Tell us about you as a person and your background – what lead to your interest in innovation and entrepreneurship?
I have always enjoyed understanding how things fundamentally work and then building something interesting that uses that knowledge. Because of this I have interests in many areas of science. In high school, I made a Tesla coil that produces hundreds of thousands of volts and shoots lightning bolts. It proceeded to spectacularly fail when an arc hit the primary coil and caused capacitors to explode.

I started to really get into programming after taking a class in it. Programming was the first chance for me to really start innovating because of how low the entry point was. All you need is a computer. I experimented with making games and simple programmes that helped assist me with other classes and other areas of school. One programme that was popular among my friends automatically calculated what NCEA grade you would get if you achieved certain grades in your exams. Programming led me to taking Computer Science at University.

At University, I have taken a huge range of papers to cover my broad interests including physics, chemistry, earth science and my major computer science. One of the first papers I took at University was PHYSICS 140 and I still regard it as the best and most influential paper I have ever taken. It introduced me to binary, logic, datasheets, microcontrollers and more. I went and brought a basic Arduino microcontroller kit and it was the best purchase I have ever made. Armed with my coding skills and basic electronics knowledge I felt like I could make anything I wanted. I made my bedroom light turn off remotely, a LED snake game, a game I could control with hand gestures. The projects kept getting more and more exciting as my skills advanced.

I like building my own devices because I can make them exactly how I want and to my own specifications. Some problems can only be solved with custom solutions. One of my favourite projects to date is a custom display case for the element collection that my girlfriend and I have. It is in the shape of the periodic table and has a multi-coloured LED in each cell which I can light up on demand from a phone app through bluetooth – It’s super interactive. I have even brought the element collection into a primary school to teach chemistry.

What made you decide to apply to be a technician at Unleash Space and what will your role be?
Unleash Space had technology I could only dream to use. As a maker, access to such equipment would make so many new projects possible. I had to be a part of it! The community aspect of Unleash Space was new to me but I was keen to share my knowledge and learn from other like-minded people. I was lucky and got in early and got to help set up the space, test equipment and create training sessions. My role as a creative technologist is to teach equipment use, monitor safe practices, advise on projects and learn new things myself.

What are you most looking forward to at Unleash Space and what opportunities do you think it particularly provides to students?
I am going to get as much use out of the space as I can before I complete my degree at the end of the year and sadly must leave. I can’t wait to see the things other people make and the things I make with others.

Unleash Space offers a starting point to students. Much like that one digital electronics paper kick-started my understanding of what I can do with microcontrollers and that it is not actually hard, Unleash Space is a place students can go to see how easy it is to make whatever they want. If they have an idea they can do it. There is so much support here for everyone and anything is possible.

What do you see yourself doing in the future?
I always look for ways to improve technology and make things that work the way I want them to. I have not yet started to think about making things for others and commercialising things I make – maybe that is the next step for me. Whatever I end up doing, it will be creating things, like I have always done.

Anything else you want to say about Unleash Space?
You don’t have to have any experience with making things. You just need an idea. Come and talk to us about your idea. It might not work at all, like many of my projects have not, but eventually you will have success and it is such a great feeling when something finally works.

Hayden Moore is a Creative Technologist at UnleashSpace. He is currently studying towards a Bachelor of Science at the University of Auckland.