Meet Leon Barnard, Inventor and Designer

The inventor and designer of ATRE Power Stations is Leon Barnard, who resides in Surrey, BC, Canada. Leon was a mechanical engineering technician who moved up the ranks to Commodity Manager for a Fortune 500 corporation.

His interests in development of the ATRE Power Station started after a purchase of solar panels which did not perform under short and dark winter days in BC, Canada. He wanted something that delivers power in all weather, 24 hours a day.

Leon is just launching an IndieGogo campaign to fund the production of an Earth Ambient Temperature Resistant Power Station. Learn more at https://www.indiegogo.com/at/ATRE.

Leon also has several videos posted on YouTube to give you more of an idea of how this green technology works.

1. For laypeople, could you tell us what Earth Ambient Temperature Resistant Electricity (ATRE) means?

If one to watch the video here at http://igg.me/at/ATRE, the crowdfunding campaign site, you can see how the ATRE Power Station uses earth metals shaped by design into an antenna-like array which is then brought into contact with the earth to "electrify" the small galvanic cells at the rate per surrounding temperature. If the temperature increases, the flow of electricity increases, and if temperatures drop, the opposing electron charges in the crystals increase. In each panel, we use batteries to control the resistance of voltage buildup, and from there we derived the name Earth Ambient Temperature Resistant Electricity.

2. What are the benefits of ATRE compared to the green energy sources of sun and wind power?

ATRE Power Stations use water as input source, a relatively free energy source. ATRE Panels produce an electrical current 24 hours a day, independent from sun, wind, or other energy inputs. ATRE Panels do not use oxidation as a process to charge electrons, making this a natural and emission-free source of power.

Since water is relatively "free," and the ATRE Power Station does not need "clean" water, this form of electricity is considered continuous and free.

3. How did you first come up with the idea for creating your battery design?

My experience with solar panels in BC, Canada on many short and dark rainy days during the long months of winter was disappointing, and it triggered my research to find an electrical source where sun and wind does not matter. I also had the criteria of emission-free power, and a natural and clean form of energy.

4. How big will the power station be, and do you know where it will be located?

The technology is absolutely scaleable, which means that laptop computers, cell phones, and other small equipment could potentially become self-powered with tiny ATRE Power Stations. For the purpose of the campaign fundraiser, the model proposed will be as large as a medium fridge that one would purchase at your local appliance store, but at least at half the cost of your fridge due to the simplicity of the technology used.

My plan is that the initial commercial unit will be purchased like a fridge, installed in a corner of a room, and plugged into the grid--and then you can immediately save on your energy bill. It's a plug and play type of technology.

5. Why did you decide to pursue a crowdfunding campaign for your project, and is there anything else you'd like readers to know about it?

The Indiegogo.com platform requires us to explain the use of the funds and the reasons for the crowdfunding campaign, so you can learn a lot more about it by visiting our page there. Anyone interested in this project can visit the site and watch the videos and visit links to other sites that display prototypes in action and illustrate the design progress for the commercial unit.

Thanks, Leon!

Meet Grant J. Kidney, Artist and Entrepreneur

Grant J. Kidney is an artist and entrepreneur whose work focuses on presenting sustainable solutions to world wide challenges.

He is the chief designer and chief executive officer at Vril Studio, a graphic design company. He is also the designer of a new vehicle: the Anticar.

1. Reading about your career, I see that you shifted from doing a lot of written work into more of a concentration on visual art and design. Was there a turning point for you that made you decide to change your focus?

The turning point came with a bit of a mental growth spurt I went through. In one sweeping moment, I decided that writing and speaking concerning the political issues of our time just wasn't my thing. I wanted to try something new. Sure, I still wanted to affect change in the world--but this time it would have to come through art and through innovation.

2. What does "Vril" mean, and why did you choose it as the name for your companies?

The term "Vril" was extracted from an old science fiction book written by Edward Bulwer-Lytton called The Coming Race. In the novel, a race of subterranean super-beings wield the awesome Vril force which is kind of like Qi energy spoken of in ancient Chinese tradition. I like to imagine that there's some underlying current of potential in the universe (Vril) which, if tapped in to accordingly, could yield tremendous results either for a person or for a company.

3. How did you first get the idea for the Anticar?

The Anticar represents the birth of a new kind of affordable transport that much of the younger population in the first world desperately yearns for. The millennial generation just isn't driving as much as their parents used to. Owning a vehicle can be very expensive. Everything from gas to insurance, maintenance, and so forth is a huge burden--especially on those who've grown accustomed to shrinking wages in an economy reminiscent of the first Great Depression.

4. It looks like a lot of the information on the Anticar has yet to be released--what can you tell us about it now?

The Anticar project is something I'm tackling under the guise of my new startup, Vril Transport. Here's our description of Anticar as it reads on the official Vril Transport website:

Anticar is a human/hybrid electric vehicle that promises to disrupt mainstream modes of transport. Affordable, lightweight, and fast, this "velomobile" takes one from point A to B without gas, insurance, or traffic to stand in the way.

There are a few details not mentioned in the above description such as how the Anticar is capable of charging itself. With a new take on existing technologies, I was able to craft a unique system that would allow Anticar to generate and store its own power through pedal motion. Remember, Anticar is a velomobile. In other words, what we're dealing with here is essentially a bicycle contained within a pod-like body. So for traveling up hills or for moments when the driver just doesn't feel like exerting any effort, energy collected while pedaling Anticar can be used to activate the electric assist motor.

5. How will your upcoming Kickstarter campaign support your work with the Anticar, and where can people learn more about your project and possibly get involved themselves?

Crowdfunding is going to provide the necessary capital in order to build the first set of Anticars. Kickstarter has been a miracle for some startups--and I'm hoping Anticar can share in some of the success that many have gained through community funded efforts.

For now, all of the information made available about the Anticar can be found on the official Vril Transport website, www.VrilTransport.org.

Thanks, Grant!