ARTS
Orlando Mini Maker Faire
Driven by curiosity and the desire to educate, Orlando's makers show off their skills May 26
Joseph Grey
Published: May 24, 2012
WHAT: There are many executions of drawbots (robots that use markers or paint to recreate digital images), but what artist John Bent Cope envisioned was a TagBot, essentially a robotic graffiti artist. He posted a Kickstarter video to fund the project and garnered more than three times the amount he asked for. TagBot will debut at the Orlando Mini Maker Faire, but you can track the progress of Cope's creation at tagbot.tumblr.com.
Power Racing Series
WHO: Individuals and teams racing modified Power Wheels
WHERE: Orlando
WHAT: Disassembling the engines of the popular children's toy Power Wheels, individuals and teams reconstruct the vehicles to race against one another on the Power Racing Track at the Central Florida Fairgrounds. Teams are limited to four adults each, and no team may invest more than $500 in modifications. The race itself is more a demonstration of the teams' engineering feats than a competition.
Asher Adams
WHO: Asher Adams, Boy Scout working on his Inventing Merit Badge
WHERE: Orlando
WHAT: Motivated to earn the Inventing Merit Badge and possessed of a knack for musical engineering, Boy Scout Asher Adams will display a custom-built xylophone made out of 3-inch PVC pipe. Diligently absorbing the mathematics necessary to get the tones and pitch correct to execute his creation, Adams' project goes beyond trial and error and extends into skilled craftsmanship. You can see a preview video on the Orlando Mini Maker Faire website.
Backyard Workshop
WHO: Jamie Cunningham, software developer and musician
WHERE: Clearwater
WHAT: Jamie Cunningham is a dug-in hobbyist with diverse interests in metalworking, woodworking, electronics and more from his home workshop. He will exhibit a selection of his creations and be on hand to discuss how you can build out your dream backyard workshop.
“Propolis”
WHO: Christine Betow Seerveld, creator of metal art and mathematician
WHERE: Orlando
WHAT: Blending her passions for nature, structure and geometry, this Orlando newcomer will be displaying “Propolis,” a sculpture/lighting installation comprised of lit-up hexagons originally created for Burning Man and inspired by the fire installations Seerveld experienced there.
Lyman Robotics
WHO: Students in the robotics program at Lyman High School
WHERE: Longwood
WHAT: This savvy team of high- schoolers will be displaying and explaining their latest robotic creations, including athletic robots who can bowl and even play basketball. The team has shown previously at Otronicon and regularly enters their designs and builds into competitions to successful results.
> Email Ashley Belanger
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