Solarpunk Automation - Building Local Tech Infrastructure with Meshtastic

<style> @import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Space+Mono:wght@400;700&family=Inter:wght@400;600;700&display=swap'); .reveal { font-family: 'Inter', sans-serif; } .reveal h1, .reveal h2, .reveal h3 { font-family: 'Space Mono', monospace; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.05em; text-shadow: 0 0 20px rgba(168, 208, 141, 0.5), 0 0 40px rgba(168, 208, 141, 0.2); color: #a8d08d; } .reveal p, .reveal li { font-size: 0.7em; line-height: 1.6; color: #e8e0d0; } .reveal blockquote { border-left: 4px solid #f4a261; background: rgba(244, 162, 97, 0.12); font-style: italic; color: #f4a261; padding: 10px 20px; font-size: 0.65em; } .reveal .slide-background { background-color: #1a2e1a; } .reveal section { text-align: left; } .reveal img { border: 2px solid rgba(168, 208, 141, 0.3) !important; border-radius: 4px; box-shadow: 0 0 20px rgba(168, 208, 141, 0.1); } .reveal table { font-size: 0.55em; color: #e8e0d0; } .reveal th { color: #a8d08d; } .reveal code { color: #f4a261; background: #0f1f0f; padding: 2px 6px; border-radius: 3px; } .reveal pre code { padding: 12px; font-size: 0.6em; } .solarpunk-text { color: #a8d08d; font-family: 'Space Mono', monospace; font-size: 0.5em; opacity: 0.8; } .amber-bar { color: rgba(244, 162, 97, 0.5); font-family: 'Space Mono', monospace; font-size: 0.4em; } </style>  # Solarpunk Automation ## Building Local Tech Infrastructure with Meshtastic Turn old devices and low-power radios into the resilient digital nervous system of a solarpunk community. <span class="solarpunk-text">The Multiverse School // Full-Day Workshop</span> ---  ## What If the Grid Went Down? What would still work if the internet disappeared tomorrow? > "Appropriate technology: right-sized, community-owned, solar-powered, and resilient." **Today you will build three things:** 1. A local information hub on a repurposed phone 2. A Meshtastic mesh radio network 3. A solar-powered field node None of them need the internet. None of them need the grid. --- ## Core Philosophy **Repurpose, don't replace.** Old phones become Linux servers. Old tablets become garden kiosks. - **Solar-powered** instead of grid-dependent - **Mesh networks** instead of centralized infrastructure - **Local-first** instead of cloud-dependent - **Community-owned** instead of corporate-controlled > "Solarpunk isn't just solar panels and green aesthetics. It's a framework for building resilient, equitable, community-owned futures." <span class="amber-bar">appropriate technology / right-sized for the context</span> --- ## When Centralized Tech Fails | Problem | Centralized Response | Solarpunk Alternative | |---------|---------------------|----------------------| | Cell tower down | No communication | Mesh keeps working | | Internet outage | Services offline | Local-first still functions | | ISP shuts you down | Locked out | No ISP needed | | Grid power fails | Everything stops | Solar + batteries | | Cloud service dies | Data lost | Data stored locally | | Phone breaks | Start over | Any device joins the mesh | **Every row is a real failure mode.** Solarpunk infrastructure eliminates all of them. --- ## What a Commune Needs Every functioning community requires six digital systems that can't be shut off remotely: - **Communication** -- reach people without cell towers - **Wayfinding** -- maps and trail markers that work offline - **Emergency signaling** -- SOS and dispatch without 911 - **Shared knowledge** -- guides, contacts, protocols - **Resource tracking** -- tool library, surplus exchange - **Coordination** -- schedules, roles, task boards Today we build the foundation for all six. ---  ## Your Phone Is an Information Hub A repurposed phone becomes a local server -- no internet required. Anyone nearby connects over WiFi and browses your community site. **Two paths to get there:** | | Path A: postmarketOS | Path B: Termux | |---|---|---| | **What** | Flash real Linux onto old phone | Linux environment inside Android | | **Result** | Full server (nginx, Python, Node) | Python web server in terminal | | **Barrier** | Higher (wipe phone, flash OS) | Lower (just install an app) | | **Power** | It IS a Linux computer | App pretending to be Linux | **Both paths produce a working local info hub** hosting community resources, emergency contacts, and offline maps. --- ## Building the Information Node **The stack is simple:** ``` Old Phone (server) + Python / nginx (serves content) + WiFi Hotspot or Travel Router (broadcasts network) = Local community website, no internet needed ``` **What lives on the hub:** - Emergency protocols and contacts - Offline maps (OpenStreetMap exports) - Skill-sharing directory and tool library - Community governance documents ---  ## Meshtastic: Mesh Networking Device-to-device radio communication using LoRa protocol. - **No SIM card.** No monthly bill. - **No ISP.** No centralized control. - **1-10 km range** depending on terrain. - **Battery + solar powered.** Runs indefinitely off-grid. Each node relays messages to other nodes. The more nodes, the stronger the network. There is no server to shut down. <span class="solarpunk-text">LoRa = Long Range, Low Power radio</span> ---  ## Flash, Pair, Message **Three steps to a working mesh radio:** 1. **Flash firmware** -- connect your device (T-Beam, Heltec, RAK, LilyGo) to flasher.meshtastic.org, select board, click Flash 2. **Pair phone** -- install the Meshtastic app (Android or iOS), enable Bluetooth, connect to your device 3. **Send a message** -- type in the chat, watch it appear on every other device in the mesh **Configure for your community:** - Set your name and region - Create channels: Emergency, General, Garden, Workshop - Assign roles: Medic, Fire Response, Tools --- ## Community Modules Pick one module to build on top of your mesh + hub: **Module A: Emergency Dispatch** -- SOS messages auto-log to a status board on your local server. Send "emergency" and the whole community sees it. **Module B: Local Maps + Wayfinding** -- Offline map tiles with custom markers for trails, water sources, solar arrays, rally points. Hosted on your info hub. **Module C: Skill Sharing + Resource Exchange** -- A browsable directory: who can fix what, what tools are available, what surplus is up for trade. JSON-backed, no database needed. --- ## Solar-Powered Nodes A field node that runs forever without plugging into the wall. **Power budget math:** | Device | Draw | Daily Use | Battery (4 days) | Panel | |--------|------|-----------|-------------------|-------| | Meshtastic node | ~100 mA | 2,400 mAh | 10,000 mAh | 9-10W | | Phone (standby) | ~200 mA | 4,800 mAh | 20,000 mAh | 18-20W | | Trail beacon | ~50 mA | 1,200 mAh | 5,000 mAh | 5W | **Rule of thumb:** Panel should generate 2-3x daily use. Battery should hold 3-5 days without sun. <span class="amber-bar">daily mA x 24 = daily mAh // daily mAh x 4 = battery // daily Wh x 3 / sun hours = panel watts</span> --- ## Wire It Up ``` Solar Panel (5-20W) | Charge Controller / USB Power Bank | Device (Meshtastic node, phone, or SBC) ``` **Test checklist:** 1. Device runs on battery alone? 2. Solar charges the battery? 3. Both at the same time? **Deployment planning:** High ground for range. South-facing for solar. Weatherproof enclosure (IP65+). Accessible for maintenance. --- ## The Full Stack **Hub + Mesh + Solar = Community Infrastructure** Your three builds connect into one system: - **Information Hub** (phone + hotspot) serves community data over local WiFi - **Meshtastic Mesh** (radio nodes) provides communication, SOS, and location sharing across kilometers - **Solar Power** (panel + battery) keeps nodes running off-grid indefinitely No internet. No grid. No corporate intermediary. Just community-owned infrastructure powered by the sun. <span class="solarpunk-text">garden to commune to neighborhood to region</span> --- ## CyberPony Express 100% of workshop proceeds go to **CyberPony Express** -- a free, encrypted, public mesh network for disaster response and community resilience. **A partnership between:** The Multiverse School, High Desert Institute, and Burners Without Borders. - 20+ mile range between nodes - End-to-end encrypted communications - CyberPony BBS -- bulletin board with on-device LLM chat - Active disaster response infrastructure **Get involved:** Apply for a free node, volunteer, or donate at [highdesertinstitute.org](https://highdesertinstitute.org/) --- ## 30-Day Roadmap **Week 1:** Deploy 1-2 info nodes, set up emergency Meshtastic channel, train 3-5 community members **Week 2:** Add 2-3 more mesh nodes for range, deploy first solar field node, test and map coverage gaps **Weeks 3-4:** Backup nodes at key locations, identify tech stewards and maintenance schedules, share builds with neighboring communities --- ## What You Built | Build | What It Does | |-------|-------------| | Local WiFi Hub | Serves community info without internet | | Mesh Network | Radio communication without cell towers | | Solar Node | Keeps infrastructure running without the grid | **Skills gained:** Offline-first architecture. Meshtastic mesh networking. Static site hosting on repurposed hardware. Solar power budgeting. Community infrastructure planning. > "You don't need permission. You don't need experts. You don't need expensive tools." ---  ## Every Mesh Node Is a Small Act of Sovereignty You have knowledge of offline-first systems. You have skills to repurpose old devices. You have a working prototype. You have a community to serve. **Now go build.** <span class="solarpunk-text">The Multiverse School // themultiverse.school</span> ---  ## CONCEPT DECKS Interactive zooming presentations — click to explore each concept: - [Failure Points](https://docs.themultiverse.school/x/solarpunk-failure-points.html) — Where community infrastructure breaks - [Infrastructure Stack](https://docs.themultiverse.school/x/solarpunk-infrastructure-stack.html) — Layers of resilient local tech - [Power Budget](https://docs.themultiverse.school/x/solarpunk-power-budget.html) — Watts, panels, and what you can actually run - [Appropriate Technology](https://docs.themultiverse.school/x/solarpunk-appropriate-tech.html) — Right tool for the right scale <p class=accent-text>Arrow keys to navigate inside each deck. Press T for guided tour.</p>

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