Tanya Fish makes stuff because she can’t help it. Formerly in UK schools teaching maths, physics, and shouting loudly at paperwork, she’s now a crew member at Pimoroni, making learning materials for schools and workshops, and lasering all the things.
Paloma Fautley is an engineering intern at Make: Labs. She is currently pursuing a degree in robotics engineering and has a wide range of interests, from baking to pyrotechnics.
Mike Senese is a content producer with a focus on technology, science, and engineering. He served as Executive Editor of Make: magazine for nearly a decade, and previously was a senior editor at Wired. Mike has also starred in engineering and science shows for Discovery Channel, including Punkin Chunkin, How Stuff Works, and Catch It Keep It.
An avid maker, Mike spends his spare time tinkering with electronics, fixing cars, and attempting to cook the perfect pizza. You might spot him at his local skatepark in the SF Bay Area.
I get ridiculously excited seeing people make things. I just want to revel in the creativity I see in makers. My favorite thing in the world is sharing a maker's story. find me at CalebKraft.com
Jordan has spent much of his life writing about his many geeky pastimes. He's particularly passionate about indie game design and Japanese art, but loves interacting with creators from all walks of life.
Sunday, May 20 — It’s the final day of Maker Faire and there’s still plenty to see! Make: Editors are scoping out the faire and bringing you all the must-see exhibits and makers. We’ll be updating this post regularly throughout the weekend, so check back soon.
And don’t forget to check out our live video coverage of Maker Faire with plenty of exhibits, maker projects, stage presentations, and more!
Jake and Danica — she said yes! –Paloma, 4:45pmThe endurance race has come to an end and here are our champions: Pink Camero, Wacky Waving, and Kitty Grabs Back! –Paloma, 2:54pmThe Power Racing endurance lap is anyone’s game! Its an absolute nail biter as we wait for the end of this 90 minute marathon. –Paloma, 2:42pmThis entire floral arrangement is made of copper! –Jordan, 2:38pmThe Bay Area Glass Institute is creating beautiful glass vases and decorations in real time. –Jordan, 2:35pm
Locked up abroad (in Zone 2), under guard by Deathwatch Super Commando Captain, of the Mandalorian Mercs Costume Club. –Keith, 1:58pmLearn about screen printing at the Make: Print Shop. You can come and buy a Maker Faire shirt that’s literally screen printed in front of you to take home. –Craig, 1:55pmMoney Mark of Beastie Boys fame was on stage with a player piano setup that he hacked to output midi. Not only could he warp the pitch of the notes coming out but he could (carefully) roll the punch tape back and forth like scratching on a record. –Craig, 1:49pmSelfie Bot with Sophie and Kim – I can’t get over how much personality they’ve packed into one bot! –Tanya, 1:34pmCheck which frequencies your phone is using with this handy frequency detector. –Tanya, 1:31pmIt’s a dance party – a ROBOT DANCE PARTY –Tanya, 1:24pmIs this Mad Max or Maker Faire? You might be questioning that if you run into the K-Rats and their sign armored car. –Matt, 1:17pmMaker Faire attendees trying out Oculus Medium, a VR sculpting experience. The team at Oculus said they have been surprised at the artistic ability of the attendees! –Paloma, 1:14pmContent creators creating content creators at the DIY Content Creators stage! Shawn Hymel, Mike Warren, Paige Russell, and Jonathan Odom at their talk “Making Your Projects Pop on Video” –Paloma, 12:52pmWhile it’s easy to get distracted by all the robots and blinky lights at the Faire, don’t forget to take some time to see and try some more traditional crafts like bobbin lace. –Matt, 12:50pmAdam Savage speaks to the Maker Faire audience as the community looks on. He emphasizes that making is about generosity, “Lets share what we’ve learned and what we’ve done!” –Paloma, 12:15pmLight Bodies is an interactive light sculpture. A Kinect and a laser project your body outline in blazing purple, then it lingers as a green ghost on the phosphor screen. Cool! –Keith, 12:04pmThe clouds parted and the sun came out as the crowds eagerly await the annual Sermon from Adam Savage. –Paloma, 11:55amCameron Mira “Cam Dak” shows off his vortex cannon. It will blow you away! -Paloma, 11:11amBeware, here be dragons. –Matt, 11:00amThis is the creepiest saloon I’ve ever seen. The barkeep keeps following people around and scaring the kids. I think it could be his face… –Jordan, 10:44amFollowing up on Keith’s earlier pic: Help build The Trace’s pup! It’s already off to a pretty good start. Each piece was placed by a different maker. –Jordan, 10:43amBeckett had so much fun at the Faire last year, he made his mom and dad bring him back up from LA to attend again. –Mike, 10:41amI never tire of watching John Collins show off his wide variety of paper airplanes. Watching them maintain their altitude, as if by magic, is always a delight to behold. –Jordan, 10:26amSolar powered RC cars are ripping fast on pure photons! Check out the Solar Rollers racing league for high school teams, in the West Lot. –Keith, 10:24amIt’s easy to see the forest for the dancing magnetic trees at DPEA! Each tree is controlled by a DIY solenoid! –Paloma, 10:18amThis giant wolf called The Trace is the newest in a series of giant animal sculptures built from found and recycled materials by Joel Dean Stockdill, placed on four continents (so far). –Keith, 10:45amCymatic Bruce’s VR Monstrosity is a mashup of a Ukrainian motion chair kit from Dof Reality, Saitek X52 controllers, and a PlayStation 4, for total immersion goodness! –Keith, 10:41amJessica “Psy” DeLacy with her BB-8 from the BB-8 builders club. –Paloma, 10:39amScott Pierce spent his nights and weekends creating this open source spider robot which is the perfect balance between creepy crawly and cute and cuddly. –Paloma, 10:34amA 3D printed tactile Rubiks cube for visually impaired folks to also throw against the wall in frustration. –Craig, 10:30am (Photo by Will Chesney)Gates are open for Sunday! –Keith, 10:01(From Saturday) A Tesla coil isn’t really a normal day to day sight. A 40-foot-tall, inflatable Tesla coil is really something you only see at Maker Faire. –Matt, 9:58Kids can’t get enough of spinning out on the Sharky-Go-Round. –Keith, 945amDark room glows invitingly. –Mike, 9:07amIt’s easy to see the forest for the dancing magnetic trees at DPEA! Each tree is controlled by a DIY solenoid! –Paloma, 10:18amIn the spirit of super-sized projects at Maker Faire, a giant, functional Google AIY kit, with the original perched on top. –Mike, 9:06amCustom cardboard boombox Google AIY Voice kit. –Mike, 9:06amAmr Saleh from Cairo shows off his Elkrem.io bitcoin-on-Arduino initiative. –Mike 9:03amAlex Glow and her interactive printed owl. –Mike, 9:01amIf you need one final reason to get a CNC mill, this carved Storm Trooper Buddah should do the trick. –Mike, 9:00amYoutube makers Laura Kampf and Make with Miles. –MikeHovercraft time machine. –MikeTrains of all types. –MikeTiny arcade for tiny gamers. –MikeBig wheel endurance race? They were going non-stop. –MikeDragon bike, ready to take flight. –MikeInmoov’s got legs. –Mike 8:50amLego town! –Mike, 8:31am
https://gfycat.com/QuerulousTatteredHarvestmen
More Star Wars shenanigans from Adam Woodworth. I don’t remember this scene in the movies. –Mike
Adam Woodworth is spending the weekend showing off his flying machines. Lots of awesome Star Wars-inspired creations. –Mike 8:48amNoah Smith spent ages building this K’Nex roller coaster in his attic with all the spare pieces he gathered through his childhood. Now he’s about to start the engineering program at Harvey Mudd. Awesome. –Mike, 8:45amSkydio R1, one of the most impressive personal drones I’ve yet to see. –Mike 8:42amFresh from Battlebots, it’s the “Battle Royale With Cheese” from team Poor Life Choices! –Mike 8:39amI really want this cardboard dragon kit by thegridkit.com. –Mike 8:37amDoing science with paper microscopes in the Kickstarter booth. –Mike, 8:35amFungal-grown appliances, in the Kickstarter booth. –Mike 8:35amGorgeous output from this Potterybot in the Kickstarter booth. –Mike 8:35amLego zone in Expo Hall could keep you occupied for years. Mike, –8:31amMakey the Robot is real and rolling and ready for hugs, in the Robots tent in the West Lot, thanks to maker Paul Thompson. –Keith, 8:21am
Saturday, May 19 — We had a packed house on Saturday. Take a look at some of the wonderful things that were on display.
What happens when you give control of a monster’s voice to a five-year-old? “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” like you’ve never heard it before. – Tanya, 5:56pmLaura Kampf and Mark Frauenfelder talk about making videos. Laura has been at it for two years and as it turns out, she’s hilarious. – Caleb, 5:53pmMake: Editor Hep Svadja chatted with YouTube creators and digital fabricators Winston Moy, Joel Telling, and Clare Mason about their processes (or lack thereof) for making stellar videos. –Craig, 4:30pmPower car racing. Like Mario Kart, only crazier (if that’s even possible)! – Tanya, 4:19pmLego town sure looks like it took a lot of work! – Kitty, 4:17pmMaker Nexus is a new community founded non-profit makerspace that benefits the maker community in the Bay Area. – Kitty, 4:16pmMisty robot can be personalized and programmed to utilize different kinds of components – Kitty, 4:01pmMicroduino shows off their little city built on modules. – Kitty, 3:56pmInteresting geometry for customized boards. It looks like you can make curvatures. I’d like to try them for wearables. –Kitty, 4pm3D printed jewelry was on sale with unique geometries. –Kitty, 3:54pmI decided to stop off and learn all about brewing my own kombacha. It was surprisingly easier than I thought! –Jordan, 3:49pmInstantly improve your appearance and avoid that pesky Maker Faire sunburn by wearing one of Shawn Thorsson’s helmets! –Tanya, 3:40pmI need the smallest of excuses to get chocolate into my body. If you need me, I’ll be knocking back liquid chocolate shots while I snack on mushroom jerky. –Jordan, 3:30pmI wish I had the space, time, and talent to pick up blacksmithing. Watching the pros at work will have to do. –Jordan, 3:27pmSolar powered race cars? I’m amazed they can continue to speed around the track with all of the cloud cover at this year’s faire. –Jordan, 3:23pmThese kids’ Hebocon robots are ready for battle and so am I. LET THEM FIGHT! –Jordan, 3:18pmJen Herchenroeder won the Power Racing sprint race in her car Pink Camero. And my favorite quote of the Faire comes from Power Racing announcer Jim Burke: after the sprint race ended on a caution flag: “[Power Racing Car] Business Lunch finished 3rd, on fire, in the pits.” –Craig, 3:09pm (GIF by Hep Svadja)One of the highlights of the maker faire for me is the sheer amount of makers sharing their ideas and knowledge – just seen the Amped Atelier and now it’s Tech Nic Allie! –Tanya, 2:52pmThis pillow is also a random number generator using crazy circuits. –Kitty, 2:50pmYou know when you have some components lying around and you just start with a wheelchair base… More sensors and outputs than you can shake a stick at! Plus, it’s beautiful. Dave even stuck his coffee cup on there. Its a collision avoiding coffee cup. –Tanya, 2:45pm
I finally got a chance to see “prosthesis” in motion. It isn’t fast, which I kind of suspected would be a bummer. I was pleasantly surprised. This thing is just freakin’ huge! Fast? forget that, just moving without falling over is a monumental task for the pilot of this mech. He doesn’t pilot it by simply pushing a joystick or something. This thing is actually very much a prosthesis in that the pilot is in a rig where moving arms, elbows, knees, and feet translate to motion in the robot. He’s needing to learn the gait and movements of a quadruped… that weighs tons! He warned us that he’s still figuring things out and as it tipped perilously, it was enough to make me back up a few steps. The sheer weight and power being displayed here is both exciting and a little scary. –Caleb Kraft, 2:38pm
This kid really impressed me with his AI bot that guesses your age — and its not because it said I was 28! Mizan is just 10 years old and self taught! –Tanya, 2pmThis entire balloon “mural” was created with love and a sense of community. Each balloon was carefully placed by one person from the crowd. –Kitty, 1:43pmCheck out this board game designed for people who are visually impaired. –Kitty, 1:27pmThese electronic dice can sense gravity and change colors. They’re perfect for all kinds of tabletop games. –Kitty, 1:08pmJust made a Victorian era harmonograph with a high school student called Emma – so inspiring! –Tanya, 1:05pmSome of the things being made at Maker Faire aren’t just fun, they are tasty too. The rainbow pickle chips are delicious. –Matt, 1:02pmBuild a cardboard village, and several other hands on projects, at Lighthouse Community Charter School’s creativity lab! I loved all their ideas for cardboard construction techniques. –Tanya, 12:59pmTiny robots made of paper tubes! –Tanya, 12:50pmIsaac Doubek’s DIY backpack made from an antique Westinghouse space heater! –Keith, 12:49pmI have eaten so much fair food I’ve turned into a cupcake. It has an engine and is capable of out running the average human. –Tanya, 12:30pmJust when you thought it was safe to go back in the water. Derdumderdumderdum! The Trident underwater drone. –Tanya, 12:12pmLoads of kids making underwater creatures powered by the Chibi Chip… –Tanya, 12:06pm…and big kids too – can you spot my angler fish? –Tanya, 12:05pmMaker Kitty Yeung interviewing Prosthesis pilot Jonathan Tippett for the Make: Live Steam. –Craig, 12:04pm (photo by Hep Svadja)Erick Dunn was hit hard by the California wildfires earlier this year and lost all of the molds for previous sculptures. Biolumin0ids is the first piece he’s been able to fabricate since. –Hep, 12:07 (Photo by Keith Hammond)Divets left in the asphalt by Prosthesis. Hand for scale. –Hep, 12:02 (Photo by Will)
https://gfycat.com/MarvelousHarshCuttlefish
This might be the droid you’re looking for, if you stored your supplies in one of those bins. –Mike, 11:47am
Maker Faire heats up as “Rabid Transit” kicks into high gear. –Mike, 11:43amWhen makers collide — Becky Button geeks out over finding Phil Burgess in Expo Hall. She made him pose like his Twitter icon (twitter.com/paintyourdragon). –Mike, 11:40amJonathan Tippett built a crazy walker exoskeleton called Prosthesis. It’s nuts, and it’s premiering its ability to move here at Maker Faire. –Mike, 11:37amKids follow the blueprint to build their own computers, based on the Raspberry Pi, in the Piper Computer Workshop, then take them home and learn to program them. –Keith, 11:34am
Ahoy Captain! I spy a maker faire! –Tanya, 10:53I LOVE kinetic art! This panther and unicorn are built with flexible spines that work just like those seen in real cats and horses. Every piece of the sculptures are smooth to the touch. They’re formed via 3D printing and smoothed over many days with pressured water. –Jordan, 10:52am“Roads? Where we’re going we don’t need roads.” –Craig, 10:38amAs the show starts, Make: Senior Editor Caleb Kraft is rockin’ the live stream and talking with the new crop of Cupcake cars zooming around the faire. –Craig, 9:50amLet’s make this Saturday one to remember. Be sure to check out the incredible tapigami (tape art) in Zone 2’s Expo Hall. –Jordan, 9:48am
Friday, May 18 — It was a strong preview day at Maker Faire Bay Area with plenty to see and do!
Learn to solder and make a glowing Maker Faire pin. –Kitty, 5:22pmThat feeling when you find a Raspberry Pi-powered photo booth and strike a pose…. Only to realise it has a 5 second delay and you have to hold it. –Tanya, 4:46pmTurn the handles on these 3D printed cams……and you can jiggle a laser pointer to make figures on the wall! –Tanya, 4:45pmHalloween in May aka the Vallero brothers have some deliciously terrifying ghosts that chase you round the Dark Room.Halloween comes early to this booth. Spooky in the light. Terrifying in the dark. –Mike, 4:45pmLeftovers of Maker Faires past can be found in a few surprising places. –Mike, 4:43pmTubbyWubby stick-and-stuff critter kits teach you how to sew through cute projects. –Kitty, 4:32pmKuri robot responds to phone and voice control. It takes 5 second videos at home and can be trained to know what types of videos are liked the most. It plays music, too. –Kitty, 4:26pmIt also has touch sensors on the head, so it responds with cute faces. –Kitty, 4:26pmLove the step-by-step guides on the Airagami stand — they’re building a whole castle out of balloons, and you can help them! –Tanya, 4:26pmBerbawy Makers from Irvington High School have so many projects — their school Fab Lab has an astounding 13 3D printers. –Tanya, 4:17pmMore of Berbawy Makers’ setup. –Tanya, 4:14pmOne minute hands-on project with Dremel. –Kitty, 4:08pmDremel’s got a huge booth and intuitive handsome activities. –Kitty, 4:06pmNever too late to try something new! –Craig, 4:05pm (photo by Jun Shena)Finally saw the IBM Quantum Computing 50-qubit prototype at MakerFaire! Learned so much about superconducting quantum computers from the researchers here. Will be back for the talk at 12 tomorrow! –Kitty, 4pmFound Shorey Designs 3D printing on fabrics in person now! This is something I need to try! –Kitty, 3:28pmBose had brought a new set of headphones to the Faire that not only sound great but also teach you how your hearing works. Don’t miss chipmunk mode! –Matt, 3:18pmQuick shot of Prosthesis coming out of its trailer. I’m excited to see how the the driver actually moves this crazy thing! –Craig, 3:13pmParticle’s Electron-based interactive conference badge. Displays images of new hardware, monitors environmental sensors and plays simon says. –Kitty, 3:12pmSo many cool props and costumes by Thorsson & Associates Workshop. –Kitty, 3:02pmSteamy Tech Box of Making — Get a box of projects every two months to build something cool. -Kitty, 2:52pmA packed workshop full of educators have just promised that they will pass on circuit knowledge from Jie Qi of Chibitronics. –Tanya, 2:46pmMake a DIY microscope with Public Lab, using old webcams and household materials, then go explore your microscopic world. People are using these to discover air pollution particulates, ocean micro plastics, algae blooms in creeks, and more. –Keith, 2:39pmExplore your senses in the Dark Room at Maker Faire. This project allows the user to visualize sound waves with small foam balls. –Matt, 2:31pmGorgeous LED piano from ElectroMage. –Kitty, 2:14Makey’s here and ready to go! –Jun, 2:34Poseables: pose life sized models and create your own story. –Tanya, 2:02pmBuild your own Toy-Con Fishing Rod or Piano in the Nintendo Labo Experience, a bunch of clever cardboard controllers for the Nintendo Switch. The Toy-Con Robot backpack looks awesome too! –Keith, 1:38pmTapigami keeping students from Hayward Leadership Public School busy. –Tanya, 12:26pm
Everything is made of masking tape! –Tanya, 12:28pmThis giant bear is made from welded together metal junk. –Craig, 9:34am
Tanya Fish makes stuff because she can’t help it. Formerly in UK schools teaching maths, physics, and shouting loudly at paperwork, she’s now a crew member at Pimoroni, making learning materials for schools and workshops, and lasering all the things.
Paloma Fautley is an engineering intern at Make: Labs. She is currently pursuing a degree in robotics engineering and has a wide range of interests, from baking to pyrotechnics.
Mike Senese is a content producer with a focus on technology, science, and engineering. He served as Executive Editor of Make: magazine for nearly a decade, and previously was a senior editor at Wired. Mike has also starred in engineering and science shows for Discovery Channel, including Punkin Chunkin, How Stuff Works, and Catch It Keep It.
An avid maker, Mike spends his spare time tinkering with electronics, fixing cars, and attempting to cook the perfect pizza. You might spot him at his local skatepark in the SF Bay Area.
I get ridiculously excited seeing people make things. I just want to revel in the creativity I see in makers. My favorite thing in the world is sharing a maker's story. find me at CalebKraft.com
Jordan has spent much of his life writing about his many geeky pastimes. He's particularly passionate about indie game design and Japanese art, but loves interacting with creators from all walks of life.
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Escape to an island of imagination + innovation as Maker Faire Bay Area returns for its 16th iteration!
