LIFESABER: Power Supply For Wilderness Survival

Tue Jan 12 '21 Announcement
about 5 years ago – Tue, Jan 12, 2021 at 03:59:30 AM

My apologies for the delay in providing this update; I hope you are all staying safe.

Though I've not met in person with my collaborators for more than 6 months, we continue to persevere. I am joined in this undertaking by Edward Polkowski, who as project lead brings more than 20 years of pragmatic industry experience. He is joined by three masters candidates, currently studying at the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering. We also enjoy in-kind support from our prospective manufacturing partners in China.

To explain our progress, allow me to reprise some of the fundamental objectives which underlie the ambitious LIFESABER undertaking.

The mission is to provide power, on demand, generated solely through ergonomic human input. To accomplish this we need to align three crucial innovations.

Most crucially, is the ability to dynamically adjust the 'torque' in order to accommodate the user input - whether they be very fit and strong, or less powerful (whether injured, or simply a young child). We have completed much of this work and are updating the circuit designs. Whether weak or strong, twirling or (hard) cranking this proprietary technology will match the resistance to ergonomically optimize the power being generated.

Second, and also proprietary, is our work on the handle and telescoping swing-arm which needs to comfortably follow the motions of hand, wrist and forearm. This is a significant challenge, as these human motions are naturally non-circular; nor do they lie within a simple flat plane. Our solution is an input mechanism - allowing for multiple degrees of freedom - to insure comfort, while harnessing all of the available muscle power. Fortunately, we have some excellent designs (from before the campaign) and look forward to testing some tweaks after the full prototype is assembled. One of the theories is that we will actually achieve greater efficiencies by slightly reducing the degrees of motion. To be determined.

But underlying all of this is the custom motor (for our purposes, generator when running in reverse)and accompanying gearbox. This unit has to be powerful enough to quickly recharge a phone, yet lightweight, compact, durable and extremely efficient (minimizing any waste from friction or otherwise). We also have detailed specifications, covering factors such as the rating for continuous and stall torque, RPM, idle current and power output. Of course, this critical generator also has to be affordable for our application.

Unfortunately, the first two of the custom-built units we ordered (from China) failed our testing. Each had taken more than a month to fabricate. The first design failed mechanically when the hub separated from the shaft under hard cranking simulation. The second unit had very high frictional losses in the gearbox, equivalent to about 18 Watts of cranking power. The third unit (adapted from an off-the-shelf drone motor) has passed the first stages of bench testing (see image below) but now needs to be mated with an (also custom) planetary gearbox which we are having fabricated. And we are awaiting the long-delayed arrival of one additional motor, which seems promising based upon the bench-testing done overseas (using a replica of our own setup).

Once we have selected a supplier that can deliver the 'heart' of the LIFESABER, we hope to be able to quickly create working prototypes adapted to the size and shape of the selected motor/generator. I will definitely keep you all updated.

Marvin

P.S. Some of you may be interested in the work of one of my consulting clients, Howe Industries - who I met during the most recent (in-person) symposium of the NASA Innovative Concepts (NIAC) program. I was honored to deliver the closing-day keynote at this event. Here's a link to a recent story in New Atlas about their novel 'steampunk' technology as applied to space propulsion.

Also, a team of Philly volunteers (including Ed Polkowski) which I lead just released the 'build' instructions for the LightBoxDIY. This inexpensive device will quickly sanitize N95 and other facemasks. Here's a link to an account of our work, as reported by Technical.ly.

As you can tell, I've tried to keep busy, using my free-time (which would otherwise have been spent on travel) to be productive.

Mon Nov 16 '20 Announcement
over 5 years ago – Mon, Nov 16, 2020 at 11:20:00 AM

Dear colleagues:

We are down to the nitty gritty of the interface and functions. For simplicity we've moved away from a display screen (with button toggles) in favor of a simple control knob with detents and/or LED lights to indicate the selection.

"Off" will be in the center. Turn to the left to select the flashlight, and again for the lantern. We may offer both high and low flashlight settings. 

Turning the knob to the right one notch will initiate the fast, blinding strobe, while a hard right twist to the last stop will activate the strobe and emergency siren combination. We are considering adding an intermediate selection, which would result in the strobe flashing "SOS" in Morse code. What do you think?

Irrespective of the function setting, the LIFESABER will continue to energize any device plugged into the USB power outlet. Other LED's will illuminate to indicate, respectively, the battery level as well as the magnitude of the power being input when the swing arm is in motion. 

Now that we are down to our two finalist motor generator candidates, we will be refocusing on the design of the swing arm and handle to see what further improvements may be possible. The goal is to optimize for ergonomically sustainable hand/wrist and arm motions without sacrificing 'efficiency' in converting these user inputs into power. Turns out that slightly constraining the range of motion might improve the translation of twirling/cranking into generated electricity.

The motor generator we finally select will determine the circumference of the LIFESABER case; we are looking for as compact as possible. Irrespective, the gasketed back will be removeable - without having to mess with any of the electronics or working components. This will simplify the replacement of the 1865-type rechargeable battery. Of course, most users will never need to replace this workhorse power cell - but we've taken pains to make it as simple as possible, without sacrificing water resistance. 

In all, we hope to have a fully working (though still hand-made) prototype ready for field testing by late winter. If all goes well, we should then be on track for limited production by summer's end at which juncture we'll be able to start shipping to our patient backers. 

To date, we've spent $207,106 covering third-party expenses related to the LIFESABER. This includes 'zero' for my own time (over now, nearly 5 years). And yes, to cover the continuing outside development costs and then to produce the product (to honor crowdfunding pledges), I'll need to either raise additional capital or secure large pre-orders from prospective resellers (with margins sufficient to cover these expenses).

Alternatively, I am open to licensing the LIFESABER to a suitable partner, as I did with the Lil Trucker (which was the subject of my previous - and successfullly completed - campaign). The licensee would then, in turn, fulfill all of the pledge orders. 

As always, I am open to your feedback and suggestions. 

Yours most sincerely (and with great appreciation for your patience),

Marvin

Mon Sep 28 '20 Announcement
over 5 years ago – Mon, Sep 28, 2020 at 12:10:30 PM

Dear colleagues:

Thank you all for your patience. We are continuing to make good progress while I'm hoping for your feedback and suggestions per my questions below. 

Development

We are continuing to test motor/generators. Our initial choice was a smaller unit. A little less powerful but more compact which would have allowed us to shrink the size of the LifeSaber.

Unfortunately, the test motor broke almost immediately -it  just couldn't take the torque. So now we are evaluating a much more powerful motor which, while somewhat larger,  would enable a higher Force Multiplier setting while in cranking mode. As a result,  particularly fit users would be able to  generate power even more quickly.

In parallel, we are refining the case design to simplify access to the (replaceable, type 18650) battery without compromising water resistance. We are also looking to finalize the crucial circuit componentry.

In addition to myself, the primary contributors to this project  include Edward Polkowski, who has a PhD in Electrical Engineering and 20 years of industry experience. Assisting him is Shivam Dehinwal. Shivam has an undergraduate degree in Electronic Engineering with extensive robotics experience. He is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Integrated Product Design from the University of Pennsylvania, with special emphasis on mechatronics and design for manufacturing. 

We have also retained the services of Esino, a Chinese contract manufacturer, to assist in sourcing and testing with the prospect of being our manufacturing partner down the road. https://www.usesino.com/ I would appreciate learning of any experience some of you may have had with Esino or whether you might recommend us to another contract manufacturer to help fast-track our design and engineering.

We hope to have full-up prototypes for field testing by the end of January.

Possible SBIR Application

We have been encouraged to apply for SBIR funding, through the AFWERX program. https://www.afwerx.af.mil/ The focus of the application would be to assist the Air Force in upgrading the kits which they provide to help insure the survival of downed aircrew. If any of you have SBIR experience in general (or, in particular with AFWERX) please reach out. Any support we might receive would help to fast-forward our product development work while potentially helping to save lives. I’d also value any recommendations you might have for other ways to raise additional financing, including the possibility of bringing in a strategic/marketing partner.

Snap-In Modules for Continuing Consideration

We continue to receive suggestions for modules/applications that could accompany the LifeSaber. These lightweight modules would provide enormous additional utility, without the need to duplicate the battery and other electronics. Here’s the full list, so far, of what we are considering. Of course, we will first complete the firestarter and water-purification accessories which will be delivered to fulfill our crowdfunding orders.  I’d love to hear what you think of this list. Which would you prioritize  (for future development). Are there any we’ve missed?

1. Flashlight and Lantern (built-in)
2. Specialty Flashlight (Red light and UV)
3. Strobe and Emergency Siren (built-in)
4. Emergency Breakdown Flasher
5. Laser Rescue Light
6. Laser Range Finder
7. UV Water Purifier (under development for first release)
8. Plasma Fire Starter (under development for first release)
9. Cellphone Signal Amplifier
10. Satellite Phone/Messenger
11. EPIRB (emergency position indicating radio beacon)
12. AM/FM Weather Radio/Lightning Detector
13. 360/720/760-Channel VHF-AM Radio Transceiver (for ALSE)
14. External Battery Recharger (types AA, AAA, C, D and 9-volt)
15. Thermal Imager/Night Vision Goggles
16. Directional Sound Amplifier
17. Air Pump
18. Stun Gun
19. Cooling Fan (and to coax the fire)
20. Electronic Compass
21. Ultrasound Repellant
22. Bluetooth Speaker
23. Hand/Body Warmer

Thank you again for your continued patience and support.

Sat Jun 27 '20 Announcement
almost 6 years ago – Sat, Jun 27, 2020 at 02:08:27 PM

Dear patient supporters:

After numerous false starts with contract developers,  the team has decided to keep the work in-house while going back to the basics in order to prepare the LIFESABER for manufacturing.

As you might surmise, the core enabling technology (and most costly component) is the motor/generator. It has to be powerful, yet very compact and lightweight yet still affordable. Our first priority is to get this right, since the motor's form factor and capabilities will define the parameters for all of the other design decisions. 

So we've turned to a leading provider of quality motors (based in China). They come highly recommended from colleagues who have turned to this company as the source for motors which they incorporate into high-performance drones. 

We are also, independently, sourcing motors from other recommended manufacturers.

My co-inventor, Ed Polkowski (who has a PhD in electrical engineering) will be testing numerous motor samples in order to finalize the specifications. He is also continuing to work on the integral electronics, including the all-important electronic torque/power control circuitry.

Meanwhile, our industrial designer, Shivam, is working in parallel to update the design of the crucial swing arm/grip. We want to maximize the ergonomics while insuring a durable and manufacturable design. He is also trying to quantify the range of power outputs, whether in twirl, forearm crank or whole-arm cranking modes. The latter will be achieved by standing-off from the LIFESABER (while the device is held steady by a companion). 

Once the motor/torque circuitry and swing arm are finalized we'll then proceed to completing the design of the case and other components (lights, siren, display). We will also settle on the mechanically and electrically simplest (yet water-resistant) means of connecting the snap-on modules. 

I continue to be open to your suggestions. In particular, we are looking for an introduction to experts in military aviation. We believe that the LIFESABER (with perhaps the inclusion of additional, specialized modules) could be an essential addition to the survival kit provided to our airmen. Hopefully one of you can direct us to the command responsible for specifying such emergency gear. Any revenue such sales might generate would help to accelerate our progress. 

Thank you once again for your support and patience. And stay safe.

Marvin

Sun Apr 5 '20 Announcement
almost 6 years ago – Sun, Apr 05, 2020 at 06:40:15 AM