Is School Overrated? High School "Dropout" Makes Affordable 3D Printer

If you want a reason to opt out of school, you’re not alone.  And Angad Daryani might just be the inspiration you were looking for.

Daryani, a 16-year-old Mumbaiker, quit school in the 9th grade, frustrated by rote learning.  Soon after, he built India’s first 3D printer (and possibly the world’s cheapest 3D printer).  In 2013, he developed an “eye-pad” for the blind with MIT.  When he was younger, he set up a miniature solar-powered boat and created an automatic watering system for garden plants.  He has a longer list of hobbies that you can see here.

He calls himself a maker. 

He’s not just messing about all day, though.  Rather, he left school to spend 6 hours a day, learning math, science, and language with a tutor.  It was in these years, that he truly started tinkering – and discovering solutions.

Angad Daryani (second to right) meets with Ratan Tata, 
Chairman of the Tata group.

Around the world, there are approximately over 1,000 maker spaces -  havens for people who just want to make stuff.   TechShop is the most noted maker network in the United States.  Yet, localized maker spaces are cropping up globally.  Daryani set up one for people himself in Mumbai: aptly called Makers Asylum.  His co-founder, Vaibhav Chhabra, now manages the center and has upgraded it; Daryani had to step aside given time constraints.

Is quitting school really the answer though?  It’s not that simple, according to Daryani.

“I quit school because I was sick of the fact that my curiosity was being killed,” he says.  He wanted to learn by doing, not learn by memorizing.

“I didn’t quit studying and I wouldn’t recommend that option to anyone,” he emphasizes.  Rather, he calls his study technique, open schooling.  Open suggesting freedom to pursue his passions, such as building low-cost tech devices that can also help people.

Last month, David Edwards of WIRED wrote about this new approach to learning: learn by doing, not learn after we do, which has been the norm to date.  Given America’s dismal perfomance in education, and its decline in the global field, the classroom is being redesigned for minds like Daryani who want to start experimenting at a younger age.  

So far, education has been geared towards getting a job. However, today’s Millennials are realizing that you may have to create your own job after graduating.  All those college graduates are not going to have a job waiting for them; there’s just not enough jobs in the market.  So, the entrepreneurial spirit is becoming vital – not just for a business major, but for every student.

Daryani was a natural entrepreneur, using his tech skills to develop two new companies, designed for makers: Sharkits, which produces low-cost maker kits, and Sharkbot, a low-cost 3D printer that will last longer than the ones currently in the market. Sharkbot will produce 3D printers for roughly $350 a unit (Rs. 20,000), considerably cheaper than 3D printers sold in the United States.

              Daryani’s 3D printer is currently priced at $350 
           or Rs. 20,000 making it affordable   for a larger market.

While these may be Daryani’s commercial ventures, he’s very keen on using technology to tackle social issues.  Last year, he submitted his ‘eye-pad’ for the blind for a Google GOOGL +1.33% Science Fair competition; he was selected, among 90 other makers in the world. 

The eye-pad, or more formally called a “Haptic Feedback E-reader for the Visually Impaired,” converts Roman text into Braille in real-time.  Traditionally, the  blind have to wait till books are converted to Braille for them to read; this could become the world’s first Kindle for Braille users of its kind, Daryani says.  The device was crafted with Ramesh Raskar and Anna Young of MIT’s Media Lab, an organization that Daryani admires.

The eye-pad converts Roman text into braille instantly. Photo Courtesy of Daryani.

In addition to helping the blind, Daryani collaborated with MIT on a wearable, low-cost ECT heart monitor. The project was built under the guidance of Rohan Puri, Ramesh Raskar and Maulik Majmudar of MIT Media Lab and students from across India.  While these projects are still in development, Daryani is clear that he wants to build technology for the masses, not an elite few. 

Though still in development, the ECG device would become a low-cost option for heart patients to monitor their activity. Photo Courtesy of Daryani.

“After quitting school and working with people from MIT Media Lab, I discovered how to solve problems. Before that, I was just a tinkerer,” he says. 

He especially wants other kids to see what science and technology can do.  He’s simply learning by doing, he says.

Perhaps more of us should as well – irrespective of age.



Source : Forbes , 31st October 2014