Arduino Projects to Save the World
Emery Premeaux(a.k.a. �MRE�) had been raised on electronics and hamburgers. The need to dissemble mechanical and electronic devices is probably caused by a genetic disorder passed on by his father. Soldering skills definitely came before table manners. MRE spent his formative years putting model rockets into microwaves, searching for treasure with hand-wound electro-magnets, and building various Rube Goldberg contraptions to catch �the monsters.�An underlying theme of life in those early days was that technology was not only fascinating, but that nerdism could actually make one a hero. �Goonies,� �Tron,� and �Revenge of the Nerds� were huge influences.�Eventually, so-called �adult reality� stepped in. So MRE started out on the �success quest.� A series of jobs left him with a diverse set of skills, including, but not limited to the following: He learned�how to cheat arcade and slot machines, build and maintain incredibly complex robots that manufacture incredibly simple things, determine just what it would take to destroy a�three-story,�200-ton piece of construction equipment, and answer the question �Can we measure that?�After 10 years and nearly as many jobs, MRE decided that somehow, having an actual degree might do some good, so he went ahead and did that.�It could have done him some good, but it's just that by the time he finished�his�bachelor's degree in electronics engineering, he was actually ready for something completely different.�MRE now lives in Japan. He teaches technical English to Japanese engineers, and normal English to normal Japanese kids.�He is a founding member of Tokyo HackerSpace, where he teaches electronics, Arduino, urban gardening, leather and metalwork to anyone willing to try something new.A bio is not available for this author.