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The Tarn Project
Modular Microfactory
High-Mix Automation
The Tarn Project is developing the Tarn Production System (TPS): a modular microfactory system that is intended to make high mix, small-scale manufacturing more practical — less dependent on large centralized facilities and less reliant on long supply chains.
TPS is designed so that a single operator may manage meaningful production volumes on a less-than full-time basis — greater output volumes than artisanal or job shop production runs, but without the high overhead, complex supply chain, and long changeover and tooling timeframes typically required for mass manufacturing. This all allows TPS to produce high-mix outputs when and where they are wanted, and in scalable volumes that meet variable demand.
System Architecture
TPS arranges the full manufacturing sequence into compact, standardized production cells that cover design, electronics, additive and subtractive manufacturing, assembly, packaging, and distribution. These cells are built around a self-hosted management and control system that keeps inventory, scheduling, quality records, and critical data under local control, reducing reliance on external services and improving resilience in places with limited connectivity.
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Design Philosophy
At its core, TPS treats product design as an integral part of the production process. Designs respect the real constraints and capabilities of the cells, encouraging sturdy, cost-conscious hardware.
The goal is manufacturing that is smaller, tougher, and less entangled with conventional industrial systems, allowing the manufacture of devices to occurs where — and when — and with what features are most needed.
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Development Roadmap
Developing TPS is planned along a multiyear roadmap, with production occurring from the outset. TPS 1.0 in 2026 starts with a convention workshop organized into semi-automated cells. These cells are then modularized and fully automated (TPS 2.0, circa 2027), and hardened for demanding environments (TPS 3.0, circa 2028).
Products will be in production throughout this evolution, with production samples available from the sample store, and products available for licensing from the get-go..
Design · Production
I am a tech designer and builder who sees the big picture
— or at least tries to, in an age when many prefer the small one.
I turn ideas into hardware devices that observe their surroundings and send back insights people and systems can actually use. Most rely on algorithms and AI models to solve concrete problems. You will find them in factories, helping run processes automatically, and in the field, carrying out reconnaissance. They are sturdy enough to take a beating and often cheaper than the usual alternatives.
My aim is simple: clear, logical designs that work without pointless extras.
Tarn Design and Production
Calgary, Alberta