When the Sirens Stop, the Knowledge Shouldn't.
Help me build a portable, solar-powered NOMAD kit — an offline knowledge and communications server that keeps working when the internet, cell networks, and grid don't.
A single deployable unit can turn a parking lot, shelter, or hillside into a local hub for information, communication, and coordination — no cell tower required.
// The Reality Check
Tornado activity is shifting east into the Midwest and Mid-South. Outbreaks are getting larger and more volatile. The infrastructure we rely on is no longer a constant.
When disaster hits, the internet is often the first thing to go — and with it, first aid instructions, medication references, water purification guidance, maps, and school for kids stuck home for weeks. Project NOMAD keeps that knowledge available locally, no signal required.
Knowledge That Never Goes Offline
Medical & Survival
First aid, medication, and emergency medicine references, alongside water, shelter, power, and practical repair guides for recovery.
Wikipedia & Gutenberg
All of Wikipedia and Project Gutenberg's library, served locally via Kiwix — millions of articles and public-domain books without a single byte of internet.
Offline Street Maps
Street-level offline maps of the region via OpenStreetMap. Navigate, plan, and coordinate when GPS apps go blank.
Education Platform
Khan Academy courses and K-12 lessons via Kolibri, so learning doesn't stop when school does — for weeks after a disaster, not just days.
Local AI Assistant
A private, LLM-driven assistant running entirely on the kit's own hardware. Ask it to find and explain what you need, no cloud required.
Hybrid Voice Comms
Push-to-talk 5G/WiFi walkie talkies — cellular when networks are up, the kit's local WiFi when they're not. Reliable voice for families and response teams.
One kit doesn't serve one person — it broadcasts to every phone, tablet, and laptop that connects to it. A single unit can support a family, a shelter, a classroom, or a whole block during recovery.
// Origins
I'm Mercer Aplin, a professor at Purdue University, and I built a career keeping complex systems running in places where the plan can change in seconds.
I teach audio technology at Purdue and spend much of my time in outdoor production: live events, touring rigs, and AV installations where weather, power, and communications don't always cooperate. Every show is a live exercise in contingency planning — you have to stay on your toes to keep everyone safe.
When I first heard about Project NOMAD, I immediately started thinking about how to scale the idea up and get it into the hands of the largest possible groups of people in need. A single box that can serve offline knowledge, maps, education, and communication is powerful; a network of them deployed across shelters, churches, schools, and response teams could change how whole communities recover after a disaster.
This first kit is a prototype. Once it's tested and proven, I want to build more on commission — tuned for families, churches, schools, and response teams across the Midwest. Your support builds the blueprint.
Kit Technical Specifications
NOMAD FIELD UNIT V1.0 · BILL OF MATERIALS
The Bigger Goal
This first unit is a prototype and testbed. Once validated, the goal is to build additional units on commission so families, schools, churches, and community organizations across the region can have their own disaster-ready kits, tuned to their needs and budget. Your donation doesn't just build one box. It builds the blueprint for many.
When the next storm takes the network down, let's make sure the knowledge stays on.
Whether you give, share this page, or just spread the word — thank you.
Goal: $5,000 · 100% funds documented hardware