Hack Like Heck: DJ Harrigan

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Name: DJ Harrigan

Element14 Community member since: February 22, 2018

Plan to Hack Like Heck: Make it wearable.

Notable projects: Rotary dial cell phone, Overwatch Snowball robot, Interactive Pipboy

More about the contestant:

How did you first get into electronics?

It's been a long love affair. I picked up one of those 130-In-One-Electronic-Projects kits at a book faire when I was 13 and thought it was the coolest thing ever to actually build circuits. It was a long time before I grasped any of the theory though Oh yeah. I love the Fallout series of video games and one of the key elements is the player/protagonist's personal computer called a Pip Boy. It's this big and clunky, retro-futuristic gadget that you're constantly interacting with, and it was one of the first things I tried to build. About 5 years ago I spent so much time trying to replicate it in reality and that really pushed me to learn more programming, electronics, and design in general. I built several versions (none quite like the original), and never quite "finished," but it made me realize that this was the kind of work that I wanted to pursue.

You seem to have a wide range of experience in hacking and making. Is it just a hobby for you? Seems you've found a way to make a living do it at times?

It's a large part of who I am now. I've had the good fortune and opportunity to be part of the maker community in Sacramento and SF, so I've seen firsthand how much this can benefit people. I've had regular jobs and even some cool creative ones, but it's way more difficult than I imagined to balance my passion for these things with the "corporate goals" that companies need to work towards. So for now I'm taking some time to do some private commissions and work on my YouTube channel to inspire people to pick up a soldering iron or tinker with CAD software.

What types of videos do you plan to do for your YouTube channel? Who's your intended audience?

My current long term strategy is to focus on building props, gadgets, and robots from fiction that have working elements with and emphasis on builds that haven't been replicated (or replicated well haha). I would like to provide useful information and inspiration for teenagers and other young adults to pursue technical and creative fields. I would really like to have a balanced male/female diy audience too.

Want to know more? Ask in the comments below and tag mrvolt!