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Singapore · Maker-at-Large

Make
Things That
Make Sense.

The Caffeine-Powered Creative. Technologist for the Common Good.

I'm Saad Chinoy — a maker, systems designer, open-hardware advocate, and biomaker working at the intersection of art, science, and community. Since 2013 I've been building tools, spaces, and practices that put technology in service of people — not the other way around.

See the work Get in touch Linktree ↗
Open Governance Inclusive Design Tech Salvage Bio Making Critical Play Digital Equity

About

Lab Notebook, Not a LinkedIn.

Equal parts barista, biologist, and systems thinker. I founded SalvageGarden in 2018 as a space where broken things become building blocks — where e-waste becomes educational kit and discarded hardware becomes assistive technology.

My practice lives at the art-science boundary: co-creating tactile games with disability communities, fermenting SCOBY bioplastics, running microbial fuel cell workshops, and building open-source braille printers across Southeast Asia.

I believe open source is infrastructure for democracy. The recipe should always be shared.

Guiding Principles

  1. Reflexive Making

    Constant questioning of the tool and the result.

  2. Frugal Innovation

    Maximising utility with minimal resources.

  3. Salvage-Design

    Repair, reuse, and repurpose over buying new.

  4. Inclusive Co-Creation

    Making with communities, not for them.

  5. Open Source as Empowerment

    Technical transparency as a social right.

Timeline · 2013 – 2026

A Decade of
Making with Meaning.

Evergreen Projects

Things That
Keep Brewing.

Designer · Inclusive Design

M4tch

Tactile Connect Four variant — a game everyone can play.

Maker · Tech Salvage

Recreator3D & Polyformer

Building and deploying open-source PET bottle-to-filament machines for hyperlocal plastic recycling — closing the loop between waste and 3D printing material at community scale.

Maker · Bio Making

Kombucha SCOBY Vegan Leather

Growing biomaterial from kombucha culture — fermenting SCOBY into flexible, leather-like sheets as a zero-waste alternative to petrochemical textiles.

Maker · Tech Salvage

The Caffeinator

Upcycled cold brew machine. The OG build. Shown at Singapore Maker Festival 2014 and across Southeast Asia.

Maker · Tech Salvage

Selfiebooth

Raspberry Pi kiosk. Butt-activated. Exhibited at Maker Faire 2015.

Maker · Bio Making

GutBox

Fermentation controller for the curious home scientist.

Maker · Bio Making

The Fluffynator

Mushroom cultivation monitor. Grown, not bought.

Developer · Tech Salvage

Doodle3D SG ↗

Revives an orphaned open-source project — adapting Doodle3D Transform to run offline or in remote environments via Raspberry Pi, making 2D-to-3D drawing accessible without reliable internet.

Network & Advisory

The Open-Source
Kitchen Table.

The best ideas are collectively brewed. These are the communities and boards where I contribute and conspire.

Founder & Director

SpudnikLab

Digital equity through hands-on learning Founder

SalvageGarden

Repair culture & inclusive making since 2018 Community Council Member · since 2024

GOSH Community Council

Gathering for Open Science Hardware Strategic Board Member · since 2018

r0g_agency / SSMLab

Open tech for Africa & Asia Board Member

GIG — Global Innovation Gathering

Grassroots tech communities worldwide Contributor

Fab City Global Initiative

Locally productive, globally connected cities

Contact

Let's
Brew a Pour Over.

I'm open to collaborations in inclusive design, open hardware, bio-making, education, and creative tech. If your project has a soul and values the process as much as the product — let's talk.

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