Meet the Makers – Keith Baxter
Tell us about yourself.
I have a background in electrical engineering and like to design unusual musical instruments. I’ve run a nearly successful Kickstarter campaign.
What are you presenting at Maker Faire Milwaukee?
I’ll have a number of my Kyub open source keyboards and a new variation called the Tyub that people can try out. I should have some servo electric guitars to look at but probably won’t be playing them. But they’re fun to look at as well as play.
Why is making important to you?
I think it promises to help us retain the skill set we need as a country.
What was the first thing you remember making?
Some walk-on-water shoes when I was about 10. Fortunately I didn’t get to try them out.
What have you made that you are most proud of?
I am thinking it’s the Kyub so far.
Given an unlimited budget, what would you make?
A pedal steel servo electric guitar would be fun.
(Keith has had some good coverage for his projects in the past, including Hackaday and Popular Science!)
Meet the Makers – Dom Amato
Tell us about yourself.
I was raised in the north suburbs of Milwaukee and went to school at UW-Milwaukee for a BFA in Interdisciplinary Art & Technology with a Minor in Japanese. I also took Computer Science classes and acted as Research Assistant while in school. During that time I also begun helping the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum as a contractor for its exhibit development. Recently I moved to Chicago to pursue a Masters Degree in Human Computer Interaction and I will continue on for my PhD once I determine the school I want to attend. In my spare time, what little there is to it, I like to cook, bike, and work with my hands building contraptions. I really enjoy computer science and electrical engineering because it is like a big puzzle that has some small victories when you match parts together and then a sense of accomplishment when you finish. I believe strongly in open source cooperation and recently became one of the chief contributors to the Windows development team at openFrameworks which is the primary development framework I use in my own software.
What are you presenting at Maker Faire Milwaukee?
My booth at the Maker Faire is a little bit of an inside joke that stemmed from my work at Betty Brinn. I never had a desk or an office since I was never an employee though I took over a few closets and empty desks now and again. One of the closets became Brinn Labs as I worked there as it was far away from everyone else in the museum. The actual things I am presenting are just simple programs that I have made in collaboration with the museum and have shared with the public. Some of these are meant to be cost effective replacements for expensive hardware like piDAR, the tiny light wand, and the tiny moisture sensor. Others are meant as learning tools to make prototyping easier like gooeyPI, the Create2 OI spec 2, and Robust Firmata. Meanwhile a few are just fun projects like BAMplot or the DIY laser cutter.
Why is making important to you?
Making is important to me because it allows me to be creative in very uncreative industries. Designing exhibits may be an exception but most computer science is very dry/dull experiences that can be very unrewarding outside of a small community. No one appreciates software that runs properly or efficiently, they expect it to be so. Making on the other hand can be rough and inefficient and not even work properly but it still captures people’s imaginations and can be fascinating. A laser cutter is so much more interesting to people than the software that runs it, same with a 3D printer. I think making allows me to extend skills that are often overlooked and put them at the forefront. I also just like being physical when I create things, ever since I was little I have always made things and it was only recently that I have made digital things. I think it can be a very cathartic activity to make things but its also a great hobby that leads to greater appreciation and understanding of our digital ecosystem. When my screen breaks I can fix it myself, when I find broken electronics I can usually fix them, its an extremely useful skill to have in the 21st century.
What was the first thing you remember making?
When I was in elementary school me and my brother had bunk beds but sometime before 5th grade we got separate rooms. Instead of buying a new bed I just took the top bunk off the bottom one. The problem was the bed was really high off the ground so no normal end table would work as a night stand. I ended up building a collapsable tray that hooked into the bed frame that could be extended up and locked in place. My dad helped me make it but we had all sorts of tools in our garage and I would help him when we did house renovations. I have known how to use tools since I was very young and it allowed me to make all sorts of useless things.
What have you made that you are most proud of?
I’m pretty proud of everything I make, even when it doesn’t work. There have been some pretty great failures that I have learned a lot from, specifically there was an art installation I collaborated with multiple people on and it never worked once, at multiple venues. That was actually pretty common when I was in art school as I was so overly ambitious that so many of my artworks were never finished when it came to present them. One time in the middle of a gallery showing one of the transformers for the piece melted so I had to quickly redo all the circuitry. Maybe its weird to be proud of failures but it taught me a lot about what could go wrong and how to prevent it and I was never in doubt that I could have done it. Don’t get me wrong, I am proud of my successes too. The performance I did at the art museum went really well, though that artwork was sadly lost to a hard drive failure some years later. I am pretty proud of a lot of the projects I have done for the Be A Maker program at the museum. Creating the exhibits is fun but making one off random projects is a change of pace that can have really rewarding results.
Given an unlimited budget, what would you make?
This is a tricky question because most things I make don’t cost me a lot of money anyways. I think what would be more useful to me is having unlimited time since that is honestly what I have the least of nowadays. With unlimited time I think I would make everything on my to do list first. Originally I was supposed to make a robotic knitting machine for Maker Faire but I never had the time to re-engineer the original design, and I have a lot of interest in doing that. As a backup plan I was supposed to make a painting robot but only the firmware has been made for that. I really hate not finishing a project, it weighs on me and bothers me when it sits on my white board and stares me down. I guess if I had to pick something to make with an unlimited budget it would be either a time machine, a clone, or a robot assistant so that I could get more work done in a day.
Meet the Makers – Sarah Conn
Tell us about yourself.
The name’s Sarah and I am a big lover of all things cute and felty. Most people are surprised of my enthusiasm for bats, snakes, and dragons, but dragons are basically snakes with bat wings (or bats with scales and claws), so it’s not that much of a stretch. I’m fond of hand-sewing felt plushes, though I am expanding out into fleece and clothing in the near future.
What are you presenting at Maker Faire Milwaukee?
I am presenting my game, Bats in the Belfry, which basically acts like a beanbag game, only the bean bags are bean BATS. You have to attempt to ring the bell in the wood and plasticore belfry or, alternatively, you must get all five bats in the belfry to win. In addition to my game, I will be showcasing my Les Misérables singing bat collection, featuring 20 bats based on the Les Misérables theater production and book. Some of the bats will sing 10-second chipmunk voiced versions of the musical numbers. Please stop on by!
Why is making important to you?
Making is a way of finding community and friends for me. Without my maker friends egging me on, I definitely would not have the encouragement to make all of the crazy things I’ve made. Sewing is also a very calming exercise for me that grounds me in my very busy and fast-paced life.
What was the first thing you remember making?
My grandma was a big quilter back in the day and I was determined to follow her. So determined, in fact, that I stole into my mother’s sewing cabinet and cut up all her nice, expensive upholstery fabric and an expensive bed sheet to make my jagged quilt pieces. She discovered this fact when I came crying to her when I accidentally sewed my masterpiece through my dress and somehow into my tights. I swear I’ve improved since then.
What have you made that you are most proud of?
The sheer undertaking for my Les Misérables bat project makes me amazed that I’ve stuck with and finished it, but I’d have to say one of my pride and joys is my giant hand-sewn Toothless, from DreamWorks’ How to Train Your Dragon.
Given an unlimited budget, what would you make?
With an unlimited budget and time, I would probably design a bat and dragon army and maybe make some giant metal structures to go with. I’ve got some serious plans for more singing bats (Wicked with Elpha-bat and Batlina/Blinda and the Bat-dom of the Opera spring to mind) as well as other literature and pop culture icons (Elizabeth Benn-bat and Batswilliam Darcy, anyone? Or Steven Bat-iverse?). I’ve been saving up for some dragon and dinosaur patterns, so those could be in the future as well.
Meet the Makers – Frankie Flood
Tell us about yourself.
I am an Associate Professor at UWM that teaches Digital Fabrication and Design in the Department of Art and Design. I run the Digital Craft Research Lab which is a hybrid studio lab space where student can access both analog and digital tools to create objects. These objects can range from art objects that convey specific ideas to functional objects that solve design or engineering problems.
I was trained as a Metalsmith in the tradition of fine craft, but I grew up in a household that was built on DIY ingenuity and thoughtfulness. My father was a factory worker and he would often have personal projects that he would would work on after work or on a weekend day when he wasn’t working. He could fix or make just about anything and that led me to the realization that anything is possible if you have the desire to learn, and the ability to be resourceful. I am sure I became who I am from just absorbing things during my time hanging out with him in the shop. Those same skills and experiences have led me to become a teacher that helps my students solve problems. I hope that their experiences working in my classroom lead them to a fulfilled life where they get to use their skills to make a difference in the lives of others.
What are you presenting at Maker Faire Milwaukee?
I will be presenting my work with Enable, 3D printed hands, machined pizza cutters, tools, and other functional objects, as well as student work from UWM’s Digital Craft Research Lab.
Why is making important to you?
Making is important to me because I believe that the “act of making” is an innate characteristic that embodies what it means to be human. Making is the ultimate way to connect things; making connects the hand and mind, it connects unrelated fields of study to form new solutions, and it connects people. Making is way to connect to others, solve problems, be creative, and communicate ideas through the things we create.
What was the first thing you remember making?
My earliest memories of making are from taking things apart and “fixing” things but I’m sure some of the first things that I built from scratch were related to toys. I used to have a set of “building blocks” that were left over pieces of wood that my Dad had made for me; from “cut-offs” from a building project. I don’t believe there was a single block that was consistent in it’s dimensions, so this allowed for a multitude of configurations to build houses and roads for my Hot Wheels cars or Army Men to travel on or take shelter in. I remember hours of play in creating structures and roads with these wood blocks so my cars could navigate the thick shag carpet of my childhood.
What have you made that you are most proud of?
I am very proud of the design work and 3D printed hands that I have built for local and international children. I am proud of this work because it has connected many people that have been in need with people that are able to help others. It has made making something that is pure in spirit. Rather than looking for monetary gain or personal property or fame (which is sometime the goal of makers) it has opened the door to meeting other people with similar motives when is comes to making and sharing. This is something that I hold dear to my heart.
More than the things that I have made, I am extremely proud of the things that my students have made and accomplished with the skills they have learned in my classroom. There is no greater pride than seeing the success of my students as they find their own individualized way of connecting their passion with their life.
Given an unlimited budget, what would you make?
Given an unlimited budget, I would probably build a workspace that contains all of the latest tools and equipment needed to build almost anything, and I would find a way to make that space available to people that would like to come together to solve problems and work collaboratively. I would also find a way to make it a place of learning for people who are interested in investing in their knowledge and skill. It might look something like Autodesk’s Pier 9 or Digital Craft Research Lab on steroids. Then I would get to work building things and working with people that are just as passionate about making as I am.
Meet the Makers – a bill miller
Tell us about yourself.
I’m an artist that works with digital media in a lot of different capacities. We settled back in SE Wisconsin a few years ago because I now teach at UW Whitwater in Art and Design as well as Media Arts and Game Development. We have two children and live out in the country for the time being. When I’m not in a computer lab, capture studio, or at my desk in front of a machine, I’m either binge watching an old televisions series or out in the yard/woods/field.
What are you presenting at Maker Faire Milwaukee?
I’m going to show a few videos that I made over the last year. The involve some of the work I’ve been doing at Whitewater in our Motion Capture Studio. Normally we use the space to generate motion data for use in student animation and game projects. I have been collecting the bad data – the stuff the students don’t want where the system broke down or recorded something it wasn’t supposed to. I use that noisy motion data to animate things like groups of text characters or cloth simulations. The videos are examples of that and are only available online for purchase with my video ‘album’ “post gridworks” on Undervolt & Co.
I may also be bringing some cut vinyl stickers/decals with me for fun. It’s not officially part of what I’m showing since it’s a really newer thing, but they are pretty fun too so if you see me – make sure to ask for them!
Why is making important to you?
I can’t stop making things. Even if I try to put everything away and take a break, in the back of my mind I’m thinking of things to make. Sometimes those are things like animation, video, websites, but other times it’s things like a rig for my hops to grow up, something I want to cook, or even stickers I want to cut in vinyl. To me, a big part of making is that it gives me the opportunity to share my thoughts or ideas in a way that’s more fun, creative, or direct – than just talking about it.
What was the first thing you remember making?
That’s a tough one and nothing in particular comes to mind. If I dig back deep enough it would probably have to be something like plastic model car kits with my dad. They were always really hard and dad ended up doing most of the work and I could never get the decals to work right and my paint jobs weren’t very good either.
What have you made that you are most proud of?
If you count children, then that’s something I’m really proud of. But if that’s too weird or generic I’m also just proud to be able to have made or built houses. I could go on about both of those things… kids and houses… I met my partner Kate when we both worked at Habitat for Humanity as Americorps members in the Twin Cities area. It was definitely challenging and rewarding to learn construction.
Given an unlimited budget, what would you make?
I have a dream to build a private Imax style projection dome. I know exactly how I’d do it and even have a dome about the right size… but for now the kids are using it to play on and I don’t have all of the pieces to make the projections work with it. But eventually it will be installed in our home somewhere so you can privately view films or whatever with like surround vision. lol
Meet the Makers – Robert Burns
Tell us about yourself.
I’m an artist and explorer living in Milwaukee, WI. Most of my exploring takes place underground where I shoot photos for undermke.com
What are you presenting at Maker Faire Milwaukee?
This is my first Maker Faire and I’m showing a device called a “Pixelator” in the Dark Arts area that is all about animated grid of light. It’s very compelling to watch. Also, I will be showing a series of brand new Mad Max Lego projects that I’m really happy with.
Why is making important to you?
Making has always been at the center of my world. It’s hard to picture myself not being in the middle of a bunch of builds. The process of planning and problem solving is what I’m all about.
What was the first thing you remember making?
In the fifth grade I created a very very dangerous lighted bookmark with no supervision. The thing plugged into the wall, yikes!
What have you made that you are most proud of?
A piece of art called Have Goals.
Given an unlimited budget, what would you make?
Unlimited? I would endeavor to make things better for everyone, somehow. Let’s work out the details on the way!
Meet the Makers – Henri Verhoeven
Tell us about yourself.
My name is Henri, I like the colors red and green. I like to play with my porcupine finger puppet. I really like Indiana Jones, I like the movies, I like the LEGO video games, and like like pretending I am Indiana Jones. I like to swim. I have 3 sisters and I really like driving them crazy.
What are you presenting at Maker Faire Milwaukee?
My robot, the coolest thing on the robot is the rocket launcher. It was hard to make, but fun too.
Why is making important to you?
Because it’s fun.
What was the first thing you remember making?
LEGOs with lights on them. I would plug the little lights onto a box that my dad made. We put the lights in a LEGO brick. The police one flashed red and blue with a siren, and the construction light just flashed without a siren.
What have you made that you are most proud of?
Definitely my robot, because it got into Maker Faire.
Given an unlimited budget, what would you make?
I would set up my own chemistry laboratory and make experiments that bubble and explode. Maybe I would make a rocket, that sounds pretty cool too.
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Check out some of Henri’s making adventures at makersmonday.wordpress.com
Meet the Makers – Thomas Zovar
Tell us about yourself.
I consider myself to be a creative person, or that’s what people tell me. It is true that you are becoming what people believe you are to be! I am always thinking of new ideas and products to develop. Thinking about products and having an idea is one thing. Putting it into a logical step forward to produce that product or idea is quite another. Since I have purchased my 3D printer in October of 2013 I have had so much fun creating my products at home. I have been a mechanical designer for over 15 years with 3D modeling for another 10 years. I use Solidworks for most of all my product designs.
What are you presenting at Maker Faire Milwaukee?
I will be displaying my new Plant & Garden Shield that I developed about 2 years ago. This plant & garden shield keeps chipmunks from digging in your pots and in your gardens and at the same time fertilizes the plant. Also I have a new Mosaic Butterfly Tessellation Mold to create walkways, stepping stones & patios! I will have a variety of other fun products to play with and enjoy! (Check out the Fox6 story!)
Why is making important to you?
Making is important to me because I feel more complete as a person when I can develop and introduce new products to the public! I have this drive that is unstoppable!
What was the first thing you remember making?
One of the first things I remember making was a complete chess set out of scraps of wood cutouts that I found in a dumpster.
What have you made that you are most proud of?
The Plant and Garden Shield is probably the most proud invention that I currently have and developed. I am selling them at 4 locations in the Milwaukee area.
Given an unlimited budget, what would you make?
If I had an unlimited budget I would develop at least 5 products that are so unique that I can not even mention them except in writing with a disclosure agreement. One of those products would be a game that would be as big if not bigger than the Rubik’s Cube!
Meet the Makers – Bryan Cera
Tell us about yourself.
I grew up here, in Milwaukee, and was always interested in art – particularly animation – and in the early 2000s the increasing accessibility of animation software was what really got me interested in technology early on. From there, I began to explore the world of programming – I started making a lot of weird generative animations and interactive video installations. It was when I realized that I could use that same programming knowledge to animate robots and interface with machines that I fell deeply in love with making physical objects. I went to grad school at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and studied Art and Technology for three years. That is where I created works like Glove One – a functional 3D-printed cell phone that you wear on your hand, or ARAI (Arm Robot for Artistic Inquiry) – an industrial style robot who’s soul purpose is to procrastinate. And during my graduate studies I also fell in love with teaching. I am now Assistant Professor in Digital Media at Cardinal Stritch University – and I teach in subjects ranging from digital illustration, animation and video production, to computer programming, creative coding and digital fabrication.
What are you presenting at Maker Faire Milwaukee?
I am presenting a gigantic retro video game controller I am tentatively calling Entertainment System – where it will take a whole team of people to operate single “player” in a classic video game. This is a prototype for a larger (and more expensive!) project – and I thought what better testing grounds for the proof-of-concept than Maker Faire Milwaukee!
Why is making important to you?
My life and practice both reflect a process of learning, making, sharing and teaching. I think this process is one that, if adopted by many people, has potential to inspire youth, to make meaningful and innovative changes to the way we see the world, and to empower entire communities to take charge of the technologies that surround us.
What was the first thing you remember making?
In forth grade my entire class – along with our teachers – collaborated on building a giant inflatable sperm whale using only garbage bags and tape. It was kept inflated with an industrial blower, and was large enough that a whole classroom of kids could crawl inside (through its mouth). This project stands out to me because it is obvious now how huge an impact some of my teachers have had on me. Like many others, I am an experiential learner – we don’t retain information from completing problem sets or cramming for exams. It is the hands-on experience that informs us. I am a firm believer that making is a mode of thinking, and I am grateful to this day that my forth grade teacher truly challenged me to think.
What have you made that you are most proud of?
This summer I built a new lab at my University which I am calling The Atelier – this is a fancy french word that basically means Maker’s Studio. It is stocked with all kinds of hand tools, power tools, homebrew 3D printers and CNC machines, and lots of hardware and raw materials for making just about anything you can come up with. At the moment I am most proud of – and excited about – The Atelier and the potential impact it will have on my students at Cardinal Stritch University.
Given an unlimited budget, what would you make?
I am really fascinated by the idea of tiny, modular robots that can cooperate to complete complex tasks. With an unlimited budget I would build a swarm of programmable robots and program them to make art.
Meet the Maker… Spaces!
Makerspaces (sometimes called “Hackerspaces”) are collaborative workshops where individuals can come together to share knowledge, skills, ideas, and equipment. Typically these spaces are in larger cities, and consist of volunteers who run things on a day-to-day basis. Members may have interests as diverse as wood working, electronics, crafting, forging, art, digital fabrication, and on and on. Often you’ll find traditional tools like tables saws and sewing machines along side 3D printers and CNC routers.
Here’s a quick look at a few of the makerspaces that you’ll meet Maker Faire Milwaukee
Milwaukee Makerspace started with about a dozen makers who would meet once a week at the local Culvers and talk about robotics and electric vehicles. They moved into their first space in Bay View with just a dozen members back in 2010. Since then they’ve grown to nearly 200 members and a 16,000 square foot facility with multiple 3D printers, laser cutters, and members working at all times of the day and night on various group and personal projects. (Milwaukee Makerspace is also the co-host of Maker Faire Milwaukee!)
Up in the Fox Valley is Appleton Makerspace, which started with a group known as DHMN (“Distributed Hacker/Maker Network”) and eventually secured a space and is now known as Appleton Makerspace. The space has a small but active group of members working on projects such as a “Ham Shack” for Ham radio activities, a paintball sentry gun, CandyBot, a “wookie box”, and there’s even one member building an airplane!
Originally known as “MadCity Makers”, the members of The Bodgery (often called “Bodgers”) recently moved into a new space in Madison, Wisconsin. The new building is bigger and better than before, and continues to gain new equipment, and attract new members. (One of their bigger projects is the Madison Drone Racing League!) Like most spaces, they have “open nights” where the public can come in and find out more about what the space is, and what the members do. Stop in any Friday at 7pm to find out more.
As we’ve mentioned before, Pumping Station: One will be on-hand to help you make a “PS: One Noisemaker”, which is an optical theremin that requires no soldering. We’re also please to welcome PS:1 as our “out of state” makerspace. Pumping Station: One is located in Chicago, Illinois and has hundreds of members with hundreds of projects, including things like the “Dumb Robot Competition”. (PS:1 is also where The Power Racing Series originated.)
If you’re wondering if there is a makerspace in your town, check out wiki.hackerspaces.org which features a user-maintained list of all active hackerspaces throughout the world.