Hardware Meetup NZ: Aerospace

Rockets, satellites, jet engine testing equipment and drone technology were a few of the amazing products showcased by engineers and founders at our Aerospace-themed meetup on 9th May.

A huge thanks goes to Emeline Paat-Dahlstrom from International Space Consultants, Mat Rowe from Dotterel Technologies, Ian Rowe from Air New Zealand, and Naomi Altman from Rocket Lab for coming along to share their stories.

Our event was a big one (we capped registrations at nearly 180), and we were very proud to be a feature event for Techweek 2017. Our amazing sponsors Blender Design, GPC Electronics and GridAKL enabled us to put on such an amazing event, and we also bought on a new sponsor, Adroit, who bought along the beer (Adroit are a specialist smart-tech company also working across AI, image recognition, augmented reality, and voice & gesture control).

Event attendees came from many leading New Zealand companies, including Orion Health, Xero, Rocket Lab, Air New Zealand, Chronoptics, Boxfish Research, JUCEBOX, Navico, Compac, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, The Icehouse, Sunfed Meats, Tru-test, Downer, Tekron, Globex Engineering, Fonterra, and the New Zealand Defence Force.

Emeline Paat-Dahlstrom

Learning all about what it takes to build a NZ Space Ecosystem 🚀 from some epic wāhine at @HardwareAKL #TWNZ17 pic.twitter.com/ENSmyzoFCl

— Nurain Janah (@NurainJanah) May 9, 2017

Having recently arrived from Silicon Valley, Emeline and her husband are working on multiple space-related projects, including offering to help Kiwi primary and university level kids to build sensors from satellite kits.

ARDUSAT is an educational kit to built your own satellite @HardwareAKL @TechweekNZ #TWNZ17 pic.twitter.com/8c7S5CidiM

— Mahsa (ツ) (@Mahsabanoo) May 9, 2017

They are also working to create a stronger space ecosystem in New Zealand, and help local entrepreneurs to use exponential technologies to build spacecraft and software tools for space data.

Online store in Bulgaria - you can order a customized cubesat & have it delivered in 5 days.

Commoditization of space!#hardwareakl #twnz17 pic.twitter.com/OMCDN8rkJx

— Jason Danner (@jpdanner) May 9, 2017

Weather ground stations used to cost $500k, now $30#hardwareakl #twnz17 pic.twitter.com/NLseJg5oAg

— Jason Danner (@jpdanner) May 9, 2017

Interested in getting in touch with Emeline? Reach out to her here >>

Mat Rowe

Taking the drone out of drones - Mat Rowe from @DotterelUAV has taken the stage! #twnz17 #Aerospace pic.twitter.com/Q4v0ahdqGa

— Hardware Meetup AKL (@HardwareAKL) May 9, 2017

Dotterel @HardwareAKL who entered the @callaghannz C-prize and now is working global. #Techweek #QuietDrones pic.twitter.com/YhJmFposj0

— Idealog (@idealogmag) May 9, 2017

.@DotterelUAV Noise reduction through:

- acoustic shrouding
- low-noise propellers
- audio filtering technology#hardwareakl #twnz17 pic.twitter.com/Mdjyj4Yv5g

— Jason Danner (@jpdanner) May 9, 2017

.@DotterelUAV Family focused team! 3 brothers, wowza#hardwareakl #twnz17 pic.twitter.com/s1NPqX4Bi1

— Jason Danner (@jpdanner) May 9, 2017

.@DotterelUAV Very cool tech.

Some big players in the competitive landscape#hardwareakl #twnz17 pic.twitter.com/D9nZoJbyeu

— Jason Danner (@jpdanner) May 9, 2017

After winning Most Innovative Product at last year's NAB Show (the largest showcase of media technology in the world) the company is now in the process of commercialising their technology.

@DotterelUAV @HardwareAKL pic.twitter.com/iHm4bpMnCC

— David Stokes (@davidstokesnz) May 9, 2017

Think you can help Dotterel Technologies? You can reach out to them here >>

Audience Pitches

Four audience members pitched hardware-related things for one minute each. Products included:

A 3D camera from Chronoptics
A device that aids people with hearing impairments
A high-speed axial flow fan
Electric jetboards from Voltaic Jetboards

.@ryankurte Now a guy is pitching an electric jet board!

Like a jetski crossed with a wakeboard.#hardwareakl #twnz17 pic.twitter.com/R58VFfARV8

— Jason Danner (@jpdanner) May 9, 2017

Do you have something hardware related to pitch? Want to show off your project, release a new product, or find a team member? Please come along to our next event!

Ian Rowe

@FlyAirNZ engineering pioneer Ian Rowe showing us all the things he's built during his career. #twnz17 #Aerospace pic.twitter.com/yvTtomt0nT

— Hardware Meetup AKL (@HardwareAKL) May 9, 2017

Ian has designed and commisioned test systems for pneumatics, avionics, hydraulics, flight guidance, wheel brakes, halon recovery systems, transmissivity test systems for military P3 radomes, madbooms, and commercial aircraft radomes (the dome-like shells that protect radar assemblies from things like weather and moving fast).

.@ryankurte Now talking with a fellow whose family has contributed hundreds of years of effort into engineering for Air NZ#hardwareakl #twnz17 pic.twitter.com/y2oZwUDjXp

— Jason Danner (@jpdanner) May 9, 2017

Cardboard mockups for the win! Interesting hearing a bit more about Air NZ and also a trip over Russia! @HardwareAKL #twnz17 pic.twitter.com/pWTepOFjxj

— Emily Melhuish (@kanocarra) May 9, 2017

.@ryankurte Built a test rig for testing jet engines!#hardwareakl #twnz17 pic.twitter.com/BV4Iaq7HVd

— Jason Danner (@jpdanner) May 9, 2017

You can learn more about the wide range of engineering work Air New Zealand does here >>

Naomi Altman

Time for @RocketLabUSA !! Woohoo!! @HardwareAKL #twnz17 pic.twitter.com/JG8uDaaIPs

— Emily Melhuish (@kanocarra) May 9, 2017

Electron will be delivering imaging and communications satellites for the likes of NASA, Planet, Spire, and Moon Express, which are providing services such as optimised crop monitoring, improved weather reporting, internet from space, natural disaster prediction, up-to-date maritime data and search and rescue services.

.@RocketLabUSA Planning 3 test flights through 2017 then trying to get customers up.

Over 30 contracts ready to go. First up: NASA!#hardwareakl #twnz17

— Jason Danner (@jpdanner) May 9, 2017

NZ is one of the best places in the world to launch rockets. And this is the most beautiful launch site in the world! #twnz17 @RocketLabUSA pic.twitter.com/fy0PioIzMt

— Hardware Meetup AKL (@HardwareAKL) May 9, 2017

.@RocketLabUSA First public viewing of this rocket test#hardwareakl #twnz17 pic.twitter.com/SGdxvueLMY

— Jason Danner (@jpdanner) May 9, 2017

90% of this rocket engine is 3D printed! #twnz17 pic.twitter.com/SnnIqI0CXJ

— Hardware Meetup AKL (@HardwareAKL) May 9, 2017

.@RocketLabUSA "Current rockets are like a bus that delivers multiple payloads. We're like the uber for rockets"#hardwareakl #twnz17

— Jason Danner (@jpdanner) May 9, 2017

A huge congratulations to Rocket Lab for successfully launching Electron last week. You can read more about their plans future plans here >>

EVENT IMAGES

Many of Auckland's top engineering and product development minds were in attendance, as well as many up-and-coming hardware enthusiasts. Want copies of any of these photos? You can pull them from our Facebook folder.