Project Retork

This is how shit happens: looked at a bunch of different stuff on the internet during breakfast; my usual routine includes some Facebook time as well. Not surprisingly, I made some new friends/contacts and learned some good stuff. Then it's onto the loo while pondering and boom: a new crazy million dollar idea that seems absurdly obvious in retrospect, pulling together various bits and pieces of what I had just seen.
Project Retork is born!
Watersport related.
Will it be flushed and never make it to market?
It's my job to find out...

KISS

Greetings!
It's now well into 2017 and I could not be more excited!
I apologize for the LONG duration since my last post, things did not go according to my hopes and it was a rough winter here in the Pacific Northwest of the USA.
Spring is here now though and my energy level is now HIGH!

We have been working on a lot of different projects, and considering a lot of different directions. Time is flying by, and I want to make the most of it. I hope to recognize when it's time to focus!

OK, so the active water-sport space is getting a lot of attention lately.
This is great for our business,
I have seen a number of ideas we have considered now taking off, and I see the future coming closer for others.

Development work, R&D, and showcasing will continue for the MoaB (TM) repositioner. If you want to try one, buy one, or license the patent:  disruptivewind@gmail.com.
E-mail the same address if you want us to showcase and/or distribute/resell your awesome new water related toy/sport/etc.. We expect a lot of field testing again this summer. We will also be showcasing in public places as well, with slow times before and after our field tests, we have a "captive" audience for introducing new stuff. Besides, I admit I enjoy being "mobbed" and talking about new toys.

Which brings me at last to the prime topic and exciting prospect that is the reason for the KISS title and pictures. I have had a grand vision for many years of a "new toy" that has the potential to disrupt the industry in a very positive way. I am watching very closely as others bring out new products that are super cool, but I fear for their success. We have learned a lot about the marketplace and what folks want. I have also learned that I MUST be passionate about what I am working on and that the end result must be affordable, and, above all, FUN!
Tech continues to excite, be it drones , foils, carbon fiber, wearables,  or whatever.
I am seeing some serious scope creep as some new products try to adopt all the latest, and become very expensive in the process.
Recently, I was pricing out what it would take to make a prototype of my latest top secret idea and what the end product might cost the consumer.
Thousands, many thousands!
And then it hit me ; KISS!
KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID!
I can test this concept for a whole lot less by using old school, off the shelf and/ or out of the dumpster stuff. Except for one little brand new idea, without which I would look like some sort of  crackpot.
(The brand new idea gets the patent, and may disrupt more than just water-sports. Saying no more...)
If I am spotted early on, I will be seen as that Crazy Inventor Guy, and hopefully ignored. No one will know what I am really up to until later.
We will use the information gathered from initial field testing to evaluate just how high tech we need to go to create the initial consumer product. It is likely the tech will become more refined, robust, tested, proven, and less expensive. We will enter the sweet spot quickly and dominate the initial market.
You heard it here first!
ALSO, this time around, my latest idea can be summed up and explained in only TWO WORDS!

It may be awhile before my next post, no news is good news, right?
Unless I have  information you need to know...
Have a great summer!  - Peter

Unanswered questions = Hard Work!

Foiling field test

Follow us on Facebook!     Here's the link :   https://www.facebook.com/disruptivewind/

Contact Disruptive Wind / Peter Schulz at disruptivewind@gmail.com
   and/or   schulzp1@msn.com

Just one of a number of MoaB (TM) repositioner videos at YouTube
 (jump ahead to catch some rapid action)
Subscribe at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3oJLfv4Opx_FihrHaCAEjw

Update: Welcome to new visitors. I am "temporarily" using a blog as the company's website.
Obviously, we will have a more traditional website going as we bring products to market.
I have been extremely busy expanding the companies IP (Intellectual Property) portfolio (patents, etc.) and conducting field experiments to answer questions (research and experimentation) about various inventions.
There are 3 main areas of focus that some of the public is aware of:
MoaB (TM) repositioner   Patent # 8,870,615 (USA)
Bernie-boarding
EasyFoil (TM)

We have decided upon windsurfing as the sport to test and introduce these innovations, although other sports may be impacted as well.
On August 9, 2016 . I tested a proof of concept EasyFoil (TM) board that proved our latest shallow water foiling innovation  works in low wind / flat water conditions quite nicely. So smooth and quiet, I went halfway across the river without even bothering to look where I was going! This is because I was busy videoing the board, water surface, interaction with the foil, etc.. I am not going to give specifics prior to patent publication, but I will tell you that we have the ONLY foil out there that protrudes no more than 15 inches (40 cm) below the bottom of the host board. We have the ONLY foil out there that is DESIGNED to operate just below the water's surface that WILL NOT suffer catastrophic loss of lift should it surface briefly by passing through the trough of a wavelet. I documented this last Tuesday as I traveled hundreds of meters dead flat just below the water surface.
I am so excited by this accomplishment that I will be "disappearing" for a couple of weeks to revise our business plan once again and to design future prototypes. I think it is likely that we will finally incorporate and/or partner/merge with another company. I think it is likely we will increase the size of our team and that another round of financing will be sought. It is possible that we will license to others some of our inventions. I know a lot of hard work is ahead and am very excited to get to it!

P.S. We have yet to create a Bernie-boarding, MoaB, or EasyFoil video  from the dozens of hours acquired during recent field sessions. We intend to record more video (and from different view angles, still looking for a wind capable drone!)  with an aim toward  high value promotional videos. The "problem" is each session provides so much more "better/cooler" material as new concepts and prototypes are tested. Unfortunately, video editing/creation may have to wait until after the local windy season ends. My apologies!

I have the best job!

Wow, we have been blessed with more field session opportunities than we can handle. EVERY time a Bernie board hits the water, we learn something new. Most recently, we discovered "Stallion" mode, as rearing up is a very effective way to deal with an unwanted gust!
Also, we have more inventions in the works as the ideas keep coming.
Boredom is the least of my worries!

Bernie-boarding has taken over my life!

From Facebook today:



Bernie-boarding update/summary: It works.
We are actively debating the path forward*.

 We are learning a lot with every test session, each which has a set of defined goals.
 16 MPH of wind has proven to be the best for "gliding" mode for the latest Dream Dare prototype. Multi-modal use with the same watercraft without needing to change or adjust ANYTHING is the true strength of this innovation, in my opinion.
 The team strongly believes that, although this can be taken completely into a new sport altogether, we should focus on tying it to an existing sport to ease entry for early adopters.


*There are drawbacks and challenges that can be ignored and a product introduced to the market this summer (Shark Tank argument, make money!) .
 Or, we could explore more, invent more, and wait for a "perfected" product, since we have effectively no competitors.
 Hopefully, another round of prototypes and testing will give us the data we need to clarify our path!

Where am I? Or should it be when...?

Greetings from the future! I think. Therefore, I am.

Wow, a crazy place to be at. I am compelled to post an update after yesterday's incredible events.
Let's start from the start and just maybe this will make some sense.

I am an inventor. Also a product developer. Possibly an entrepreneur. Certainly a water-sports enthusiast.
I had a crazy idea that arose through lucid dreaming that morphed into a sizable group of inventions, which I am working on combining into one extreme watercraft.
This new watercraft is not a typical "evolutionary" type improvement over what already exists.It's more of a leap into a new realm of possibilities. Common sense, "rules of thumb", even conventional  physics, all indicate this thing should not work. I like to use a starship / warp drive euphemism when discussing this thing. Rather than just saying "this thing" all the time.

I have built some "test platforms" because to say prototype is too generous and would be deceiving. What I have built is nowhere near what an actual product would even look like. Or so I thought.

Dream Dare 1, 2 and 3 is what I call them. I have built them and done some initial real world testing under the best secrecy that can be managed these days.
Dream Dare 1 was a success after traveling the first 20 feet under impulse power. It floats, it moves, I am able to pilot it! I was very surprised and amazed. There were a huge number of configuration decisions to be made so I expected to have to try a number of different set ups before finding one that worked. So lucky. I will humbly take credit for some skill as well.
So Dream Dare 1 worked fine under impulse power. There are a lot of operational modes. More than I anticipated. I immediately went from impulse power to glide mode. Glide mode is all the rage these days, in a related field of endeavor that is seeing renewed interest. I expected glide mode to be the main operational mode of this starship, which I would then refine until my "hoped for" goals were met. Glide mode is smooth, easy, relatively safe. My starship is hoping to have the best glide mode in the universe. My glide mode is going to love chop and waves and be easy on the joints.
Then there is warp drive. Who doesn't want to go fast at some point? Well, after a short time in glide mode, I kicked into warp drive. This was not the plan. I was supposed to get comfortable navigating around and yet here I am heading all the way across the mighty Columbia River and kicking it into warp drive. It was just so easy. Well, it just worked. Exciting. Easy transitions between modes.
I exhausted myself quickly. Went home and readied Dream Dare 2 (DD2).

DD2 was focused on going extreme with glide mode. My initial guess at a configuration was way off, I believe. Might have been the conditions but, in any event, it did not work well. The shock wave I was hoping to ride (ride your own wave!) intersected incorrectly and threw the whole balance off. Reality is beginning to set in, along with some doubts. But it is very early and I am still quite excited and motivated so I came up with a plan for DD3.

I got DD3 out for a test day before yesterday. Conditions were good initially but soon worsened. There was also a group of ships out showing off how fun their glide mode was working. I know one of the captains so I was leery about secrecy. So I stayed mostly under impulse power with a little bit of glide mode and a blast of warp drive when I thought no one was looking. That warp drive sure is addictive and fun! I was very happy to be so proficient on a "first time" test platform in just minutes. I became a master at impulse power just cruising around all over the place and finally called it a day.

Now for yesterday! Conditions were great. No one around anywhere. How could this be? Fools!
But great for me. Kicked it into warp drive immediately and spent a lot of time there over the course of the day. Tried out some other modes. Some worked, some need work on test platform configuration or piloting skills. The evasive mode I was very excited about during initial conception eludes me so far. This does not surprise me, I expect the most work, and largest payoff, to be in pursuing this mode. Expect this to be a surprise later if it works. There are a lot of secret modes not discernible by simply looking at the physical structure. That's one of the things that has me so excited. It does more than you can even imagine, myself included.

So yesterday I am having a great time exploring warp drive and various new modes of operation, including reverse edging mode (utilizes a hidden control surface). There is a super secret mode I will call trans-dimensional warp (TD warp). Very dangerous and certainly very extreme. I had envisioned this possibility early on but planned on having a refined prototype and support crew before daring it. I don't even have a good plan for transitioning out of it.  WELL, everyone can chew me out big time for doing this, but conditions were just right, with no one around. I just could not help myself.

Kicked it into TD warp and WOW! Just a little bit, not really full on, I was blown away by how exciting and fun this mode was, So I just went for it - maximum TD warp!
Well, my poor little DD3 could not take the strain as I reached unthinkable speed and there was a warp core breach / crash. The destruction was staggering (over a thousand dollars in damage), the pain was intense. Yet, both I and DD3 functioned well enough that I used regular warp drive all the way home! DD3 will have to be rebuilt and future captains will have to be warned. TD warp will remain a super secret mode for quite some time to come.

In conclusion, there is no doubt in my mind I have created a new watercraft/sport. It may not ultimately meet all my design criteria but certainly meets enough of them to justify continued pursuit (and IP protection).  This is an extreme design and will not be for everyone. I'm OK with that, I never thought it would be.
But I bet a lot of folks will be wanting to try it. I'll try to make that happen as soon as I can. - Peter

Warp drive

Just posted on Disruptive Wind Facebook page:



"As many of you already know, I am obsessively working night and day on a top secret project involving water based transportation. I feel like I am in some sort of alternate universe where I am starring in a B movie trying to create a warp drive in my backyard shed. Nobody with any smarts would be trying to do what I am going after. It's too difficult, dangerous, expensive, impractical, After all, one normally does rocket science to go to places like Mars, but I just want to get to New York....! "




As usual, my idea was easy to expand on and get excited about. But in practice, I have run head on into the realities of the real world. Needing to heed the laws of chemistry and physics. Utilizing only limited resources, while maintaining utmost secrecy, this has been perhaps my greatest challenge yet. Way behind on my timetable. Yet I continue because I owe it to myself, and the universe that has supported me so nicely, to see where this goes. Bear with me, thanks! And vote for Bernie Sanders!