Makers of Machynlleth: DIY Tech in the Welsh Countyside

Makers of Machynlleth: DIY Tech in the Welsh Countyside

Agnes-the-knitting-robot

Machnyllenth makers unite! The one and only Maker Faire in Wales, the Machynlleth Mini Maker Faire, takes place tomorrow, September 28 from 10am to 4pm, at the Centre for Alternative Technology, a “haven of making, science, art, and geekery” overlooking the mountains of Snowdonia. The Faire is presented by bloc, a nonprofit arts organization whose “production team collectively bring together over 30 years of experience of developing and delivering creative technology projects in rural and remote environments.” The list of makers looks varied and robust, and it looks like it’s going to be a great event!

Here’s a glimpse at a handful of the makers who will be sharing their projects. Pictured above is Agnes Roboknit by Andy Noyes. Check out the full list on their site.

The Machines of Paul Granjon

paul granjon mofo

Paul Granjon is an artist based in Cardiff who makes robots and other machines. He is also very interested in sharing his ideas about the co-evolution of humans and machines and actions for a sustainable future. He presents a selection of robots such as the infamous Biting Machine and the cute Mofo humanoid [pictured above], as well as more recent experiments with sustainable energy and micro-controllers. The electric Ziitare Paul uses on stage when he sings simple songs about life, animals and machines will also be available for visitors to try.

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OpenEnergyMonitor by Trystan Lea

OpenEnergyMonitor by Trystan Lea

OpenEnergyMonitor is a project to develop open-source energy monitoring tools to help us relate to our use of energy, our energy systems and the challenge of sustainable energy. The system is based on the Arduino and Raspberry Pi platforms and can be used for monitoring and visualising electricity use and generation, temperature and humidity.

Interactive Robotic Entertainment by Stephen Fearn

dalek

Interactive Robotic Entertainment. Meet Dalek Doris and her friend K9. These full size robots walk and talk and interact with you, have you ever been this close to a Dalek without being exterminated!

The Restart Project

restart

The Restart Project is a London-based not-for-profit startup, which aims to change our relationship with information technologies. We run community self-repair events in London, called ‘Restart Parties’, where all kinds of electronic devices are taken apart and repaired by owners and volunteer repairers. We’re now helping create a global network of repair enthusiasts running similar events and giving new visibility to repair culture. The goals of our activities are preventing waste, improving the lifespan of products, sharing repair skills and an awareness of design flaws, while promoting a sustainable approach to the consumption of information technologies.

Build Your Own 3D Printer! by Daniel Bates

buildyourown3dprinter

A quick walkthrough of how to build a MendelMax 1.5 and the theory behind designing your own 3D printer. People are welcome to move the printer manually by hand and enter G-code to operate the printer from the computer.

Flowering Elbow

Floweringelbow

Flowering Elbow is a social enterprise which works to encourage making through creative upcycling and environmentally sensitive design. Our making is centred on the materials we find: ‘rubbish’, old buildings, scrap metal, reclaimed wood, fabric. Right now we’re transforming an old barn into a magical workshop full of exciting tools and potential, a space where ideas can come to life. Talk to us about your projects, commissions, our future courses. Got an idea you’d like help with to develop? Have a go and join us at upcycling old floppy disks into something useful.

DIY Space Projects by concretedog

concrete dog diy space

I am a maker fascinated by recent developments in DIY space exploration. Did you know there are already Arduinos in space and indeed satellites whose main computer is an off-the-shelf mobile phone. This year the world’s first individual built Cubesat (an open source satellite standard) OSSI-1 was launched into low earth orbit, inspiring me to learn and to try and build my own satellite. Come to my stall to learn more about how hackers, makers, tinkerers and artists are moving into space exploration!

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I'm a word nerd who loves to geek out on how emerging technology affects the lexicon. I was an editor on the first 40 volumes of MAKE, and I love shining light on the incredible makers in our community. In particular, covering art is my passion — after all, art is the first thing most of us ever made. When not fawning over perfect word choices, I can be found on the nearest mountain, looking for untouched powder fields and ideal alpine lakes.

Contact me at snowgoli@gmail.com or via @snowgoli.

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