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Maker Faire 2009Browse Galleries

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  • 2052045
  • A hacker space in Seattle that goes by the name Hackerbot Labs demoed a device that uses huge capacitor to discharge 15,000 joules into a coil. The coil is wrapped around the coin, and once the charge is applied, two opposing magnetic fields are created, causing the coil to expand (read: blow up), and the quarter to contract. If you look at the picture above, you'll notice that the quarter actually retains quite a bit of its original detail. The question is, is it worth anything?2052046
  • Mechanical engineer Dan Haeg specializes in clothing and sculpture. What makes his art especially unique is it all revolves around plastic tubing. One of his more impressive pieces is the knitted dress pictured above. The orange parts you see are colored liquid that's being pumped through the dress in real time, causing it to pulsate and look almost alive. A microcontroller attached to the dress controls various valves creating the different spacing and patterns in the tubes. It might not be a very practical dress, but sometimes that's the price of fashion.2052051
  • Alex Andon founded Jellyfish Art, a company that specializes in custom jellyfish tanks for homes. The display he had at the show was a sleek cylinder, meticulously lit to produce a glowing effect from the live jellyfish inside. His tanks are also built to hide any ugly pumps and tubes, as you can see in the photo above. Alex's tanks might look like high-end factory-produced products, but they're DIY all the way. In fact, each tank is custom-made for each and every customer. 2052055
  • Created by machinist Bob Schneeveis and led by President Obama himself, the chariot is powered by a battery that gets its energy from solar panels, which cause a motor in his chest to move his two legs in front. The solar panels, placed on the roof of the chariot, conveniently provide shade from the sun as well. When President Obama championed 2052056
  • Y'know, we don't actually know what this vehicle is, or who the maker is, but it sure did get our attention. Speeding around the fairgrounds was a child in what appeared to be a miniature Segway - with training wheels in the front. He was moving so fast through the crowds we were unable to stop him, but we did snap off a quick picture. While we're missing the details on who and what this is, we can say that it was definitely in the right place at Maker Faire.2052057
  • If you have an extra PC and monitor lying around, and are looking for a fun and creative project to take on, this is the perfect weekend timewaster for you. Created by IT manager Al Linke, the DIY Magic Mirror displays a spooky but friendly face that recites weather and stock updates, and can also sync up your lights to music. The face-in-the-mirror effect is surprisingly well done, and if you have kids, could be a great way to bring their fairy tale fantasies to life. It actually looks quite simple to make, so head on over to the official site if you're feeling the magic.2052058
  • Yes, it's a big gun that shoots potatoes, and yes, it's awesome. Built by Tony DeRose and his two sons, this giant gun can shoot six potatoes 400ft in rapid succession. It doesn't really do anything else, but hey, it's the thought that counts. 2052059
  • Standard RVs are great for road trips, but sometimes, they're just a little too much in both size and features. That's where Jay Baldwin's Quickup Camper comes in. This hand-made pick-up truck camper offers many of the benefits of a standard RV, including sleeping space, extra seating, and a kitchen, but does so in a collapsible form factor that's easy to set up, and doesn't kill your gas mileage. It's really quite roomy inside, and when folded down, is flush with the roof of the truck. If we owned a truck, we'd buy one in a second.2052052
  • Matt Mechtley hacked his beloved/hated Nintendo Power Glove, and added in Bluetooth support, accelerometers, and updated sensors. To demo the controller, he even created a racing game demo that let you speed up by squeezing your hand, slow down by closing it, and steer by simply moving your wrist. Honestly, in some ways, it was more intuitive than games that utilize Nintendo's own Wii Remote. We'd love to see the Power Glove make a real comeback, but something tells us that's just not going to happen. 2052053
  • Maker Faire is as much about art as it is inventions, hacks, and crafts, and there was nothing more impressive than Bryan Tedrick's Spread Eagle sculpture. Besides its enormous size, the fact that it invites people to stand in the center and become part of the art itself was clever. The cool breeze at the festival actually caused the whole piece to rotate around as well, adding yet another dimension to its appeal. Tedrick says the piece symbolizes 2052054
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