Dream it. Design it. Make it. It’s the Makers’ mantra, the fast-growing community of techie do-it-yourselfers, and the official “National Week of Making” that takes place June 17–23 kicks off a summer of tinkering with 3D printers, laser cutters, open source design software, and Internet instructions and videos.
Coinciding with the National Week of Making, makers from across the United States, along with federal agencies, will assemble in Washington, DC to take part in the annual National Maker Faire on June 18–19. Maker Faires, called the “Greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth,” are an evolution of our traditional county and state fairs, with a heavy dose of science fair.
Generally fairs are great places for kids and adults to see and learn tons of new things. State fairs have a hallowed tradition of livestock competitions from poultry to cows, quilt exhibits, tractor pulls, games and, of course, pie judging. Instead of traditional apple pie contests, count on exhibits featuring Raspberry Pi’s at a Maker Faire, along with drones, 3D printing, robots, and STEM and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) projects.
The Maker Faire Bay Area that took place towards the end of May in San Mateo had drone racing with Aerial Sports League, a Wearables Fashion Show, a fire-breathing steampunk metal dragon built on top of a motorcycle, a kinetic squid sculpture, power tool drag racing, and more! For a recap, take a look at CNET’s “The fantastic DIY world of Maker Faire (pictures).”
There are lots of Maker projects to work on this summer, from craft and design (How to 3D print on tulle, net, or lace fabrics) to digital fabrication (The comprehensive guide to building a realistic R2-D2 replica). Yes, you can.
To see up close what the movement is all about, find a Maker Faire near you.
What are you making this summer?
