Gizmodo: Maker Faire

Wiimote Wheelchair Helps Disabled People Paint (Roughly Speaking)

Benny Goldman — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 23:30:55 EDT

Digital Wheel Art, a wheelchair painting program to help disabled people make art, was on display at the Maker Faire event in NYC tonight. Creator YoungHyun Chung was inspired to create the device after seeing children with cerebral palsy whose limited movement stifled their artistic expression. Here's how it works, plus a video of the system in action.

The system works by sending data from a Wiimote attached to a wheelchair over Bluetooth to a painting program displayed on the screen. The program draws lines based on the path of the wheelchair, and the user can change colors by tilting his or her head on a ball on the right side of the chair, which cycles through the different options. The finished product may not look like a masterpiece to some, but for people who couldn't show off their artistic chops before, it's a great first step. [Digital Wheel Art, Maker Faire—Picture at top from Digital Wheel Art site]

The Best Way To Cook Hot Dogs: by Tesla Coil

Kit Eaton — Tue, 06 May 2008 05:59:20 EDT

The most exiting way to cook hot dogs: connect a chain of 12 of them up and send bolts of multi-thousand-volt electricity through them. Awesome, and all thanks to the Nevada Lightning Lab and their 10-foot Tesla coil at Maker Faire '08. And amazingly, the coil they used is just a prototype for a 122-foot version they want to build for lightning experiments. Imagine the light show and cookability you'd get from that! [Lightning Lab via Oh Gizmo]

Video: A Robot Drawing Beautiful Stars In The Sand

Brian Lam — Mon, 05 May 2008 09:32:29 EDT

Here's a video of Sisyphus V drawing shapes in the sand using a magnetic arm on a 2-axis plotter. [Maker Faire]

Remote Plant Watering Via iPhone

Brian Lam — Mon, 05 May 2008 02:33:19 EDT

Peter set up a robotic watering can to take directions from an iPhone. When Safari's screen state goes from horizontal to vertical, it sends a status update to a webserver via javascript that sets the watering can up or down. Pretty simple but clever setup. [Maker Faire]

Quote: Would a Modern Day MacGyver Still Use a Swiss Army Knife?

matt buchanan — Sun, 04 May 2008 19:35:00 EDT

While yesterday's revelation at Maker Faire by MacGyver creator and real-life inspiration Lee D. Zlotoff that a MacGyver blockbuster was in the works was a pretty sweet surprise, we followed up by asking him perhaps the most pressing MacGyver question of all: Would a modern day MacGyver still use a Swiss Army knife? [Maker Faire on Giz]

Wall-E Robot Toy In Action

Brian Lam — Sun, 04 May 2008 14:38:22 EDT

We just saw the Wall-E toy in action, and it's a pretty interesting toy (although not $190 worth of interesting). The best features include fully articulating tank treads, 10 motors, audio and vision sensors, remote control by both joystick and touchpad, individual shutters on each eye, and collision detection. Wall-E also has a "follow me" mode that'll allow a Wall-E to stick to a kid or dog and track it around the house. (We would have tried it out, but it was far too noisy and crowded at Maker Faire for Wall-E to track anything or anyone reliably.) [Maker Faire and Wall-E]

Build Your Own Multitouch Table With the Cubit

Elaine Chow — Sun, 04 May 2008 14:30:00 EDT

Engineers at Eyebeam, a New York arts and technology center, are drastically reducing the cost of ownership for multitouch tables by taking them open-source. Schematics for the Cubit, a multitouch tabletop display, are available online for people who want to make a scaled-down Microsoft Surface for one tenth the Surface's price.

The Cubit is a boxy tabletop with a clear surface. All a potential multitouch table owner needs to get started is a webcam with an infrared filter and a small image projector. Plug in the webcam, install the Cubit software, turn on the projector and start touching.

Eyebeam fellows Addie Wagenknetch and Stefan Hechenberger said they were releasing the Cubit in order to "prove that anyone could build [a multitouch table]." Besides offering the designs and software online, the two are selling DIY kits that include parts and instructions.

The Cubit was on display at the Maker Faire, along with several other open-source multitouch projects. Though open-source has long been focused on software, it looks like DIYers, like Eyebeam andBug Labs, are now taking the philosophy into the realm of hardware as well. [Technology Review]

Maker Faire: Remote Controlled Battleships Fighting With BB Gun Cannons

Brian Lam — Sat, 03 May 2008 18:40:00 EDT

Why do I need goggles to watch R/C ships sailing in a pond? Because these replicas of WWII battleships fire C02-powered projectiles. In the video above, you can see munitions bounce off the plexi shields protecting the crowd and make splashes as they ricochet off enemy hulls. The Western Warship Combat Club is recreating Axis vs. Allies fights where each side tries to sink the other. At 1/144 scale. [Western Warship Combat Club Maker Faire]

Sisyphus V: A Robot Making a Zen Garden

Brian Lam — Sat, 03 May 2008 17:18:03 EDT

This isn't a sandbox with a marble in it. Sysyphus V, a kinetic sculpture by Bruce Shapiro looks like a Zen Garden. But instead of a buddhist monk carefully raking gravel, it's an autonomous steel sphere carefully crawling over and over, making polar geometric shapes that can best be described as iterative lilies or stars. A magnet on an arm on a two axis plotter sites underneath the half-ton set up, and Sisyphus is making its first appearance here, at Maker Faire 2008. An unrelated but cool Interview with Bruce, by Cool Hunting\, after the jump. [TaoMC at Makers]

Holy Crap: MacGyver Blockbuster Film Coming!

Adrian Covert — Sat, 03 May 2008 16:56:59 EDT

Today at Maker Faire 2008, MacGyver creator (and real life inspiration) Lee David Zlotoff announced he has a big budget MacGyver movie in the planning stages.

Zlotoff mentioned he somehow ended up with the movie rights years ago (extremely uncommon), giving him full control over the film. While few specifics were mentioned, and no formal announcement has been made, its extremely promising that the man with the power to make the film is getting the ball rolling. The question is...do you bring back Richard Dean Anderson as old MacGyver, or bring in a younger, Christian Bale-type to reprise the role of makeshift gadget god? [Maker Faire on Giz]

UPDATE: We asked Zlotoff if a Swiss Army Knife is still good enough for MacGyver today, check out his answer here.

I Love Maker Faire!

Brian Lam — Sat, 03 May 2008 16:45:05 EDT

I'm so happy Mark, Phil and the rest of the MAKE Mag folks put on Maker Faire. I'm here with Adrian and Lisa and surprisingly, it's even better than last year's. There are a ton of great pieces I've never seen, the weather is fine, the crowds aren't too bad and the food is great. I'd recommend you get your butt down here and come visit the event if you're even remotely close to the Bay Area. [Maker Faire]

Maker Faire Bay Area - This Saturday and Sunday

Jason Chen — Fri, 02 May 2008 18:59:38 EDT

Maker Faire and its ridiculously dangerous projects are going to be in San Mateo this weekend. If you're in town, drop by and say hello, since Brian's going to be there covering the crazy robots and trying to keep his eyebrows from burning off. If you're going to be running an awesome booth at Maker, drop him a note as well so he knows to stop by. See you tomorrow! [Maker Faire]

Ultimate Wall-E Robot Being Brought to Life by Disney, Thinkway Toys

Haroon Malik — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:14:00 EDT

Disney is teaming up with Thinkway Toys to make Wall-E into a real robot. The toy, titled Ultimate Wall-E, will retail at a stonking $189.99 and will ship this summer. The robot will feature 10 motors for movement, remote control, programming mode and obstacle, sound and touch detection sensors for basic environment interactions.

The collaboration between the ~~big, bad and evil~~ fun-loving kid's entertainment company and Thinkway Toys and others, including WowWee, will further result in a whole host of Disney characters being reincarnated as a scary, robotic army. Next on the list is Tinkerbell, and this time she really flies. The new toys will be showcased at the upcoming Bay Area Maker Faire and, to be honest, we're a little scared they may all corrupt and attempt to take over the world. You have been warned. [Gearlog]

Maker Faire Hits Bay Area May 3 and 4

Jason Chen — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:45:00 EDT

Maker Faire is in town again, hitting up the bay area with their ridiculously dangerous projects and robots and flaming robot projects this May 3 and 4. If you're in town, you should stop by and see what the crazy doctor Phil Torrone has cooking for you. At the very least, you can stop by and say hi to the Giz folks that are going to be down there. Maybe even buy them some soda. Trying to take pictures of stuff next open flames and wildly careening robots is thirsty work. [Maker Faire]

2008 Maker Faire Announced

Kit Eaton — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 05:43:26 EDT

DIY gadgeteers, fire up your engines: the dates for Make magazine's first 2008 Maker Faire have been unveiled as May 3rd and 4th. The San Mateo County Fairgrounds in San Mateo, California will again be the venue. Expect to see all sorts of wonderful (and weird) DIY science, arts, crafts and engineering projects in action, just like last year. We'll be keeping you posted, of course, but if you want to go there in person remember that discount ticket sales end April 25th. [Maker Faire]

The Most Dangerous Projects at Maker Faire

Jason Chen — Wed, 23 May 2007 22:00:02 EDT

You may have seen our gallery from Maker Faire, but here's something new. It's a compilation of the most dangerous projects we saw there. And even if you're not a fan of mutilation, you should like the soundtrack.

– Jason Chen

Special thanks to Andrew Baron from Rocketboom and Sarah Meyers.

Violent Battlebots Make Sparks Fly, Fight Like Hell

Charlie White — Tue, 22 May 2007 15:00:00 EDT

We never get tired of watching battlebots, and here's a couple of particularly violent ones facing off at last weekend's Maker Faire. It's a good thing these remote-controlled warriors are battling it out behind bulletproof glass! It's jousting for the 21st century. – Charlie White

Special thanks to Andrew Baron from Rocketboom and Sarah Meyers.

Maker Faire Roundup - Look at All the Fun!

Jason Chen — Mon, 21 May 2007 14:00:17 EDT

Hey folks, while you were busy doing chores and spending time with the kids, we were off galavanting around Maker Faire in San Mateo with all kinds of crazy craftsmen! We know you couldn't be there yourselves, so live vicariously through our pictures.

Some of our favorites:

•The guys from Eepybird (Coke + Mentos)
•The Racing Cupcakes
•The Pong Watch! More!
•The Real Digg Button
•The Giant Nose Picker
•The Phil Torrone!
•The Justin.TV!
•The Steam R2D2
•The 3D Printer printing Spiderman

– Jason Chen

Gallery [Gizmodo]

Maker Faire Starts Tomorrow

Travis Hudson — Fri, 18 May 2007 16:20:38 EDT

The San Mateo fairgrounds in California are hopping because tomorrow is the start of Maker Faire. The fair will be a weekend full of projects, demonstrations, entertainment and fun where the DIY'ers across the world come together to show off their goods. Hit the link below to see everything that will be going on this weekend. Even if you aren't a maker, it is worth checking out all of the goods. –Travis Hudson

Maker Faire [MAKE]

Maker Faire Coming Up: May 19 + 20

Jason Chen — Wed, 02 May 2007 22:20:10 EDT

Just a quick reminder from our buddy Phil that the Maker Faire is coming up on May 19 and 20 at the San Mateo fairgrounds. We'll be there—as will Phil and thousands of other do-it-yourselfers—hanging out with a bunch of guys with way too much time on their hands and all the awesome stuff they make. – Jason Chen

[via Gadget Lab]

Maker Faire: Life-Size Mouse Trap Game

Travis Hudson — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 15:00:05 EDT

I'm not sure what the recent trend is, but everyone seems to be life-sizing my childhood. Remember the game Mousetrap? Yes, the game that was fun for 30 seconds, and not worth the effort and time it took to set it up. Someone has created a life-size replicate of the Mousetrap Rube Goldberg machine. Rather than dropping the cage on the mouse and cheese, like in the original, this monstrous version will drop a safe on any object of your choosing (to crush and destroy). It will be on display at the Maker Faire next month. –Travis Hudson

Full Scale Mousetrap Kinetic Sculpture [OhGizmo!]

Maker Faire 2007 Auditions This Sunday

Charlie White — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 08:03:48 EST

The staff of Make and Craft magazine are calling for anyone who has a do-it-yourself project that might be inspiring or inspirational to audition for the Maker Faire 2007. Check out that example above—hey, what is that, an electric giraffe? Yes, indeed it is. The tryout is this Sunday (February 18), and will be held at the Machine Project in Los Angeles. The winners will be invited to share their accomplishments at Maker Faire 2007, a gathering on May 19-20 at the San Mateo, California Fairgrounds.

We invite proposals for Maker workbench exhibits, workshops, presentations and performances for the Maker Faire. We are interested in proposals from individuals as well as from groups such as hobbyist clubs and schools.

Make and Craft editors Dale Dougherty, Mark Frauenfelder, and Natalie Zee Drieu will be at the audition. Keep in mind, you perverts, that this is a family-friendly event, which last year had 20,000 people attending. Keep it clean.

Maker Faire Auditions [Machine Project, via boing boing]

2007 Maker Faire Announced

Travis Hudson — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 15:45:34 EST

MAKE Magazine, the folks behind all of the crazy DIY projects have announced the Maker Faires for 2007. The San Mateo fairgrounds in San Mateo, California will host one of the 2007 Maker Faires on May 19 and 20. Another Maker Faire will be held October 20 and 21 at the Travis County fairgrounds in Austin, Texas. The Maker Faier is a weekend full of projects, demonstrations, entertainment and fun where DIY'ers of all types come together to show off their goods. Check out info from Maker Faire 2006 here. –Travis Hudson

Maker Faire [MAKE]