Facts On The Ground – Building The First Holon
It is not enough to simply talk in theory. I, as the game’s Architect and first citizen, need to be sure these Quests work as advertised. That
means testing, and testing means real world application. To that end, while I’m building the system architecture to support global implementation,
I’m also going to be putting the various Quests I develop on my own, and the ones we develop together here by kicking ideas around, through their
proverbial paces in the real world. That’s what the ten-acre land purchase is for. The building of real world prototypes and systems that will
prove the concept, begin establishing Holon-level best practices that can be adopted by others, and find out which of our ideas are in need of
refinement before being released into the PtP ecosystem.
Here's a broad overview of what my initial plans look like.
Step 1
The first necessary step will, of course, be to secure the land itself. I’m finding 10-12 acre plots in this area for around $15,000 on a regular
basis, so that’s my target. I am currently retiring the last of my debts (expenses incurred to get here, and paying off my car), before I can get
serious about saving money for that purpose, so that’s step one.
Step one also involves tying the new land into the system’s architecture. This will be accomplished with the Unity 3d development engine, and an
add-on package called “Real World Terrains” (already purchased). I simply enter in my GPS coordinates, and the program pulls NASA and Bing maps
data (no Google API yet, but I’m hoping that by the time I’m ready, there will be one) to generate a height map. From there, I can create a photo
realistic rendering of the actual land, and upload it so that a site visitor can move around on the acreage from the website, just as you do when you
navigate terrains on WoW.
As each new prototype gets built, it will be modeled in exacting details, and placed correctly IN the terrain, so virtual visitors can see the work in
progress. There will also be info buttons and bubbles that explain where we are with the various projects in the works.
Once the land is in-hand, some advance prep-work will be needed. The property needs to be surveyed to select build sites, a well needs to be sunk,
etc., so that’s
Step 2.
The very first building to go up on-site will be an 8’x40’ shipping container storage building, so a foundation will need to be poured (
Step
3) to support it, the container purchased and delivered (
Step 4), and rack shelving installed (
Step 5).
Next up – solar panels. I’ve got a source where I can buy blemished solar panels for fifty cents on the dollar. No loss in capacity, but not
“pretty enough” to sell to the general public. Perfect. I’m not pretty either, so we should get along well.
Step 6 will be to buy a
whole pallet’s worth.
Step 7 – I need two sets of blueprints. One for the eventual house prototype, and one for the “power cube” – I’m going to reverse
engineer a product by the same name, and make one out of my shipping pallet/storage building. The goal is to double, or even triple the total roof
surface area, but have it collapsible, so that the “cube” can be packed up and shipped off to another location if needed. Once the blueprints
(
Step 8) are done, I’ll proceed with
Step 9, building the “cube” and tying in the solar panels to the grid (Virginia is a net
metering state, so no battery backup system needed – I’ll also become a net power producer at that point, and start getting paid for kilowatts
generated.
Each individual solar panel will be RFID tagged, a unique PtP identity established, and its power generation data uploaded to the site in real time,
so that visitors can track and monitor individual panel outputs, or view the output in the aggregate. EVERY system that gets added will likewise be
tagged, making the entire area, and all structures in and on it, interactive. Next to the total output, will be the energy production, Holon wide,
and the % of that output that’s being tracked by the Holon (along with the total amount of energy being produced in the Holon via renewable
sources). Metrics matter!
Step 10 – purchase a complete set of needed tools (sawzal, nail gun, plasma cutter, etc) – going battery powered when possible, and buying
extra batteries. Part of the shed’s shelving will be the recharging station. I’m thinking of tagging each battery, and having it upload its
current charge to the site, and making that interactive so that visitors can ping me when a battery is on the charger but fully charged, so I’ll
know to swap them out if I’m doing something at the time and don’t notice. Real world impacts from digital interactions. To at least that
degree, my own actions will be directed by the players.
Step 11 – pour the foundation for prototype 2 – the house. Modern home construction in America sees housing prices start at around $100
per square foot. I think I can build my structure, 1280 square feet, for around $15k. Will be photo documenting the build, uploading the blueprints,
parts manifest, and final cost figures to the site. If I succeed – hell, even if I come CLOSE to succeeding, then we haven’t solved for
homelessness, but we’ve put one helluva dent in it.
Step 12 – Buy a box truck (Craigslist) – target price, around $3500. Once this is in-hand, I’ll start scouring CL’s free section and
stocking the shed with cinder blocks, wood pallets, used tires, and other essentials.
Step 13 – the build of prototype 2. Once it’s liveable, I’ll stop renting here and move in there. Need two shipping containers to make
it happen.
Step 14 – Agronomy Lab 1 (prototype 3) – building on the experiments in South Carolina, but taking them a step farther. I think I can
build a closed loop, 80% automated aquaponics system that can feed a family of 8 forever, once it’s up and running. Will need another shipping
container for this. All the rain catchment barrels will be tagged, and upload their inflows/outflows/current capacities to the site. Power used by
the agro lab will be tracked the same way (it’ll draw power from the cube). Will set up user/visitor alerts here so that players can further direct
my actions and let me know when a barrel is filled, etc., so we can maintain optimal efficiency. Total crop yield will also be tracked online (garden
layout, number and types of plants grown, number of fish in the tank, etc). We’ll make a tool to allow players to design and submit alternate
layouts to see if we can grow even more in the same space, or do it more efficiently. Once harvesting begins, the food will be sold, but priced in Gc
for anyone interested in buying. It will not be for sale in dollars.
And that’s the current state of the plan.
-=Vel=-
edit on 20-12-2015 by Velociryx because: (no reason given)