Held at the at Keihanna Open Innovation Center @ KYOTO (KICK), Maker Faire returns to the heart of Japan this Saturday and Sunday, April 29 & 30th. “Maker Faire Kyoto 2023”, we will hold workshops and experience projects that can be enjoyed even if you come with children in collaboration with the community and sponsors. If you see the work and feel like making it, please join us!
This year, Maker Faire Kyoto aims to return to its previous size. Here’s a look at the 2019 event. Read on for a sneak peek at some of the always cool projects that will be at the event!
MAKERS + MORE!
Strandbeest Clone Project
Theo Jansen has long been a Maker Faire favorite and this year the students at the National Institute of Technology, Kurume College are bringing one to life across the world from windy European beaches. They are exhibiting a new Strandbeest that we are currently creating, based on the experience we gained from making the original one in 2019, with a strong commitment to replicating the real thing. We have faithfully reproduced not only Theo Jansen’s linkage mechanism, but also the materials and assembly methods. The work is cute and large enough to be a big dog, and you can take it for a walk on a leash. We will also present research results on Jansen’s device that controls the beast’s movement solely by air pressure.
Open source humanoid robot mobility “FIRE-BARI-ON” by Brave Robot Technology Lab
We are developing a completely original open-source humanoid mobility robot called “Fibarion.” In robot mode, it stands 2.5m tall and moves on legs. In vehicle mode, we are developing it as a single-seater four-wheeled vehicle that can run on public roads with a mini-car standard license plate. This time, we will showcase a demonstration of the upper body movements in robot mode. READ MORE.
3D printed circle sock knitting machine by FARMTORY-LAB
A household sock knitting machine that can knit socks by turning a circular handle. It has been in use for over 100 years, but it is now difficult to obtain, so we have created it using 3D printing. We will exhibit and demonstrate this old but new sock knitting machine. We will display several types, including the original sock knitting machine and ones designed overseas.
セットアップボンネット（編み始めに使うツール）を編みたかったのですが長さが全然足りなかったのでゲージということで📏（それにも短いような... pic.twitter.com/wLwUBghU47
— 3Dプリンタでおうち用靴下編み機を作る人 (@CSMsJP) January 7, 2023
3D planetarium by Higekita
Exhibits that had been interrupted by the pandemic since the last Maker Faire Kyoto have now resumed. Immerse yourself in a beyond-avatar, super 3D image that not only pops out but also passes over your head. Learn more HERE.
Chikimono (Exactly what it sounds like!)
We will be selling kimonos for chickens. The exhibit allows visitors to see and touch the kimonos by actually putting them on chickens, confirming their ease of movement and cuteness. We will also be selling cute chicken keychains that can be enjoyed by those who do not raise chickens.
"Live With Life" - Lighting for living with slime mold – by Tomohiro Nakaya from xorium
A lighting fixture with the concept of “living with slime molds”: the shadow pattern changes every time the electric switch is turned on. Slime molds, which do not like light, cannot thrive under the lighting. During the time the lighting is turned off, they are active and change their pattern. For example, when reading a book before going to bed every night, one might suddenly notice a change in their pattern from the previous day. They loosely coexist with a “living creature” that is neither a dog nor a cat, and feel a strange sense of comfort from its presence. READ MORE.
Home Made MRI by Yashiro
MRI is a device that visualizes the distribution of hydrogen nuclei density using the nuclear magnetic resonance phenomenon. To do this, strong and extremely precise magnetic fields such as linearly gradient magnetic fields and high-frequency oscillating magnetic fields are required, which present an attractive design challenge. Additionally, manipulating groups of hydrogen nuclei at will using MRI offers a special and unique sense of enjoyment. The machine being exhibited this time is the second generation.
In fact, when we saw the words “self-made MRI” on the list of exhibitors at ” Maker Faire Tokyo 2022 “, it’s no wonder we thought, “Huh? MRI?” “Is that something you can make yourself!?” We learned for the first time from Mr. Yashiro, who made his own MRI, that this nuclear magnetic resonance image can be acquired even with geomagnetism (about 50 μTesla). It seems that “if you shoot vegetables that contain a lot of water for several hours, the image will be blurry.” The stronger the magnetic field used, the better the image, and for a hospital MRI, the magnetic flux density is around 1.5 Tesla (keep that number in mind). LEARN MORE. Or check out last year’s model to compare improvements HERE.
Car made with wood and iron by Rihito Industry
This is a moped developed as a commuting vehicle. It was developed with the concept of a “low-cost second car,” but I think it’s closer to the image of a “scooter that doesn’t get wet.” The parts that require strength are made of iron, but mainly wood is used, and the front and rear wheels are connected only by wood. At the previous exhibition, it was in the form of just completing the new model, but this time the engine has been replaced and improved to be closer to the operation system of a manual car. LEARN MORE.
AbaCaaS: Abacus Operation Sensing System
The Nara Institute of Science and Technology are exhibiting a system called AbaCaaS that detects and guides incorrect “bead” operations in real time by sensing the abacus board during calculation using a document camera. Learning soroban (calculations using abacus) has various benefits, such as improving mental calculation ability and short-term memory. However, to master the calculation method using an abacus, it is necessary to learn about various “bead” operations in various methods and orders, which requires repeated learning over a long period of time. At the exhibition, we will demonstrate the system by actually operating an abacus.
WORKSHOPS!
Cardboard Day!
Our daily lives are filled with a wide variety of objects in different shapes and sizes. Have you ever wondered how these shapes are created? Why not start the first step of making something with everyday cardboard by thinking while moving your hands? During the two-day event “Cardboard Day!”, specialists in creating anything with cardboard will guide you on how to create any shape. Challenge yourself to create something even more advanced with cardboard!
1. Let’s Make with Cardboard! – Two days of making, making, and making shapes with your hands. Celebrate and award the fantastic ideas, creations, concepts, techniques, and inspirations that everyone brings to the table!
2. Let’s become a Tyrannosaurus – Wiggle your tail, wiggle your tail and go for a walk with Shiro, the giant Tyrannosaurus. We’ll make a tail and head (hat) that shake when the Tyrannosaurus walks.
3. Bend the cardboard! – Learn how to bend cardboard to enjoy organic shapes and broaden your range of expression, changing the image of “cardboard work = something angular”.
Let's play street Mini4WD
We will have a mini 4WD race on the outdoor slope in front of the venue. Although it’s called a “race,” there is no set course. Using a stick like in hockey, we aim for the goal while guiding the mini 4WD. Anyone can participate, so please bring your own mini 4WD on the day of the event. We recommend changing the gear to a low-speed gear (5:1) and using weak batteries like manganese.
Learn to Solder by Macnica
Why don’t you try your first soldering experience? Maker Faire’s mascot character “Makey” transforms into a ninja!! You will create a shiny LED badge that glows brightly using a shuriken held in your hand and simple soldering. Please join us with your children! The experience time is about 15 minutes.
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