E Dub - Apr 22, 2009 7:32 AM

Asterisk/IP PBX is neat (keep in mind you can write arbitrary info to the caller id you send, so knowing a members phone number and having access to your own pbx could get you physical access). I like the idea and think it would be fun to look into that and other methods of protecting/defeating though.