September 23, 2014
World Maker Faire Technology Showcase
contributor: Rob Goodier
Fascinating, curious people who love to learn gathered at World Maker Faire this year to share what they have made. Some people made an electric giraffe, others made a crocodile ride and there was a tent workshop on lock picking, but a few talented people built things that can improve people’s lives, especially in developing countries. E4C’s content strategy manager, Iana Aranda, visited the event and captured some of the creativity in photographs. The full gallery is available in a Flickr photostream, and here we feature some of the technologies that could make a difference in global development.
All photos on this page are by Iana Aranda / E4C
Solar Puff is a solar-powered inflatable light designed to provide an affordable light source to disaster-relief victims. The patent-pending Solar Puff uses the principles of origami to fold into a flat envelope and pop open into a cube. This is a lightweight solution that lends itself to easy packing and storage.
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Plymouth and Homebuilt, LLC collaborated on a new way to rapidly build affordable housing. Partnering Habitat’s amazing volunteers and Homebuilt’s cutting edge robotic technology, this initiative makes community-built housing more efficient, putting families in better homes more quickly.
Apitronics is an open platform for farm data collection. Suited to the outdoors, the system of connected sensors helps farmers monitor environmental conditions, which allows them to make more informed management decisions. Inspired by natural systems, Apitronics describes their sensors as “bees” that direct information to a centralized “hive.”
Future electrical engineers explore circuits.
tags : apitronics, drones, Habitat for Humanity, Showcase, solar puff, technology, UAVs, unmanned arial vehicles, World Maker Faire