Maker Faire is the product of incredible effort by a passionate community and a team that works all year long. And it would be utterly impossible without the help from sponsors. We’re grateful to find sponsors who get what this “maker” thing is all about, and don’t treat the event like a boring old trade show. When you’re touring the Faire this weekend, do yourself a favor and check out the hands-on experiences (and swag) from our biggest supporters.
Arduino
Arduino is on a mission to empower anyone to learn, solve real-world problems, and innovate. From fun experiments to high-performance Edge AI, they’re showing off versatile tools like the new Arduino UNO Q and Arduino VENTUNO Q dual-brain boards. Visit their booth to get to know them first-hand, and explore interactive projects built by makers from around the globe.
Additionally, Arduino co-founder Massimo Banzi is giving a talk on a year of building projects with the Arduino UNO Q, including lamps, musical instruments, open source doorbells and more. It’s going to be a honest take about what the Arduino UNO Q is good for and what it’s not. He will show a project made with the new Arduino VENTUNO Q, and a couple of community projects that inspired him.
xTool
xTool is a global leader in desktop laser cutting, engraving, printing, welding and empowering people to turn ideas into tangible expressions of creativity. Founded to bridge the gap between digital design and physical creation, xTool machines combine advanced hardware with intuitive software to make professional-grade tools accessible to makers of all experience levels.This year at Maker Faire Bay Area the “X Tool will experience” will focus not only on what are undeniably some of the coolest tools available to both beginning and expert makers, but also “the moments that shape our journeys as makers, thinkers, and builders. “Milestones in the Making” was created in celebration of Maker Faire’s 20th and xTool’s 6th anniversary, inviting the maker community to reflect on the makes and memories that have made them who they are. A community-created tessellated mosaic becomes a “Wall of Milestones & Memories.” Visitors can engrave a personal memory, milestone, or meaningful moment onto a tile using an xTool machine, then add it to the growing wall. Together, these individual stories become one collective work of art — a celebration of the creativity, curiosity, and shared experiences that make the maker movement so special.
On Sunday, September 26 @ 1pm XTool partner and maker-educator John Burns shares a special story-driven presentation on the Make: Le Tigre stage about raising his son Micah through the lens of making. From early moments of innovation to confident, self-directed builds, John shares the challenges, breakthroughs, and unexpected moments that come with nurturing creativity and resilience in a young maker. Whether you’re a parent, an educator, or a maker thinking about the next generation, this talk is a hopeful, honest, hands-on case study in what’s possible when you give kids real tools and real trust.
Open AI
Ai is on everyone’s mind right now. Makers are no different, thought hey do tend to come at AI from a different perspective—one that makes it no less powerful but views it as a tool rather than a takeover. Used strategically AI large language models are creating opportunities for makers to push their skills to new limits and discover new ways of doing things. There are also a number of other companies that use (and drive the development of) open-source AI-IoT hardware and edge AI devices integrating large language models at Maker Faire.
In the Maker Faire Bay Area Foundry, Open Ai is collaborating with makers and participants to create a living mural! Scan the QR code at their booth to contribute something you wish existed and ChatGPT’s Imagegen will visualize your idea and add it to the mural. Chat GPT continuously finds sparks between the ideas, identifying shared themes that occur when two or more ideas are combined — as of Sunday morning there have been over 200 submissions. Get to Mare Island and add yours! Check out the tool and process HERE.
HOTO
At the HOTO booth, you’ll get hands-on with the latest SNAPBLOQ™ series — a compact desktop tool system built for makers and electronics enthusiasts. Try the tools yourself, make something, and take it home. Every visitor can craft a small project at our station — yours to keep. You’ll also find HOTO’s broader tool lineup on display, including new directions in tool design you haven’t seen before.
CrunchLabs
Discover the fun of hands-on innovation at the CrunchLabs booth, featuring Build Box, Hack Pack, and the all-new Creative Kit. Test your skills with our Disc Launcher challenge for a chance to win CrunchLabs Animal Friends collectibles or a Phat Gus plushie! [Editors note: CrunchLabs, if you see this, please give an editor a plushie.]
Microchip
Microchip is bringing back ever-popular experiences with retro arcade games, a BLE-tuned balancing bot, a robotic claw machine, and more. What can you build with CircuitPython, Bluetooth® LE and a little creativity? This mission comes full circle in the presentation by the Microchip team. Last year, Ross Satchell took the Maker Faire stage to talk about AI’s growing role in engineering education. This year he’s back, joined by Microchip’s Bob Martin, the “Wizard of Make,” for a look at what’s changed in twelve fast months: vibe coding as a real workflow for building embedded applications, and a first look at Zephyr®, the open-source RTOS backed by the Linux Foundation® that’s quickly becoming a top pick in embedded development. They’ll also introduce the PyKit Explorer – an exciting new CircuitPython-based development platform coming soon to Microchip Direct and DigiKey, along with a full library of educational content and ready-to-run workshops built for classrooms and makerspaces.
These companies are not only building tools, processes, and workflows for makers so that they can achieve their dream builds or solve challenging fabrication problems; by supporting Maker Faire they are opening doors and possibilities for kids and adults alike. An A-HA moment is invaluable — thanks to our Anchor and Coalshed partners for helping to create a weekend full of them for thousands of people of all ages.
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