‘The Big Life Fix’ Features UK’s Top Engineer Talent Tackling Unsolved Problems

I just watched the recap of Episode 1 of The Big Life Fix series on BBC Two, and it is A MUST SEE. Watch:

If you’re not choking back tears of happiness for that boy, I’m a bit worried about you. How amazing is that story? Jude Pullen and crew – hats off to you all. You know, at one point in that recap, it says, “Three months of hard work later…” Yeah, I guarantee NONE of them would say it wasn’t worth it.

This short excerpt was from a new show in the UK featuring engineers, designers and programmers who take the toughest life-altering challenges and push past the barriers of innovation with a mix of ingenuity, cutting-edge tech and and a hefty dollop of DIY.

The Big Life Fix: Episode 1

BBC Two aired Episode 1 of The Big Life Fix last week and we’re extremely excited that it features one of our fav makers and friends, Jude Pullen. He’s joined by an all-star creator crew featuring Ryan White, Ruby Steel, Ross Atkin, Zoe Laughlin, Yusuf Mohammed, and Haiyan Zhang. Each have a particular talent, and each attack a particular problem, but all work together on the other’s project to make it all happen.

The seven join presenter Simon Reeve travelling across the UK to take on the challenges others have given up on or simply don’t know how to address. Each episode has three stories. You saw highlights of the first above with 22-year-old James Dunn who is terminally ill with epidermolysis bullosa and unable to use a camera. The next part has Ryan White and Ross Atkin helping villagers build a communication network for faster access to medical assistance. And the last shows how Haiyan Zhang created a device that allows a graphic designer with Parkinson’s disease to control here pen and draw for the first time in years.

Amazing. This team isn’t just making stuff – they’re making stuff that has a permanent impact. Not only on one person, but, if I can speak for the entire world, on everyone who watches this. Absolutely inspiring you guys.

Take That Inspiration. Make.

Inspired to create Jude’s wireless camera device? The app and camera rig you saw in the first video is called Zocus. It comprises a free app (available on iTunes) and a a camera rig (available on Instructables). All 3D printed parts and code are open source, with Jude walking you through the steps of part creation, assembly and circuit building. It’s very thorough and, though you may be able to use a camera, has some wonderfully practical applications.

What about the other projects? Well, for each show, the inventors are open sourcing the available files via BBC’s Make it Digital. You can find all the projects currently available on Make It Digital’s GitHub.

The series airs on Wednesdays nights at 21:00. You can see it on BBC2, catch up or view the latest at bbc.co.uk or via the BBC iPlayer.