Maker Faire
Suppose you have a creative idea, craft, hobby, a different way of using existing technology, or a new take on an old system. Where can you find a way to explore and showcase that thought? Find a Maker Faire at Maker Faire.com.
A Maker Faire is a gathering of people who enjoy learning and who love sharing what they do. It combines the atmosphere of a county fair and school science fair. Engineers, artists, scientists, hobbyists, educators, and students present their inventions in a hands-on venue.
“I thought it would be a fun outing for my son and myself, especially on Veteran’s Day when the veteran entrance fee is waived,” my husband said. The individual cost can be as high as thirty dollars, but discounts apply to first responders, active military and veterans, employees of schools. colleges, universities, and libraries as well as homeschool educators and students.
Maker Faire originated in 2008 in the San Francisco Bay area as a project of the editors of Make Magazine or makezine.com. It has grown into a worldwide network of makers who show examples of their work and interact with others. It is a spotlight of the invisible worker who makes interesting items in the garage, backroom, or on the kitchen table.
We joined what seemed like thousands of people, young and old, at the Central Orlando Fairgrounds, on a clear, not too hot, afternoon in November. My first impression was of a fair where booths were set up to sell all kinds of food like Italian and Polish sausage, corn dogs, funnel cakes, and deep-fried Oreos. A regular bottled coke cost $3.00 while a bottle of water went for $2.50. There were so many booths that the lines flowed quickly; however, finding a shaded table became difficult.
I entered the Curiosity Building where students displayed their robots and facilitated activities like making a shirt, learning to solder, make-a-button, mold–a makey, the nerdy derby, pixel art, and beginning robotics. Junior high schoolers Bryce and Nick, from St. Petersburg, helped me make a button. First, I colored my already cut and decorated paper, Second, I put a blank in the machine, placed the paper on top, and then the mylar acetate. I pulled the lever on the button machine. We changed the position of the machine, placed the clamp blank on the button and pulled the lever again. Voila — a button!
Watching the students play with their robots fascinated me. They built their own machines using metal brackets and electronic pieces, of which I have no understanding. I asked Jackson, a senior in high school about the purpose of his robot.
“Watch,” he said. “It can lift and shoot a basketball.” At that point, three boys played a short round of ball with their robots. Fascinating.
Jackson explained he learned to create robots in an after school program sponsored by Maker Faire. “We have students in our program from kindergarten through high school. We begin with legos in kindergarten and go from there. Our first robotics competition occurs as freshmen in high school.”
I asked who pays for this program. He said, “It’s funded partially by corporations and parents.” These projects are coordinated with the Science, Technology, Engineering, Math program in the public school curriculum and supported by FirstInspires.org.
What is FirstInspires.org?
This organization inspires students with a love for robotics through a series of activities for students ages 6–18. It teaches the core values of teamwork, respect, and good sportsmanship. .FirstInspires teams up with Market Faire to promote innovative thinking in students.
Wow. A lot has happened since I left teaching in 2001.
We exited the building onto the fairgrounds and noticed a huge crowd forming at one end. People prepared for a go-cart race, called Power Racing. Teams built their own mini cars, lined up and raced through a prescribed area. Throughout the day, we watched as they paraded down the thoroughfare. One girl sat on a small car shaped like a horse.
We walked across the field to the Opportunity Building. Many areas showed retro computing, inventors, take-it-apart, electronic kits, model trains, makerspaces, 3D printing, 3D scanning, and Prusa or 3-D Printing research. I spoke with various vendors who explained their hands-on-products. One gentleman helped us make and fly paper airplanes. Another explained how his 3D printer created clay bottles and dishes. Mathew and Taylor helped me understand Acoustic Levitation. So much for magic tricks. There’s science behind them.
By this time, we had spent hours walking, exploring, and learning. We decided to eat and rest a bit before hitting the road for home. Wait, there was another building. We entered the Spirit Building looking for restrooms but got caught up in more science experimenting with robots.
Way in the back area, I watched as people set up for their robot wars. Here the games are called Robot Rukus. Let the fun begin! I felt like I was among movie stars and robot geniuses. The robots Schrederador, Black Magic, and many others stood in all their glory, waiting for their turn in the ring. People milled around with the operators and inventors. I spoke with several engineers and mingled with stars from the television show Battle Bots. It was fabulous.
Resurrected Star Wars characters walked through the building with R2-D2 chirping away. C-3PO, Yoda, and Chewbacca must have been on vacation along with Darth Vador, but their headgear and face masks had been cloned and on display — even for sale. Many artists demonstrated and sold their crafts. Different 3D Printing techniques were displayed. I saw many interesting and different items at the fair, I cannot recall them all. I am definitely bookmarking MakerFaire.com and planning another visit next year. Perhaps I’ll go to Bangkok on January 2020, or Dubai in February 2020. No, I think I’ll wait for Miami in April 2020. Sure, that’s it. I’ll take my grandkids who live there.
