The Young Makers Program at Maker Faire Bay Area 2011 produced two interesting projects by Alex Jacobson, John Boyer, and Sam Frank. Saphira is an animatronic fire-breathing dragon, and Fire Jam is a visualization device for the Rock Band video game that selectively shoots five jets of flame that correspond to the buttons on the guitar controller.
Check out these dead simple time-lapse panning mounts made from IKEA egg timers.
My closing moment of World Maker Faire 2011 took place inside of Braindrop, a reflective sculpture by Kate Raudenbush. I took this photo looking up at its chandelier. A perfect moment to remember a great event, and BrainDrop is the perfect word to recall it. Thanks to all the makers who created this Maker Faire […]
Paul Freedman throws conscious hip hop concerts by turning alternative transportation into alternative energy. Rock the Bike brings funky beats and sound gear to any venue, then sets up stationary bikes that are converted into electricity generators. Audience members take turns pedaling to generate all the amplification needed for the entire show at Maker Faire Bay Area 2011.
John Schimmel teaches the Assistive Technology class at NYU’s ITP program. The RAMPs project allows a wheelchair-bound DJ to roll up to a stationary set of rollers that are connected to rotary encoders attached to an Arduino. The interpreted data is then sent to a Processing sketch and used to blend or scratch audio tracks in real time. This device was created in 2005 for an individual with cerebral palsy who had a talent for rapping and also needed to hone his wheelchair skills.
Entrepreneur Benny James runs Cool Neon, a Burning Man-inspired business supplying electroluminescent wire to artists and electronics makers. He has seen his business flourish as he enables costume makers, festival vehicle designers, and hobbyists to add bright light-up lines of color to their projects since 1999. At Maker Faire Bay Area 2011, they debuted their […]
