Focus Consultancy's advice is grounded in active research and hands-on community work. This page showcases current research themes and STEM community projects, with links to the full detail on Michael's portfolio site.
A long-running programme of invention answering one question: how do you do authentic science with nothing? Outputs include the digital-multimeter data-logger method, the RIGEL family of universal sensor interfaces, and a novel serial-protocol discovery that lets standard Casio graphing calculators log sensor data at timed intervals β replacing a $400+ data acquisition unit with a $4 chip.
A constraint-driven framework identified from a 35-year body of practice, describing how educators turn hard constraints into the design brief across technical, pedagogical, and institutional work. Archived as a working paper, not yet peer-reviewed.
As generative AI trains on a scientific literature increasingly polluted by fabricated studies, simulated data can no longer be assumed to reflect physical reality. This strand argues that low-cost instruments giving learners first-hand, provenance-transparent data are becoming epistemically necessary rather than merely affordable.
Research into teachers' experiences of distance-delivered professional development in science and mathematics, action research supervision using student achievement data, and analysis of systemic barriers β including MΔori values and student retention in trade-based education (with T. Karena).
Founded by Michael in 1997 with Dr Sir William Pickering, former director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, as patron β believed to be New Zealand's only secondary school-based research laboratory. School students worked as technicians and researchers, sharing original discoveries at conferences. Its motto: Question Everything.
Michael designed and ran the robot competition that replaced the steam-car challenge at the Taranaki Science and Technology Fair, building workshops and resources so children and teachers could design, build and battle their own robots. "The robots are coming" β Stuff
From the Dr Who Dalek appearing at schools and public events, to TV props (a Lost in Space B9 robot, R2-D2, Ghostbusters gear) and music used to teach the creativity in science, to mentoring teachers and principals through the Royal Society of New Zealand's Science Teaching Leadership Programme and the Hutt Valley Primary Science Education Network.
Complete write-ups, photos, videos and archived research records are on Michael's portfolio site:
Workshops, robotics, hands-on science PLD, or research collaboration.