Thomas Countz

Blog Posts

• Datasheet vs README
  • What can we learn from standardized datasheets to improve software readmes?
• Software Engineering Malpractice
  • What are our responsibilities as software engineers, and what does it mean when we shirk them?

Software Projects

• Pros & Consequences
  • Word cloud: Prosequence, Intention, tAsk-whY
  • A todo list app which captures the what and the or else what for each todo
  • Inspired by https://www.softwaredesign.ing/blog/todo-list-that-actually-works
  • Each task, you have to pick either done or accept consequence
• Static Project Page Generator
  • Drop in a readme, links, tasks, project log, etc and have a project page built
  • Should work seamlessly with GitHub Actions and GitHub Pages
• Digital “Memory Card”
  • Eject and insert “memory cards” instead of data saved in cloud
  • Kinda the ATProto/ActivityPub idea, except taken offline
  • UX similar to PlayStation memory cards
• Genetic Algorithm Performance Tuning
  • Using RuboCop rules as genetic material, can we evolve more performant Ruby code?
• The Day Sheet
  • Daily brief. Multiple API. LLM summaries
• Grocery Expiry Tracker
  • An app that warns you before your groceries will expire
  • Take a picture of your groceries when you get them home
  • Creates a schedule/alert if food needs to be used soon before it goes bad.
  • Prototype with transformers.JS in the browser for vision
• API-based Game
  • A game which is played via API and is therefore scriptable
  • Could it have emergent behavior; think FABRIK, NEAT (and EAs), or cellular automata
  • Inspiration: https://spacetraders.io/

Hardware Projects

• Balancing pendulum
  • Timing belt. Stepper motor. Encoder.
  • Test out and compare LQR, MPC, PID, NEAT, etc.
• Leader follower bots
  • Kind of an art piece
  • An autonomous bot draws a line as it drives. A series of line-following bots follow the line. The last bot erases the line.
  • Think of them driving on a whiteboard or large acrylic plate.
• Giant Breadboard
  • Two layer acrylic puzzle. Vinyl illustrations. Simple circuits. Battery, resistor, LED.
  • Maybe an interactive sign in a maker space
• “Flat-Pak” Drawbot
  • Laser cut drawbot with simple parts-list
  • Inspiration: https://makezine.com/projects/learn-inverse-kinematics-with-a-robot-arm-drawbot/
• Weighted Lamp
  • A lamp whose brightness is controlled by how much weight it placed on it
  • Inspiration: https://www.yankodesign.com/2025/04/18/glass-lamp-with-fabric-cover-transforms-lighting-into-a-mindful-ritual/
• DSP to double GPIO
  • Use high- and low-pass filters to double the number of GPIO pins
  • Inspiration: https://hackaday.com/2025/04/05/8-pins-for-linux/
• LED Light Comms
  • Receive data via LEDs
  • Inspiration: https://mitxela.com/projects/lightcomm

RSS • GitHub • Mastodon • Bluesky • LinkedIn