TechShop was born at Maker Faire Bay Area (so the legend goes), and the membership makerspace chain has long been a participant and sponsor at Maker Faire. So it’s no real surprise that one branch has stepped up to organize their own Mini Maker Faire.
Round Rock Mini Maker Faire will take place this Saturday, June 8th, at TechShop Austin/Round Rock. Here’s a preview of some of the cool makers that will be showing their stuff:
The Type 40 Mark III console is an interactive sound sculpture. It is modeled after the control panel in Dr. Who’s Tardis. The console surface is covered interactive controls that trigger samples, loops, and other sounds. You can also modify tempo, tone, pitch, and apply different sound filters to create your own dynamic soundscape! Watch:
The Nerdy Derby, a no-rules miniature car building and racing competition inspired by the Cub Scouts’ Pinewood Derby, will also be available for play, making and racing at Round Rock Mini Maker Faire. Nerdy Derby has a larger, more undulating track and no restrictions on the size of the cars or materials participants can use, so it rewards creativity, cleverness and ingenuity.Birthed at Maker Faire New York in 2012 by a team of grad students from NYU’s ITP program, Nerdy Derby has emerged as one of the hands-on “hits” of Maker Faire. Discovery’s Daily Planet does a nice job profiling the makers, the tech, and the action at the inaugural event:
The making of Round Rock’s Nerdy Derby track is a great Maker Faire story, actually. Kami Wilt, producer of the Austin Mini Maker Faire (which just had its second annual show on May 5th) came out to Maker Faire Bay Area to attend the Mini Maker Faire Producers’ Workshop. One of the sessions at the workshop was how to build and create a Nerdy Derby. Kami was inspired and asked Robert from Tech Shop if her team could make a Nerdy Derby track at Tech Shop Round Rock and he said, ‘Yes, absolutely!” He provided Kami’s team with classes that they needed to use the machines and even donated the materials. So Kami and her Tinkering School clan will be at Round Rock Mini Maker Faire on Saturday, running this new Nerdy Derby track and the car-making zone all day.
Arthur Ryan’s AcrylArm is an Arduino-based robotic arm designed to bring intermediate robotics into educational institutions. Arthur has decades of experience in robotics and he wanted to create an open source robotics system that would bridge the gap between introductory projects and professional level robotics. The arm has six independently pivoting joints.
Other Mini Maker Faires this weekend:
- Ann Arbor Mini Maker Faire (MI): June 8, 2013 -FIFTH ANNUAL!
- Seattle Mini Maker Faire (WA): June 8 & 9, 2013 – second annual
- Danbury Mini Maker Faire (CT): June 8, 2013 – first annual
For more information on starting a Maker Faire where you live, check out How to Make a Maker Faire. And for a complete list of 2013 fairs, see the Maker Faire Map.
ADVERTISEMENT
