World Maker Faire 2012 Showcases Projects From Young Makers, the Future of the Maker Movement
Posted: Friday, September 14, 2012
World Maker Faire, at the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) in Queens, N.Y., on Saturday, Sept. 29 and Sunday, Sept. 30, is excited to announce a special pavilion focused on Young Makers. Whether a clever creation or a product almost market-ready, these under-18 makers will present their latest projects illustrating the depth of talent and innovation that lies within the next generation.
"We are all makers, particularly young people," said Dale Dougherty, founder of MAKE magazine and co-creator of Maker Faire. "Kids learn by doing and when they're making something, they're having fun and learning. More opportunities need to be made available to students to make -- whatever it is they want to make. Getting kids making is critical to their development as well as the future of innovation in our nation. Maker Faire is proud to provide many opportunities for young makers, enabling them to explore their creativity and ingenuity and then showcase their creations."
Some of the Young Makers exhibiting in the Young Makers Pavilion, as well as around World Maker Faire, include:
MAYA Telepresence Robot - MAYA, an acronym for Me And You Anywhere, is a telepresence robot that was designed specifically for the elderly. MAYA's creator, 14-year-old Ben Hylak, used his grandmother as his inspiration to build this robot that allows a homebound elderly person to Skype with family and friends, staying connected when visitors aren't possible. Ben and MAYA received recognition from the White House Science Fair in February 2011.
MOUSE Corps 2012: Innovations for the Blind & Visually Impaired - Students from NYC High School's MOUSE Corps will showcase four projects that solve unique challenges faced by those who are visually impaired, including "Your Path," a mobile app prototype that hacks Google Maps to compile accessible route adaptations made by blind users, and "Dining Band," an Arduino-powered, sensoring wristband that helps blind users discreetly locate items on their plate.
EMG-Controlled Mechanical Hand - 17-year-old Raj Singh started this project for fun but the result has been a product that could be transformative. Raj's EMG-controlled prosthetic hand allows for individual digit control, a first for the prosthetic community.
Body Sound Suit - The Body Sound Suit is a bio-gesture capture and trigger system created by a father-daughter duo, Balam and Jade Soto. The suit captures human gestures and body movements, translating them into data, which then captures and triggers sound and graphics. The body of the dancer becomes a generator of sound and visual data, allowing them to create their own audio and visual environment simply by moving the body by dancing.
World's Fair 2.0 Interactive Scavenger Hunt - Created by teens through a People's Production House/REV-youth program and sponsored by Mozilla, this interactive scavenger hunt has players using mobile devices to navigate various locations inside NYSCI and all around Maker Faire on a mission to save a future city that takes them back in time where they learn about the modernization of America's cities and the space age to current technological innovations. This project is part of the ReGeneration exhibit at NYSCI and will be demoed by some of the makers of the game.
Extreme Marshmallow Cannon - From Maker Faire to the White House, 15-year-old Joey Hudy is back to show off his marshmallow cannons. Joey says he loves to experiment and build, and dreams of being an engineer. Joey's cannons use PVC to hold air pressure, a bike pump to add the air, and a sprinkler valve to release the air. Load up the marshmallows in one end of the cannon, pump it up with the bike pump, and fire!
Make BrushBots with Maker Kids - Meet the Maker Kids, 5th graders from NYC's PS 107 who will host BrushBot. BrushBots are mechanical toys made from toothbrush heads, coin batteries, and pager motors to help the BrushBots vibrate and move. These PS 107 students have been making for over 2 years and are excited to bring their BrushBots to World Maker Faire for the first time.
The Young Makers Pavilion is sponsored by 2012 World Maker Faire Goldsmith Sponsor Cognizant ( NASDAQ : CTSH ), a leading provider of information technology, consulting, and business process services. Cognizant will showcase innovations from winners of its Making the Future college scholarship program and Maker-oriented summer and after-school programs as part of its sponsorship of the Young Makers Pavilion. Since unveiling its Making the Future initiative at the 2011 World Maker Faire, Cognizant has supported 10 after-school programs and awarded scholarships to college students across the U.S. in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines. Cognizant will announce program milestones and unveil new commitments to STEM education at this year's event. As a Goldsmith sponsor of the 2012 World Maker Faire, Cognizant is committed to fostering STEM education, along with 21st century skills like creativity, innovation, and collaboration to prepare children to be tomorrow's leaders in the global economy.
World Maker Faire is sponsored by RadioShack, Cognizant, Atmel, Red Bull, Disney, Time Warner Cable, ASUS, Autodesk, Crayola, Delta Faucet, Epilog Laser, Schick Xtreme3 Eco, ShopBot Tools, SketchUp, and General Motors LLC.
Tickets are now on sale at makerfaire.com. Ticket prices include admission to both World Maker Faire and NYSCI. Tickets are $27.50 - $30 for adults (18-61), $12 - $15 for youth (2-17), $22 - $25 for seniors (62+), and $16.50 - $20 for students with a valid ID. Weekend passes are also available. Advance sales pricing ends on Friday, Sept. 28, 2012. Check the Maker Faire website for more information. Local tickets are also available now at a discount at Whole Foods Markets at a number of downtown New York locations. Check the Maker Faire website for specific locations and ticket pricing: http://makerfaire.com/newyork/2012/attend/index.html. Hi res photos available upon request: pr@makerfaire.com.
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The inaugural Maker Faire was held in San Mateo, Calif., in 2006. Maker Faire Bay Area held its seventh annual Bay Area event in May 2012 with over 110,000 people in attendance. As Maker Faire has grown in popularity and relevance, additional Faires were launched in 2010 in Detroit and New York City. Community-driven, independently produced Mini Maker Faire events inspired by Maker Faire are now being produced around the United States and the world. Maker Faire is supported by MAKE magazine and O'Reilly Media, the information source for leading-edge computer technologies. For more information about Maker Faire, please visit makerfaire.com.
About the New York Hall of Science
The New York Hall of Science presents 450 exhibits, demonstrations, and design spaces that explain science, technology, engineering and math. A visit to NYSCI is a hands-on, energetic educational experience where you can indulge your curiosity and nurture your creativity. NYSCI offers professional development for teachers, produces curricula and resources for classrooms, and studies how technology, gaming and play affect how we learn. NYSCI was founded at the 1964-65 World's Fair and has evolved into New York's center for interactive science serving a half million students, teachers, and families each year.
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