Real World Assignment

Hundreds of makers and tinkerers participated in the 2015 NYC World Maker Faire to make it a truly unforgettable experience.

One of my favorite pieces was the Crafty Robot, a moving paper robot toy with an attached Fizzbit. The Fizzbit is a rechargeable module composed of a circuit board, miniature motor, capacitor and usb port. Once the Fizzbit is charged the robot runs for about 30 seconds. Ross Atkin, the creator of Crafty Robot,  wants everyone to have their own robot and be creative with technology.

What most interested me in the Crafty Robot was the possibility to make almost anything into a moving robot. The Fizzbit can be attached to a variety of other material- like clothes pins, 3d models, etc, to make an endless variety of moving robots.

Crafty Robots:

The wearable tech-clothes byDesign Fusion from Ireland were very interesting as well.  They represent the possible future of fashion. I was drawn by the bright lights coming from the dress.

NASA’s 3d printed Habitat Challenge, a competition to design a 3d sustainable habitat for space exploration, also intrigued me. Faire attendees were invited to vote for the best design and I voted for the Hemispheric Habitat by team Martian Domes. I really liked the dome-like architecture that was designed to reduce wind drag in the harsh Martian climate.

Three lessons I learned were:
1. Be creative with technology.
2. Don’t let the limitations of old technology stop you from designing something new.
3. You can combine new technology with old ideas to create something completely different.
The Maker Faire showed me how many people are interested in the Maker movement and how creative the human mind can be. The level of ingenuity displayed by the makers and tinkerers at the Faire was inspiring and I look forward to attending again.