Maker Faire Hannover will celebrate its 10th anniversary on August 17th and 18th at the Hannover Congress Center (HCC). As the third largest event of its kind worldwide, with a broad diversity if makers and international participants it is one of the most important international maker meetings. Up to 15,000 visitors will come together and marvel at hundreds of projects at over 250 exhibits, exchange ideas, and learn from each other. About the Maker Faire Hannover: Since 2013, the Maker Faire Hannover has been inspiring participants of all ages as a platform for inspiration, creativity and innovation. The event brings together technology, craftsmanship and art and has established itself as a fixed date in the calendar of the international maker scene. Check out the whole program under “Meet the Maker” at https://maker-faire.de/hannover/
“Maker Faire Hannover is a unique mix of science fair and community fair,” explains Daniel Rohlfing. “It offers a platform for exhibitors and visitors to exchange ideas about topics such as 3D printing, laser cutting, microcontrollers, coding, robotics, and much more.” Special highlights of the event are the spectacular shows. This year, Austrian engineer Matthias Vijverman from Mécanique Fantastique presents his “Steam Bike” and the fire show “Watch?!” – a four meter high mechanical installation with countless moving parts. “Such objects are otherwise only known from the Burning Man Festival in Nevada,” emphasizes Rohlfing.
Watch!?
One of the highlights this year at the Maker Faire Hannover is the engineer Matthias
Vivjermann. This is definitely not his first visit, as he was already in Hanover in 2022,
together with his “Garuda project”. That is a large, metallic, bird-like mechanical
structure which also breathed fire.
This year, his projects promise as much fascination and enthusiasm. In addition to the “Steam Bike” there is the fire show “Watch!?”. As the name suggests, it is a watch – a very special kind of watch. This watch neither shows the time nor ticks correctly. On the contrary, the four-meter-high, mechanically constructed installation has countless moving parts that are only held together and moved by its somewhat crazy inventor. For about 20 minutes per show, Matthias can be watched, trying to keep the “Watch!?” running.
In addition to the big attractions, private makers, universities with a MINT focus, and makerspaces show their innovative projects. Whether roofer Alex, cosplayer Foedhrass or Horatius Steam – the characters at the Maker Faire are just as unique as their ideas: there are scurrying R2D2 robots, self-made gripping and arcade machines, an AI ideas workshop for environmental protection, quantum sensors you can touch, workshops for Plasma treatments, ChatGPT telephony and much more.
DACHDECKER.ALEX
Alexander Peter has been working intensively with Roof & Woodwork under the name DACHDECKER.ALEX since 2013, after he completed his training from helper to journeyman. He is presenting his creations at this year’s Maker Faire on behalf of traditional crafts. His goal: to inspire visitors with his craftsmanship using different materials, forms and designs. He is exhibiting some of his objects, inspired by gameplay artwork and digital design, at his stand. For his creations, Alex transforms imagination into real objects by using traditional craftsmanship. Therefore, he prefers the use of different materials, especially a combination of natural slate and wood with fine sheet metal and metals. Starting at a primary school age, Visitors can also work with some of these materials themselves. Among other objects they can try to create the Batman symbol using natural slate slabs and put their craftsmanship to the test.
Foedhrass (Cosplay)
Foe Rodens (Foedhrass) is a photographer, author and has also been an active cosplayer since 2005/6. She is particularly interested in the worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien but has also costumes from Game of Thrones/House of the Dragon or Marvel in her range. She later began to make all her costumes herself, beginning with Ambarussa, a character from Tolkien’s Simarillion, in 2015, which she proudly presented at the HobbitCon 4. Foe had so much fun that other trade fairs and costumes quickly followed; until now she has built around 25 costumes. Some of them, as well as several individual parts, can be admired at the Maker Faire.
To make her outfits and props, she uses all kinds of materials for the armour parts she
is using the thermoplastic material Worbla. Since many people outside of the cosplay
scene are not familiar with Worbla as a material, Foedhrass will also show and explain how to work with Worbla. She is really happy to answer questions about the process of creating her costumes, from design to convention, nonsense, to Maker Faire Hannover!
Horatius Steam
Jochen Enderlein – sorry, Horatius Steam of course – is known for the “Finest
Inventions & Business Machines” in the steampunk and dieselpunk style. He is a
steampunk artist, builder and inventor. From computers, LARP gadgets and whatever other devices he can get his hands on, he creates machines and magical objects which look like they are from another bygone era. Almost all his equipment can be operated by the visitor themselves. For example, the old telephones equipped with a rotary dial,
computers that look like they were built in the Victorian era or in the 1930s, small and
magical gadgets and machines as well as a time radio that plays radio waves from past
times.
As if these devices weren’t exciting enough, there are also lots of activities for visitors
to try out. For example, you can make calls with old telephones, use the shared
computer or the time radio to experience the Second World War with original radio
channels from the perspective of the Allies. There is also a WiFi radio transmitter with
which you can operate independently and hear what was said in the microphone
through the matching receiver. For example, you can exchange experiences about the Maker Faire with your friends.
KI-Ideenwerkstatt für Umweltschutz/AI ideas workshop for environmental protection
The AI ideas workshop for environmental protection of the Federal Ministry for the
Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection is based in Berlin-Neukölln and can also be contacted digitally. Anyone who is interested in the use of AI for environmental protection is welcome to stop by. That is exactly what will be possible this year at the Maker Faire Hannover, as the AI ideas workshop for environmental protection is going to make the long journey from Berlin to Hannover.
According to the motto “learning by making”, all visitors are invited to engage more intensively with the topic of AI and environmental protection, for a better understanding of artificial intelligence and to exchange with others. There is also exciting knowledge and fascinating projects to discover. Among other things, an interactive game can show how a neural network works for image recognition. There is also something special for animal lovers, the workshop presents the BirdNet Pi and the Birdiary for bird species recognition using AI. In addition, an “AI Unplugged” game is used to explain and illustrate the basic principles of AI without a computer, which creates good basic knowledge for participation. Visitors can register for the workshop offered here and build their own BirdNet Pi for free. This consists of a microphone which records the bird songs and an AI model on the Raspberry Pi that then assigns the recorded song to the bird. Of course you can take your self-made BirdNet Pi home and classify the birds at home. If you want, you can make your collected data available to citizen scientists on the global map.
Quantum Open Innovations
This maker presents various quantum innovations. This includes, for example,
quantum effects made tangible with the help of diamonds and lasers or the possibility of developing your own ideas for quantum applications. A variety of quantum sensors can be discovered. These range from low-cost sensors to higher-quality sensors. The low-cost sensors are self-built and, in addition to magnetic field measurements, also illustrate the fluorescence of diamonds using LEDs. The high-quality and professional quantum sensor, on the other hand, provides deeper insight into the world of quantum technology and offers the opportunity to carry out high-precision measurements. There are also some offers to participate and experience. This includes the opportunity to discover your own inventive spirit and help shape the future with the potential of quantum technology. Visitors can spin the technology wheel, learn more about quantum technology and its applications and invent new applications or quantum devices. And, last but not least, experience the fascination of quantum sensory.
Pollux Labs – KI im (Retro-) Telefon /AI in retro phones
At Pollux Labs there is the opportunity to use AI, especially ChatGPT, the way it would have been used in the 80s, i.e. via a rotary phone. The principle is simple: dial a number on the telephone, ask your question (e.g. what is the current weather report) and you can listen to the answer in the receiver. In addition, Pollux Labs also has many other (Arduino) projects such as an Arduino cloud, automatic plant watering or a code lock with a keyboard and a servo motor. Pollux Labs also hosts tutorials to help you build your own projects as well as an Arduino online course. This turns the participants step by step into makers. Everyone can learn at their own pace; if necessary, you can also consult the reference book at any time.
For those who are fascinated by Arduino, Calliope, RasberryPi & Co. right at the Maker Faire, there is no reason not to pursue this fascination further.
DIY Arcade- & Greifautomat by. xyz /DIY arcade and gripping machine
Started as a visitor of Maker Faires and this year for the first time with his own exhibition stand: Lucas and his machines. This stand is completely about games, because there is something really cool to see (and to try out): a self-assembled DIY arcade machine and a DIY gripping machine. These allow visitors to travel back in time, more precisely to the golden age of arcades and slot machines. However, the machines presented cannot be compared with those from the past, as the makers have given their machines a modern twist. At the arcade machine visitors can play the popular classics such as Pac-Man, Space Invaders or Street Fighter. The best thing about it: The machine has a heart made of a Raspberry Pi. This ensures the ultimate gaming experience because on the one hand the games run very smoothly and on the other hand the machine has super intuitive controls. As a visitor, all you have to do is choose a game, start playing and (hopefully) win. The automatic gripper was also built independently using individual parts from the Internet and is therefore a true DIY project. The gripper arm can be observed at work through a transparent front, visitors can see straight away how skilled they are. This is almost as exciting as the game itself. Since you previously had to insert money into both slot machines in order to play, the maker deactivated the coin mechanisms, so please do not try to insert money there or give any money to the makers, they won’t accept it. For this reason, any prizes won on the machines cannot be kept. But material prizes are not that important since the stand offers something so much better: games, a lot of fun and lasting memories for everyone who wants to try their luck at a DIY slot machine.
Makey:Lab gets young people into programming
Make: magazin is presenting an innovative experiment kit called Makey:Lab at the Maker Faire in Hanover. Developed in collaboration with the IoT workshop at the Birkenfeld Environmental Campus of Trier University of Applied Sciences, the project aims to excite young people, starting at age 14, about programming, natural sciences and project thinking. At the same time, it should convey a sense of digitalization and environmental awareness.
“With the Makey:Lab we want to build our own sustainable system, which we will accompany with various special issues. Depending on the topic, the Makey:Lab can grow to include new functions,” explains Daniel Bachfeld, editor-in-chief of the Make: magazin. The heart of the kit is a microcontroller board which is programmed graphically in a similar way to the Calliope single-board computer. Two environmental sensors make the measurement of various environmental data such as temperature, humidity, air pressure and air quality possible.
At Maker Faire Hannover, the Make editorial team will distribute 700 blank boards in the shape of the mascot Makey, completely free of charge. “Makey is very popular in the maker scene and creates a cooler look for the board,” emphasizes Bachfeld. A QR code on the board leads to a landing page with further information about the hardware, software, magazines and release dates. The project aims to demonstrate practical applications from everyday life. “We want to excite young people about digital technology and show its usability. For example, the use for a better perception of our environment,” explains Bachfeld. “These can be very
practical things from everyday life. This way, the CO2 content in the air can be made visible, and you can also find out whether or not there is alcohol in your beer or you can visualize the chemical compound while baking bread.”
The collaboration with the Birkenfeld environmental campus of Trier University of Applied Sciences, which is considered Germany’s greenest university location and is among the top 3 in the global green-metric sustainability ranking, underlines the focus on environmental aspects. The campus will also be represented at the Maker Faire and is going to present its IoT2 workshop and the makerspace INNODIG. The Makey:Lab project innovatively combines the teaching of technical skills with environmental awareness. It enables young people to immerse themselves in the world of programming and environmental technology without extensive prior knowledge.
Thanks to the playful approach and the possibility of continuously expanding the system, Makey:Lab offers a promising platform for long-term learning and experimentation in the field of digital environmental technology.
Further information about the Maker Faire Hannover can be found on the website, where you can find out more about the exhibiting makers via the exhibitor directory. Tickets for the Maker Faire Hannover are available in advance or at the box office. The single ticket for adults costs 19.80 euros, reduced price 15.80 euros. Family tickets start at 30 euros, the entry is free for children under 10. The event starts on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
ADVERTISEMENT
