The Maker Faire Orlando
draws tinkerers, techies, artists and inventors of all ages.
Jose Pascual is not exactly a stunt junkie, he just happens to have some technical skills and an Arduino.
That’s why he added a homemade speedometer to his skateboard, which he says is little more than a plank of wood with wheels on it.
So far, the 50-year-old software engineer has topped out at 17 mph.
But he says using the Arduino, an at-home programming platform popular because of its ease of use, helped as he and his sons experimented with projects.
“It makes it so much easier,” Pascual said of the Arduino. “There are so many people using [Arduino] that it has become ubiquitous as far as getting help.”
Pascual is one of several exhibiting projects based upon Arduino and other self-programming platforms like the morecomplicated Raspberry Pi at Orlando Maker Faire.
The two-day event concludes today at the Central Florida Fairgrounds.
The fairground’s multiple buildings for the second year will be packed with combat robots, simulators, artists and other creative projects.
Jared Porcenaluk, who organizes a meetup group of people working in Internet of Things, said festivals like Maker Faire Orlando give tinkerers and experimenters a way to show off works in progress and find support.
“Often times, when you are building a project, you do it alone,” he said. “Knowing other people are out there, there are other nerds out there, doing similar things as you is a real morale booster and a confidence booster.”
Maker Faire Orlando is one of about 230 similar events around the world. It celebrates “makers,” a general term given to people who work on creative projects.
This will be the sixth year for Maker Faire Orlando, which has been held at the fairgrounds the last two years.
“Central Florida is home to an amazingly diverse maker community,” said Ian Cole, co-founder of The Maker Effect Foundation, which oversees Orlando’s version of the fair.
On Saturday, as a group of racers powered their way through a small course, a magician entertained the crowd. 3D printing, programming and art were also on display.
For Bob Tabin of Orlando, it was a chance to see his 8-year-old son Brady try virtual reality for the first time.
Exposing his three sons to the technology was crucial, he said.
“It’s important to my kids’ future,” Tabin said. “Everything is going electronic and digital. They have to learn it.”
Tabin said he hadn’t heard of the fair before this weekend but that he planned to return in the coming years.
The Maker Effect Foundation received a $40,000 grant from the Orange County Arts & Cultural Affairs department shortly after last year’s event.
The event is an outlet for tinkerers like Pascual.
Using an Arduino at home, he experimented with different temperature settings on his coffee machine until he found his perfect setting: 97.5 degrees.
Now, every cup of coffee is consistent.
These projects, while seemingly unimportant, help programmers experiment with the new platforms and get feedback at Maker Faire Orlando, Pascual said.
“You have extremely passionate people working on things they like,” he said. “You don’t get to feel that passion everywhere you go. It’s fun to see people who love what they are doing.”
Maker Faire Orlando is one of about 230 similar events around the world. It celebrates “makers,” a general term given to people who work on creative projects.