Nasa has just announced a new contest, total Prize purse of $3,000,000 dollars.
https://www.nasa.gov/prizes-challenges-and-crowdsourcing/centennial-challenges/lunarecycle/
“The LunaRecycle Challenge is a two-track public competition that seeks recycling solutions for the lunar surface that maximize the amount of waste that can be recycled from a list of waste categories and items that are relevant to a hypothetical 365-day lunar mission. NASA is seeking hardware designs (for the Prototype Build track) and digital twin designs (for the Digital Twin track) that minimize resource inputs; unusable outputs; and the mass and/or volume of hardware components and systems needed for recycling. For the Digital Twin track, NASA is also seeking highly innovative and imaginative solutions that harness the full potential of a digital twin.”
Basically, NASA wants a product to dispose of the astronaut’s garbage and waste, and convert it into a usable product. Here’s the hard part: needs to work on the moon.
Solution seems simple to me: just melt down the whole list of garbage and 3D print it into usable building bricks.
Instructables has regular contests: https://www.instructables.com/contest/
Present your ideas in the form of an Instructable.
Here's a sample of the latest contests (April 2023):
Submit an Idea to NASA!
Amazing projects: https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/niac/NIAC_funded_studies.html
An entry in the NASA ideas contest that has reached phase II. The idea (see pdf) is partially about sending out functional spacecraft on a wafer, allowing us to reach distant objects at much faster speeds. Cool.
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/deep-in-directed-energy-propulsion-for-interstellar-exploration/
Autonomous Robotic Demonstrator for Deep Drilling (ARD3)
https://in.mashable.com/science/21955/nasas-mole-tried-to-dig-into-mars-it-didnt-go-as-planned
https://www.electronicwings.com/contest/3/ew-project-challenge-2022: www.electronicwings.com/contest/3/ew-project-challenge-2022
Challenge for Creator / Maker in all of us.
Prizes worth INR 150,000/- (~$2000)
https://www.electronicwings.com/contest/2/ew-project-challenge-2021#winners
https://www.electronicwings.com/contest/2/ew-project-challenge-2021
EW's Node MCU Tutorial: https://www.electronicwings.com/nodemcu/basics
Mousers recommended Sensors: https://www.electronicwings.com/sensors-modules/sensors-modules
Electromechanical Sustenance of Biological Systems: IOT Aquarium (mine) (Jan update: 2nd place judges).
Judges 5th: Automelette - Automated Omelette Cooking Articulated Robot
Honorable Mention by me: The Autofarmer Autonomius Farming System.
Last year's winner. Made great use of gas sensors.
Data Collected by Evan Robinson Email: ganymede2029@gmail.com
Impressive collection of small IOT devices for the inventor and Arduino compatible controllers. https://m5stack.com/.
Impressive list of 289 parts at Mouser: https://www.mouser.com/c/?m=M5Stack
https://shop.m5stack.com/collections/m5-accessories?page=2
Each uses a Grove style connector for easy connect to Grove devices from seeed.
Here is seeed's Arduino Uno Shield:
Multiple devices can share the same I2C ports on controllers by using different addresses in the code.
May need an extender to extend I2C longer distance. https://seeeddoc.github.io/Grove-RJ45_Adapter/
https://shop.switchdoc.com/products/grove-cable-extenders-pair
https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Seeed-Studio/103020011?qs=1%252B9yuXKSi8CAFUtDiXRsiQ%3D%3D