Maker Pro

Maker Pros are the innovators that are designing tomorrow’s products and businesses. Stay tuned for the latest news on manufacturing, startups, and industry trends.

Pitches with Prototypes

At this year’s Hardware Innovation Workshop, a call was put out for interested makers to promote their prototype to us in a video. From these submissions five makers were selected to pitch at HIW. Attendees voted for the idea with the best prospects and the winner presented on stage at Maker Faire. The whirlwind of prototypes and pitches was a blast. Everyone had a chance to meet the makers and see their products at the HIW Prototype Pavilion. Now it’s your turn. Below are videos from the actual Pitches with Prototypes event. Watch the videos. Who would you vote for?

Continue Reading June 27th, 2013 TravisGood2

From Etsy to Kickstarter: Changing Your Process to Match Your Audience

This is a guest post by Adam Ellsworth, part of the 8-Bit Lit team, makers who had a great idea (videogame inspired lamp), found traction on Etsy with it, and are now taking it to the next level via crowdfunding.

Continue Reading June 27th, 2013 Ken Denmead

Wayne Losey on Making Toys with 3D Printers

Wayne left a career in the toy industry when he got “tired of the game”, and co-founded Dynamo Development Labs to find new approaches to creating toys. Then he got mixed up with 3D printing.

Continue Reading June 26th, 2013 Brian Jepson2

What is the New Industrial Revolution?

3D printing is great, but it’s only a small part of the solution. The real thing is much larger than any one process. It’s the digitization of manufacturing in general – from CNC milling, to factory floor automation and all the way to system-wide integration beyond today’s primitive quoting sites. By applying the ideas of software to this field: automation, abstraction, standards, etc…you give access to a far wider group of people and create many more possibilities for solving the world’s problems.

Continue Reading June 24th, 2013 Stett Holbrook12

How CAD Empowers Kids: Carl Bass at Maker Faire

The chief executive at Autodesk obviously prepared this talk for kids, and he arrived at Maker Faire dressed for the part: wearing a baseball cap, t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. Not what he wears when he’s talking to shareholders about fiscal year 2013. But Bass can pull it off: he has a marvelously casual style, and a real passion for making. The result: this is a fantastic primer on computer aided design (CAD) for kids — and for anyone who would like a very easy-going intro to some of the most basic, free tools and services available.

Continue Reading June 22nd, 2013 DC Denison18

Maker Pro Newsletter #18

“The maker movement has been built around a prototyping revolution more than a manufacturing revolution.” From the editors of MAKE magazine, the Maker Pro Newsletter is about the impact of makers on business and technology. Our coverage includes hardware startups, new products, incubators, innovators, along with technology and market trends. Please send items to us […]

Continue Reading June 21st, 2013August 18th, 2016 DC Denison