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Surprise me · something worth crossing into
Open project

Plant Sentinel

Horticulture × electronics × data. Turn plant observations into a low-cost sensing prototype.

NEEDS: ELECTRONICSNEEDS: SOFTWARE
durhamX makers & shakers · Explore

START WITH WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.

Then work backwards to programs, labs, spaces, equipment, expertise and connections that might help.

MAKE

CAD, 3D printing, CNC, welding, fabrication, prototyping, construction and physical product development.

DESIGN

Graphic design, branding, packaging design, illustration, motion, visual systems, UX and product concepts.

IMMERSE

AR/VR, mixed reality, game art, animation, 3D environments, motion capture, virtual production, sound and interactive storytelling.

COMPUTE

AI, data analytics, software, cloud, cybersecurity, connected systems and automation.

GROW + EAT

Horticulture, greenhouses, culinary, food product development, processing, preservation and food safety.

HEALTH + CARE

PSW, nursing, OTA/PTA, dental, fitness, animal care, accessibility and assistive-product problems.

TELL

Film, video, photography, audio, journalism, content, documentary and project storytelling.

LAUNCH + CONNECT

Business, marketing, entrepreneurship, suppliers, manufacturers, alumni, trade contacts and industry partners.

SHAKE

Paralegal, public systems, CityStudio-style challenges, civic explainers, social impact and student participation.

Explore the network

SEE WHO + WHAT IS MOVING.

People, projects, problems, interests, swarms and useful connections — together in one place.

Person · Horticulture

SA

Plants, propagation and soil science. Learning sensors. Looking for someone who can code.

LOOKING FOR · ELECTRONICS / WEB
Person · AI & Machine Learning

MO

Works with models and computer vision. Wants real observations, not another toy dataset.

LOOKING FOR · FIELD DATA
Project · Building

Plant Sentinel

Horticulture × Electronics × Data. Turning plant observations into a low-cost sensing prototype.

NEEDS · SENSOR / SOFTWARE
Project · Prototype ready

Kitchen Waste Audit Tool

A simple hospitality tool that started as a spreadsheet and needs to work during cleanup.

NEEDS · MOBILE / UX
Problem · 14 signals

Hospital discharge forms confuse patients.

What parts create the most confusion — and who could make them clearer?

SIGNALS · HEALTH / ACCESSIBILITY
Problem · 9 signals

Shelter workers have no easy way to see animal stress patterns across shifts.

The observations exist. The shared picture does not.

SIGNALS · ANIMAL CARE / DATA
Interest · 18 people

Accessibility

Designing products, places and systems more people can actually use.

INTEREST · DESIGN / HEALTH / CIVIC
Interest · 24 people

Making + Fabrication

For people who want to build something physical — from rough prototype to finished object.

INTEREST · TRADES / DESIGN
Swarm · Open

Ramp Redesign

Fabrication × Nursing × Graphic Design around one specific accessibility problem.

OPEN · LOOKING FOR MORE
Swarm · Open

Plant Stress Sensing

Horticulture × AI. Looking for someone comfortable wiring a sensor.

OPEN · ELECTRONICS WANTED
Connection

Surat textile network

A real route into materials, sampling, quality and sourcing for student product ideas.

CONNECTION · TEXTILES / BUSINESS
Connection

Korea market / company connector

Potential route to companies, suppliers and market-entry knowledge through an external trade connection.

CONNECTION · TRADE / INDUSTRY
Open idea

Nail art, reimagined

Esthetics × Graphic Design × fabrication × AI. Custom masks, decals, tools and displays.

OPEN · DESIGN / MAKING
Open idea

Freezer aisle?

Could a local favourite become a freezer-ready product? Food × packaging × business.

OPEN · FOOD / PRODUCT
Problem · Civic

Students see decisions after they are basically decided.

How could students understand and influence local decisions earlier?

SIGNALS · POLICY / COMMUNITY
Interest · 12 people

Food systems

Where food comes from, how it moves, what gets wasted and what disappears between farm and table.

INTEREST · FOOD / LOGISTICS
Person · Graphic Design

AR

Brand systems, packaging and Cricut workflows. Interested in product ideas that need a visual language.

LOOKING FOR · MAKERS / FOUNDERS
Person · Culinary

RV

Food prep, kitchen systems and waste patterns. Wants to test better tools in real workflows.

LOOKING FOR · UX / DATA
Person · Paralegal

AN

Interested in forms, tribunal processes and how public-facing systems confuse people.

LOOKING FOR · DESIGN / SOFTWARE
Person · Fabrication

DP

Can weld, prototype and troubleshoot physical builds. Wants problems worth making around.

LOOKING FOR · PRODUCT IDEAS
Project · Prototype

Dental tray, harder to get wrong

Dental Assisting × Graphic Design × fabrication around workflow clarity.

NEEDS · TESTING / PROTOTYPE
Project · Active

Onionskin

Legal intelligence from court decisions, tribunal records, government documents and public data.

ACTIVE · LAW / DATA
Project · Active

Melakeela

A digital museum and investigation world for ancient South Asia.

ACTIVE · HISTORY / DESIGN / EDUCATION
Problem · Campus

Useful equipment exists, but students do not always know how to access it.

Could the pathway into labs, studios and tools be easier to understand?

SIGNALS · ACCESS / MAKING
Problem · Transit

Late classes and placements do not always line up with good transit.

Where are the worst gaps, and what would make them visible?

SIGNALS · TRANSIT / STUDENT LIFE
Interest · 11 people

Aging + elder care

Products, services and systems that help people stay independent longer.

INTEREST · HEALTH / DESIGN
Interest · 16 people

AI ethics

What gets decided when systems are designed — and who bears the consequences?

INTEREST · AI / LAW / POLICY
Interest · 9 people

Animal behaviour

What animals communicate that humans routinely miss.

INTEREST · ANIMAL CARE / SCIENCE
Swarm · Forming

Form Audit

Turn legal and administrative forms into a visual argument for better design.

PARALEGAL / GRAPHIC DESIGN
Swarm · Forming

Campus Plant Map

Horticulture × mapping × design around edible, medicinal and interesting campus plants.

OPEN · DATA / MEDIA
Connection

Local libraries

Potential meeting, making, outreach and community-engagement routes beyond campus.

CONNECTION · COMMUNITY
Connection

Local SMEs

Real operational problems that could become student challenge briefs or prototype opportunities.

CONNECTION · INDUSTRY / BUSINESS