Cameron Philo, a second-year electrical engineering undergraduate at Michigan Tech, intends to bring environmentally-friendly electricity to any in need with his simple and inexpensive 3D-printed windmills.
Philo, a resident of the Innovation Center for Entrepreneurship House, was first given the idea for his product, 3D Windmills, by Cedric Kennedy, owner of Superior Filament. Superior Filament produces biodegradable 3D printer filament, which can be used to print a variety of objects, including the components required to build a small windmill. In 2015, Superior Filament took the top prize at the Bob Mark Elevator Pitch competition. This year, 3D Windmills cinched the prize for Best Green Innovation, earning Philo $250 and a ticket to Silicon Valley.
“It was kind of an accidental project that I took over,” Philo explained. “The Bob Mark Elevator Pitch was coming up and they [the members of the ICE House] really wanted me to do that. I had no idea what I was going to do, but three days before the competition I was talking to Cedric Kennedy and he said he had a really cool project but that he didn’t have the time to work on it. So, I took it and put my own spin on it.”
Because 3D Windmills stand at about five feet tall, they are much more accessible to the average consumer than many other methods of generating renewable energy. Unlike the massive windmills most people are accustomed to seeing, 3D windmills operate at a low speed on a vertical axis. While this design does reduce the total amount of electricity yielded by each windmill, it also makes the windmills much safer for wildlife and people. “It’s not moving fast enough to hurt anybody,” said Philo.
Despite his love of entrepreneurship, Philo’s main objective is not to make money, but to improve the quality of life for people who currently cannot access electricity. He intends to establish a non-profit.
“It’s a cheap way that you can do yourself to power your house off the grid,” he said. “Potentially, you could set up an entire wind farm in someone’s backyard and power a village.”
To make his windmills available to people who may not know how to construct or print them, Philo plans to partner with universities. “Being plastic, the windmills are super inexpensive, but they aren’t as durable as metal. We aren’t going to pretend they’ll last forever,” he said. “In the event that it breaks, we want it to be easy to fix. We are going to open source all the STL files, make it really easy to put together, and provide detailed instructions. Universities usually have 3D printers for prosthetics. We can train people at universities to be able to make or repair windmills in case anybody needs help.”
To put the final touches on his product, Philo is considering seeking advice from campus enterprises. “I’m looking at getting an enterprise on campus to help with optimization,” he said. “I need help cleaning up the design of the turbine.”
Although Philo does not know much about business, he is actively seeking out the knowledge he will need to make 3D Windmills a success. “12 weeks ago, I had no idea how to start my own business. I still have a lot of questions, but I’m getting there. I’ve just been meeting with people and seeing what they think. I’m open to whatever will happen,” he said.
For more information on 3D Windmills, please visit http://www.mtu.edu/business/student-engagement/elevatorpitch/ to watch Philo’s elevator pitch or email Cameron Philo at cmphilo@mtu.edu.
