Upon entering the gate to the Maker Faire, I bypassed the tents with craft and boutique items and went straight to the expansive 3D printer section (I did however make a pit stop to check out the cool igloo with kaleidoscopes in the ceiling). It was amazing to see all of the 3D printers in action! The companies in Zone 2: Makerspaces/3D Printer Village were raffling off a 3D printer. Unfortunately, I didn’t win one but I did participate in Form Labs’ scavenger hunt which led to a surprising run-in with Ahmed Mohamed. He’s the 14-year-old boy who’s now famous for being falsely accused and arrested for bringing a hoax bomb to school, when it was just a repackaged electronic clock that he made and brought in to show his engineering teacher. Meeting him and seeing all of the large scale 3D printers were definitely highlights of my time at the Maker Faire, along with my three favorite experiences.

One of my favorite experiences was learning about “Grow It Yourself: Mushroom Material” by Ecovative. For $10, you get a bag filled with a mixture of mycelium and corn stalks/ husks. It just needs some water and flour to come back to life, and then you can grow it into an object! At first glance it looks a bit moldy but that’s just the mushroom spores. As the spores grow, it solidifies and can be bonded into anything you want with the right amount of material. For example,  you can make a table or a chair with the Mushroom Material using an industrial press to make sure it’s compacted and stable. Ecovative created Mushroom Material in order to produce Earth friendly building materials which, unlike conventional synthetics, can have a positive impact on our planet’s ecosystem. This piqued my interest because I was previously not well versed in the world of building materials that are not harmful to the environment and sustainable. The DIY aspect is cool and definitely will create interesting applications for the future. MoMA PS1 already had an entire structure built out of this material.

Another favorite experience of mine was observing the Drone Arena by the Aerial Sports League. Flying drones raced through arches in a giant cube-shaped net. I was most interested in the acrobatic aerial techniques. The drones definitely made impressive maneuvers but it was also funny to see them crash like a blooper reel. In another net, drones actually battled head on, fighting for aerial superiority. The Aerial Sports League aims to promote and showcase drones as a fun, safe, and educational form of entertainment.

Yet another favorite experience of mine was learning about and testing out Wildgrid, a project by makers Krystal Persaud and Hirumi Nanayakkara about capturing untapped power all around us. With Wildgrid you can use body energy, soil, and yeast (i.e. beer) to produce electricity for small scale purposes like charging your phone.  At the demonstration table I actually plugged my phone into soil to charge it! I also put sensors on my skin, and my movements produced kinetic energy, thereby producing electricity. This project interests me because energy is one of the biggest factors causing economic disparity in the world. Wildgrid has the capability to have a monumental impact and provide energy to remote areas.

The Maker Faire was inspiring, I believe there’s a focus on kids to get them interested in science at an early age. It was no coincidence that Ahmed Mohamed was in attendance. It’s definitely a child-friendly facility because there were a lot of kids there and many of the installations were geared towards a younger demographic. Seeing wide-eyed kids gazing at all of the installations was a positive experience. I only wish I could be one of them again.

Another lesson I learned through my observations was the importance of  bio-design like the Mushroom Material. Biotechnology is unique because it harnesses life. Life as a technology introduces new capabilities such as medicines and greener modes of production. However, future designers need to fully consider any repercussions so that when they are asked to design with biology, they do so creatively and ethically.

Finally I observed the growing importance of makers and tinkerers. The Maker Faire should carry the tagline: “Biggest Show and Tell on Earth.” The Faire gives a platform for small start-ups to showcase their brilliant and innovative ideas. While Microsoft and Intel both had booths, there was a focus on smaller companies with big ideas. At the core of all of these big ideas was self-empowerment through technology. For example, truly doing-it-yourself by making things that you need, when you need them.

My visit to the Maker Faire was a great companion to the course. It informs many of the design issues of the present and future as detailed in Fabricated and in class. There still are glaring limitations to 3D printing today, such as scalability and plastic being the designated material for home-scale 3D printers. However, the dedication to progress at the Faire makes me believe that everything really is becoming science fiction.  The Maker Faire experience also goes hand in hand with building community at Baruch. Along with giving a voice to the “little guy,” the Faire creates an optimal networking environment where makers and other creatives can exchange ideas and help each other out.