What If Engineers Are Copycats? | Kiran Christopher | TEDxMACE

Innovation and Problem Solving - The speaker discusses the challenges of copying in academic settings due to technology and the lack of critical thinking it fosters [1] - An individual innovatively straightens coconut shells for export, facing the challenge of creating a small hole without compromising the shell's strength [1] - The traditional method of extracting coconut meat through a small hole is difficult and time-consuming, leading to exploration of alternative solutions [1] - Existing solutions like chemical or saltwater soaking result in waste of edible coconut [1] - A team previously dropped the project due to its difficulty, but the speaker took it on, driven by the potential benefit [1] - The speaker researched the purpose of coconut shells and found they are used in the US market as sustainable products to reduce plastic usage, priced around $45 [1] - The speaker faced the challenge of product uniformity due to variations in coconut shell size and thickness [1] - Existing scraping tools are only suitable for one-sided scraping, posing a challenge for efficient coconut meat extraction [2] - A rotating design was developed for manual or motor-driven use, but additional mechanisms were limited by simplicity requirements [2] - The speaker changed the orientation to utilize gravity and centrifugal force for extraction, modifying the design to fit the coconut profile [2] Workplace Challenges and Solutions - The speaker experienced headaches while consolidating data and initially suspected migraines [3][5] - After searching online, the speaker considered brain tumors and nerve disorders as potential causes [5] - The speaker realized the issue was lighting-related and initially added more tube lights, which didn't solve the problem [5] - Research revealed that sufficient lighting can reduce errors by 10% and increase productivity by 30% [5] - People prioritize visual appearance over visual performance when choosing lighting [5] - A device was developed to predict the required lux level in a room and recommend the appropriate bulb type [8] Agricultural Innovation - The speaker was inspired to help farmers after reading a news story about unskilled laborers harvesting pepper incorrectly [8] - The speaker aims to develop an AI-assisted black pepper harvesting system to address labor shortages and musculoskeletal disorders [9] - The first stage involves training the system to identify proper pepper [9] - The system mimics human movements to pluck pepper from branches, using a tripod structure, circular rim, and depth camera [9] Biomimicry and Nature-Inspired Design - The speaker discusses mimicking nature, referencing Da Vinci and the Wright brothers [9] - Current research focuses on the monostructure of maple seeds for wing stability [10] - NASA is studying maple seed structures for perfect wing design [10] - The speaker expresses interest in the Sanjeevani plant and its potential for underwater vehicle design [11] - The speaker highlights the unique feet of a swimming bird as inspiration for innovative design [11]