I loved going to the Maker Faire last year, and this year I organized a group of teachers to attend on Sunday, September 30th. As per their website, the Maker Faire is “a two-day, family-friendly festival of invention, creativity and resourcefulness, and a celebration of the Maker movement.” There are two big ones in the US (San Mateo and New York), and many mini Maker Faires taking place all over the world.
My niece and nephew and I were intrigued by the following sights:
1. Little Bits (@littleBits) are “a set of simple, interchangeable blocks that make programming as simple and important a part of creativity as snapping blocks together.” The founder, Ayah Bdeir, is a TED Fellow! (Her video on TED.com is here: http://www.ted.com/talks/view/lang/en//id/1404)
2. EepyBird.com‘s drenching display of what happens when Mentos and Coke Zero collide:
3. GUS 14, the basketball-playing robot, created by GUS Robotics Team 228:
4. The simplicity of this giant Scrabble game made from repurposed CD jewel cases:
4. The giant mechanical Thumby Wars was created by a team of identical twins, Mike and Pat Murray, from Scottsdale, Arizona:
5. Lots of 3D printers including the the Afinia H-Series 3D Printer for $1499 which comes ready-built out of the box and has a a moving tray and a moving extruder and the Rostock Max Delta 3D Printer Kit for $849 at SeeMeCNC.com:
6. Hoodies with hand-warming mittens by Toasty Time:
7. The En-V electric car from General Motors:
8. The Lifesize Mouse trap created by Mark Perez:
Karen Blumberg 