The Origin Story
This is where everything began. At 8 years old, I didn't know what engineering was, but I knew I had a problem to solve.
In elementary school, we loved playing marbles on the playground. The most thrilling spot was near a sewer grate because we were risking losing our marbles inside. Everyone could see all the lost marbles at the bottom, but nobody was able to reach them.
The Solution
I created this tool using plastic toys and some PVC tubes. The design was simple but effective:
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Telescoping tubes that could nest end-to-end for storage in my trousers
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A fork-and-spoon mechanism at the end that could grab marbles
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A wire-pull system to close the grabber remotely
When extended, the tool was long enough to reach the bottom of the sewer. By pulling the wire, the fork folded onto the spoon, capturing the marble.
The Aftermath
I recovered so many marbles that I got into trouble with other kids claiming I should give them back. But that's another story!
Looking Back
This project taught me the fundamentals that would shape my entire career:
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Identify a problem that others accept as unsolvable
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Design a mechanism using available materials
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Iterate and improve until it works
Twenty years later, I'm still doing the same thing - just with more sophisticated tools.