Visitors Now:
Total Visits:
Total Stories:

By Techburgher (Reporter)
Contributor profile | More stories

Story Views
Now:
Last Hour:
Last 24 Hours:
Total:

Pittsburgh Mini Maker Faire Selects 2012 Makers

Thursday, September 20, 2012 23:12

% of readers think this story is Fact. Add your two cents.

(Before It's News)

Pittsburgh Mini Maker Faire is proud to announce this year’s makers, who will exhibit, demonstrate, perform and teach at the 2nd annual faire on Sept. 22, 2012 from 10am-4pm at Buhl Community Park and the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh on Pittsburgh’s North Side.

Proposals from a broad spectrum of regional makers, ranging from local roboticists to guerilla knitters to kid inventors were accepted June 8 through August 15, and.selected by Faire planners based on the following criteria:

Handmade or homemade projects made by individuals, clubs or start-up companies
Made projects or making processes that use new technologies or old technologies in new ways
Interactivity for adults, as well as kids – teach, share and demonstrate!
Innovation, Creativity and Inventiveness
WOW factor

Click here to tour the makers, including projects in 3D technology, Robots, Wearables, Rideables, Electronics, Craft and Spectacle. Each slide includes website links and more to learn about each exhibiting project of the 2012 Faire.

Highlights include:

The Great American Horn Machine – the world’s loudest mobile musical instrument – a collection of truck, train and ships’ air horns and steam whistles.
3D – Watch real 3D printers at work, including RepRap and Makerbots and even get a 3D scan of your body.
Mechanimals – Roboticist Jason Bannister showcases his biomimetic robot animals, including a robot kangaroo, robot giraffe, robot bee that walks and flies and more.
Touchstone Center for Craft – the maker jewel of the Laurel Highlands, Touchstone will wow the crowd with up cycled blacksmithing demonstrations in a real forge.
Spare Room Workshop – the dynamos behind this local startup will create t-shirt for you on the spot from your own hand-drawing using digital tools and a vinyl plotting machine.
HackPittsburgh – Faire co-presenters HackPittsburgh will inspire YOU to be a maker with their inventive, sometimes-wacky, always impressive project showcase. Last year’s booth included a homemade weather balloon and a cheese-squirting robot!
Children’s Innovation Project – Learn basic circuitry and how to reuse parts of electrical toys from local elementary students who will astound you with their knowledge.
Wearables Fashion Show – Bring your camera for a fashion show of elaborate costumes built by local GLBTQ teens during the Constructing Identity summer workshops, wearable planets built by local kids at ASSEMBLE in Garfield and more. Walk the catwalk yourself when it opens for anyone with handmade wearables to strut!
Handheld Tesla: Be amazed by Luke Kambic’s portable lightning generator that manipulates plasma with his hands.
Learn to Solder – this visitor-favorite from last year’s Faire returns as Wayne and Layne, HackPittsburgh and the MAKESHOP help you solder your own cool blinkie badge to wear around the Faire.
Shine So Bright – Make light up clothes with 10-year-old entrepreneur Aria Eppinger, whose circuit sewing kit for kids recently won Warren Buffet’s Secret Millionaire’s Club contest.
iOTOS – Explore Web 3.0 as the masterminds of iOTOS show you how to control and communicate with your lamps, garage door openers, coffee makers through the internet.
Tubular Travelers – Build a rideable vehicle from innovative modular parts with artist and inventor Dave Edwards.
Knit the Bridge – Join the knitting circle of this grassroots, community-led arts project that plans to wrap the 7th Street/Warhol bridge in vibrant knitting to coincide with the Fiberart International 2013.
Hot Air Engines – Hold one of John Schneider’s sensitive little engines that run on the warmth of your palm.