What's a Maker Faire?

Last Updated (Monday, 27 June 2011 16:15) Written by Raymond Nakamura

Our family attended Vancouver's first Maker Faire on the weekend at the multi-institutional, interdisciplinary campus on Great Northern Way. Many of the displays and activities combined technology and art in wonderful ways. I asked my six-year-old daughter what her three favourite things were and this is what she told me.

The Robots You Go Around and They Talk to You

This matrix of pylons created by Tangible Interaction Design and Matt Lockyer reacted to motion and said different things. My daughter liked walking among them to see what would happen. Science World had a table and did some electricity demos with a Van der Graaf generator, a Tesla coil and a pickle zapper. Apparently, they had to limit their demos because they were affecting the other electronic displays.

Ice Cream

This was not really part of the show, but I guess it part of the experience, the food vehicles lined up outside the warehouses. And I suppose a soft ice cream dispenser has an element of interactive technology to it, and the vanilla and chocolate swirl as an aesthetic appeal. The mini donut machine nearby was captivating in its own way as well. A non-commercial food production experience was a demonstration on how to make your own bacon instead of just bringing it home.

The Giant Baby Carriage

This was actually a large, moveable, solar-powered sculpture called Daisy the Solar Powered Tricycle created by Bob Schneeveis set up in the yard with other large technological art pieces. I wasn't sure what the solar panels were for, but my daughter liked being able to climb up and crank a handle to make the big front wheel turn.

Skateboard Thingie

After the Ice Cream answer, I pushed for another response and my daughter gave me this. She liked trying out the electric skate board at a station outside run by Grin Tech, where you could also try out a unicycle with the help of a support bar and find out how to add an electric motor to your bicycle, which might help me deal with the hills around our house. The skateboard had two large wheels in the centre. When it was powered up, you could make it go one way or another depending on which way you leaned, a little like a Segway.

Mighty Ugly

I enjoyed chatting with the Vancouver Robotics Club people about hacking my Roomba once it stops vacuuming my floors. But the only evidence I have of actually participating in this Maker Faire is this picture of Cy, which I made at the Mighty Ugly table, "where failure is kinda pretty." They really embraced the idea of just doing something regardless of outcome. Which is great, as long as the outcomes don't involve high voltages or flammable materials.