For a summary and preview video of Cardano on the Rocks, please have a read of this forum post. This post will help share the story of how “Cardano on the Rocks’ came to be…
During autumn last year, community member and Cardano Ambassador Markus Gufler (@werkof ) started thinking about how Cardano could start running energy-efficient nodes on Cardano that are small, durable and easy to set up. And from this one idea, he embarked on a journey.
By April this year, he had already formulated the idea to integrate Rock Pi’s with the Jormungandr code and had constructed prototype devices that he was able to present at the IOHK Summit in Miami. In preparation for this event, he designed a casing and metal enclosure of the devices that would not only protect the Rock-Pi’s inside but also proudly show the Cardano emblem.
First prototype of the Cardano-themed casing that was presented in Miami.
Little did he know that these casings would give him a bit of a headache on his travels to Miami… How does one pass security checks, and board an airplane with a box full of suspicious-looking, handmade hardware? The hardware had no name and therefore, everything had to be disassembled before he was let through.
The airport security box with the disassembled “Cardano on the Rock” parts for airport officials to thoroughly inspect.
This led to Markus missing his flight to Miami by 4 minutes! As a result, he had to wait about 10 hours in Rome for a flight that would take him to Miami, via Lisbon where he’d need to wait another 6 hours.
But fortunately, Markus and his Cardano Rock Pi devices finally made it safely to the IOHK Summit in Miami, where they were featured in Charles’ keynote speech. At the Summit, he was also able to present the project to the IOHK and Cardano communities. He was met with lots of support and even interest in purchases.
Markus presenting “Cardano on the Rocks” at the IOHK Summit 2019 in Miami.
Time spent in Miami was fruitful as he was able to discuss the project with many others. And before departing Miami, Markus already had a visualization for a future design for the node.
Markus with Niels, community manager at the Cardano Foundation, discussing Cardano on the Rocks over a beer at the IOHK Summit.
(L to R: Niels, Kevin, Andy, Joshua & Markus during the Miami Summit, enjoying a few beers while discussing all kinds of topics)
After Miami, Markus immediately started designing a better design and casing for the node: round and plastic, instead of metal. Circular to mimic the Cardano logo and plastic to be airport security check-in friendly!
After conceptualizing, the new design was 3D-printed and internal parts were optimized to fit within. The pictures below are the final end result of the device.
If you’re interested in learning more about “Cardano on the Rocks” or even setting up your own to run a Cardano node, you can find detailed information and set-up guides here: https://edu.clio.one/lessons/cardano-on-the-rocks/
It’s exciting to see such innovation and creativity in the community that aligns with Cardano’s decentralization goals. Join Markus and others to see how you too can take part in the action!