Find out how Roshen Maghhan is utilising the information from the tech world and making it his own

If we could all have the knowledge and skills to build our own tech, wouldn’t we?

APPS, GADGETS AND software have become a part of our daily lives. The tech industry is giant, ever-evolving and consistently improving. So what happens when there’s an oversaturation of available tech at the click of our fingertips for a spare chunk of change? We sat down with a local tech aficionado who shared some insights about creating his own versions of these gadgets and software.

Roshen Maghhan, a 21-year-old computer science student has gained notable traction on Twitter for proving that the latest innovations from the world of tech are within reach and won’t break the bank so long as you’re familiar with coding and hardware. Maghhan who single-handedly created several notable projects such as the ‘MyviTesla,’ transformed the local automobile to function from an app on his smartphone. Maghhan’s app can start and shut off the engine, roll down the windows, play music, and self-drive and stop (albeit not faster than 5km/h).

He didn’t just stop there, in order to cope with language barriers in the workplace, he created his own real-time translating earphones by utilising information about the Google Pixel Buds hardware from The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Google translate API; responsive voice synthesiser and a pair of earphones with a microphone. However Maghhan’s version transcribes the conversation taking place, highlights topics mentioned and distinguishes the parties involved. Furthermore, Maghhan turned his home into a smart home using A.I and Arduino to control electronics in the house like the fans, TV, airconditioning and front gate with voice automation as well as created an Augmented Reality (AR) workspace.

Following suit, this year he upgraded his résumé to be viewed in AR plus included voice recognition as well. Cheekily enough as a joke, Maghhan being a heavy sleeper, built a simple mechanical robot to “whack” himself up awake from slumber.

How did you gain an interest in tech?

I’ve always had an interest in tech since I was young. Anything that had electricity flowing through it, had my attention. So around the age of 14, I wanted to know how webpages worked, and that’s when I started to learn how to code. One thing led to another, I went from web development to app development, to cybersecurity and hacking, then to hardware development.

What knowledge does one need to have to create these innovations?

One of the main knowledge or skills that are primarily used in my projects is programming. I wouldn’t say you’d need to be an expert, but you’d at least have to be on an intermediate level. Another thing is probably

hardware knowledge. You should be able to know how electric components function‒ you should definitely know your voltages, ampere, and resistance, almost anything which deals with electric current, and I think another important thing is, problem-solving skills. There’s no use having fluency in a programming language, but barely having any problem-solving skills. I think essentially it comes down to how determined you are, and how much you’re willing to learn.

How long did each project take to complete and cost?

Most of these projects take about four to eight months, depending on how complex the project is. Research on the project usually takes about a month, the planning takes roughly two months, and the rest is the implementation. All of which involves a lot of trial and error, and brainstorming to work around issues. My projects usually cost less than RM200, sometimes when I need a specific electronic component, instead of buying a new one, I’ll try to save my money and reuse the electronic components from a previous project.

Since my projects right now are just personal projects, I don’t really need huge funding, about RM500 per project would be way more than enough, and that way I could venture into the more expensive side of tech such as Brain-computer interfaces, Biotech, etc. However, every project I’ve done has had a technical issue, be it hardware or software limitations, though eventually I’ll usually work my way around it, but the biggest challenge is probably finances. I’ve had projects I’ve wanted to do which costs a lot of money on the hardware, so if I can’t find a suitable replacement then, unfortunately, I’d just have to drop the project.

Have there been any updates or improvements on your previous projects?

I do update every single one of my projects every now and then, whenever I find a need to add a new feature. For example, my AR business card now comes with voice support, my real-time earphone translators now use a different algorithm to better understand sentences, and my Myvi project is now in the process of learning how to drive itself.

Have you ever go en offers on your projects?

I’ve got multiple offers before to acquire my projects, some from companies, others from students wanting it as their final year project but I’ve never sold any of them, mainly because I built it with the intention of a personal project, and that’s how it’ll remain for now. I also don’t want to sell my inventions because they’re just projects I do in my free time, and I build them mainly because I can’t afford the actual product, so selling them to a buyer who might commercialise it for a high price would just contradict my initial purpose. I’d rather make it open source and free for everyone, which is why I give a rough figure of how to do it, so others can do it for themselves as well.

For now, we’ll just keep an eye out on his twitter feed from time-to-time to see what he comes up with next. Hopefully, he’s open to taking suggestions and ideas.

“I’VE GOT MULTIPLE OFFERS BEFORE TO ACQUIRE MY PROJECTS, BUT I’VE NEVER SOLD ANY OF THEM MAINLY BECAUSE I BUILT IT WITH THE INTENTION OF A PERSONAL PROJECT, AND THAT’S HOW IT’LL REMAIN AS FOR NOW”