The Omniscience Futureneering Club

"Everything is dangerous if you're stupid."

  O.F. was a high-school-based science/engineering/inventing club. It was
founded on the premise that the best way to learn about anything was to
design it, make it or modify it and then to use it.  We would follow
natural curiosity wherever it led us. We quickly gained momentum, and
there came a point where we wanted to "know everything".  Thus the word
"omniscience" was incorporated in the name.  Some national magazines
published some of the articles we submitted. The sponsor's machine shop
was used exclusively, with members doing circuit design, electronic work,
computer programming, model building, word processing, creative writing,
photography, university library research, online research, drafting, etc.
   Each year was devoted to a major project or concept trial that intrigued
us and seemed to be the "the future".  Hence the term "futureneering".
The projects were selected from original ideas, improvements on an idea,
attempts to duplicate existing equipment or to try new combinations of
existing products.
  In every case, the project was only begun after each component appeared
completely doable, with no "gray" areas that we hoped we would be able to
figure out later.  Some projects languished on a back burner until a key
component appeared on the market.  For the mowers, it was the powerful and
affordable steering servo.  For the R/C rocket, it was the composite
motors.  For TV-eye car and rocket, it was the affordable tiny TV cameras
and TV transmitter kits.  For the flight simulator, it was three surplus
12-volt DC high-torque "gate closer" gearmotors.
  Most projects are not presented here because they have been published
adequately in the print media, are relatively common now or need no
explanation. The ones seen here either have not been published yet because
they made the print media very nervous and were rejected.  Or they have
elicited enough interest to warrant being presented here again. Everything
shown here has been proven to work adequately. All unforeseen shortcomings
have been so stated.
  It was our intent to share our work with the public and promote an
exchange of information.  No project was considered off limits for any
reason.  We neither refused to develop a project due to fear of abuse nor
chose one project over another to promote any agenda.  The ideas
represented a challenge we had placed on ourselves and that we thought
we could accomplish within the means we had available. No projects were
marketed, which stifles the creative process.  But some have been sold.