Field Testing + the Pacific Northwest

In which we test our prototypes by the fire, pave our path forward, and setup shop in the PNW

The current Stamp prototype has external electronics, connected by a cord. The final version will have integrated electronics, eliminating the cord.

So, What's New?

Beyond getting our new website online (which you've probably noticed by now) we are busy in the shop designing, testing, and iterating on our current prototype. This device has been undergoing numerous tests both in the shop and in the field, as seen in the pic on the left.

The shop tests provide an idealized situation where we measure temperatures at many locations across our device as well as loaded power production. When we go and field test Stamp, we can then better understand the types of heat sources we need to make power. Speaking of...

Test, Test, Test

Testing is just about all we do these days! We're trying to get all the different elements in Stamp in balance to make the most power possible. Stamp consists of three systems:

  1. The Chassis - this is the housing that contains all the pieces and parts of Stamp
  2. Thermoelectric Modules and Electronics - This is the system that makes power, processes it, and stores it in Stamp's on-board batteries.
  3. The Cooling System - Thermoelectric modules don't just need heat to make power; they need a temperature difference across them. Our cooling system provides that difference by moving thermal wattage out of Stamp.

While the chassis and electric system require further testing, they are coming along well. Right now, the biggest focus in testing is the cooling system. We are working to make Stamp passively cooled - meaning that you don't have to do anything; it takes care of itself!

To achieve that end, we have built a test matrix that evaluates the best combinations and permutations of our passive cooling solutions thus far. While I can't share the "secret sauce" we have made great strides in our ability to sustain power production over hours of use. There is still much to do, but we're excited to keep testing and chipping away at this challenge.

Where Are We Headed?

Over the next few months, we will continue working to:

  • Perfect the cooling system
  • Finish the electrical system + UX/UI
  • Finalize Beta hardware

This will let us head towards a closed Beta where we build a few dozen of these and get them into users' hands! We don't have a firm timeline locked down yet, since it is so dependent on our testing progress, but expect to hear more in the coming months.

New Location, Same Focus

Finally, Ben recently moved to Seattle, which unites a strong outdoors community in the Pacific Northwest with a burgeoning hardware marketplace. We're excited to connect with the locals here and get out the word about Stamp as we push through testing and toward our Beta program!

Going forward, we'll continue sharing progress here on this blog, Twitter, and Facebook - so stay tuned. Of course, you can also sign up to join our mailing list!