MakerFaire NYC 2011

This will be a shortish post on MakerFaire NYC 2011. I attended MakerFaire 2010 in NYC so going again 1 year later, this time with my better half was going to be another experience. We also decided to drive to NYC from New Jersey after a couple of mishaps, but all was good. More on the driving part later.

The Exhibits

The exhibits are breathtaking when taken in as just awesome science at work. It really is a testament to the hobbyists out there. We really enjoyed interacting with the creators/makers and being able to ask questions and get answers. Here are some I wanted to highlight. Cant list them all. I will also not be putting up others that I thought were really ideas I would pan. So instead of providing negative press for them I would rather provide an opportunity for other blogs out there to highlight why they are good.

LifeSize Mousetrap

The first big one we saw was the LifeSize MouseTrap. It was great implementation of the board  game.

Video: http://youtu.be/SD6MNAVmnzM

Modkit

Spotted once again at MakerFaire was Modkit. They are doing similar to one of our projects: Scratchable Devices.

Rhetorical Models

This one was intriguing. Basically the artists created art that had meaning that becomes apparent with movement. You have to see it to really understand it. So hit the link: http://makerfaire.com/pub/e/7007

The Picket Fence Bed by Michelle DeCurtis

This one was a gem in a see of noise. This is DIY at its core. The designer used a picket fence to make a bed. Simple. Elegant. No bells and whistles and the result was rustic with some modern twists. In a time where using your hands to build your own things is not too popular, having a young person do this was not just awesome but got me thinking, seriously why not. Anyway these are the kind of things that end up costing 1000s of dollars to buy. I like the idea. My better half didn't, thats another story. Maker Link: http://makerfaire.com/pub/e/6835 Designer Link: http://www.re-yoo.blogspot.com/

Arc Attack

Whats better than making music with Electric Arcs? Seriously what? My better half really liked this one. It was good entertainment. Another Gem at the MakerFaire. It takes a lot to make arcing interesting.

Video: http://youtu.be/DNDk7WqxI-s

Also Spotted

Way too many 3D printers. They were nice, really nice. Thinking of even saving up for one so that I can take it back with me when I move back to South Africa but seriously took up a whole section of MakerFaire.

The other things: Food

Damn the food was okayish. But we had much better experience sampling street food on Roosevelt Avenue in Flushing Queens after leaving the event. Minus the economic effects on MakerFaire itself, MakerFaire should advertise the diverse and awesome food 2 blocks away. The food at MakerFaire was a tad expensive, justified given the

The driving out of NYC was a mess. Traffic on 5pm on a Saturday afternoon. I will not be doing it again anytime soon. Now I know why public transport is a winner.

More Pictures

Maker Faire 2010

NY MakerFaire 2011

Anyway that was a short look at MakerFaire. Not in anyway in depth.