Maker Faire Detroit this weekend – and more upcoming Maker events!

Tons of events for seasoned makers, newbies and art lovers! We’re really excited about Maker Faire Detroit – a few of us will even be on hand that weekend. If you recognize any of the Maker Faire team, come and say hello!

Maker Faire Detroit– July 27-28 – Dearbourne, MI

More than 400 makers are bringing their wares, ideas, inventions and solutions to The Henry Ford in Dearbourne. Only a 4 hour drive from Toronto, the maker exhibits promise to be exciting and you get to see the beautiful Henry Ford Museum.

Purchase tickets.

Never Ever Whole Opening Reception – July 26 – Toronto, ON

Presented as the 13th iteration of the annual Emerging Artist Exhibition at InterAccess, Never Ever Whole showcases the work of four emerging artists: Britta Evans-Fenton, Rob Donnelly, Maria Tsylke and Anna Hawkins. Each artist articulates the complicated pursuit of wholeness through a series of divided images, blurred messages, concealed texts and abstract auras. The show will be open from July 26 to August 17.

Britta Evans-Fenton, System Failure (2011) (detail)

Learn more. 

Arduino Total Beginners Workshop at Hacklab.to – July 29 – Toronto, ON

This workshop is for total beginners. Eric will show you how to get started with Arduino, the super-friendly microcontroller platform that even artists love. Eric will cover getting the software installed and going, hooking up the Arduino, and a little bit of basic programming, via explanation of the Examples. You too can cut and paste your way to a working project! You’ll need your own Arduino to participate. Space is limited!

Reserve your spot. 

Toronto Maker Events for Kids and Adults!

Hope you all had a Happy Canada Day! There are a ton of maker workshops for kids and adults coming up in the next couple of weeks, so get out there and make something amazing!

3d Printing for Total Beginners – July 6, 18, 31 – Toronto, ON
This very popular workshop now has three new dates! Sign up now before it sells out. Learn how to design your own 3D printable items and hear about the cool ways this technology is being used in the real world!
Purchase tickets.

Arduino for Kids Workshop – July 13 – Toronto, ON
The Maker Kids workspace has a number of great programs running this summer, but one of the coolest is definitely the Arduino for Kids Workshop. Kids will learn all the basics of programming, powering and playing with an Arduino board to do things like control lights or a motor. Purchase tickets.

Maker Adults Monday Night Open Shop – July 15 – Toronto, ON
The Maker Kids workspace in Roncesvalles is opening up their doors to adults to learn about woodworking, electronics, 3D modelling and printing, Arduino, Makey Makey and more! This workshop will run every Monday from 7 pm to 10 pm. Purchase tickets.

Intro to Electronics with Michael Bica – July 20 – Toronto, ON
Want to learn how to build basic electronic circuits? If you’ve got a basic knowledge of electricity and Ohm’s law, sign up for this class. At the end of the class you’ll have an understanding of how use breadboards, electronic components (resisters, capacitator, inductors), modelling software and where to buy parts. Purchase tickets.

Curious about creating? Check out these introductory events for new makers!

Not sure what making is all about? Here are some events happening over the coming weeks where you can try your hand at creating something fun and get an introduction to the bustling maker community in and around Toronto.

Toronto 3D Printers Monthly Meeting – June 24 – Toronto, ON

Check out Site 3 coLabratory‘s monthly meeting for 3D printing enthusiasts. The meetings are free, open to the public, and new members of all interests levels are welcome to participate. Learn more.

Unpatched Tuesdays at HackLab.TO – June 25 – Toronto, ON

HackLab.TO is a community space with a diverse membership of hackers (in the MIT sense) who make things, repurpose things, program things, invent things and make lights blink!

Newcomers of all skill levels are invited to visit and participate in a friendly, respectful environment. Learn more.

June 2013 Build Night – June 26 – Guelph, ON

Use 123D and TinkerCAD to learn how to 3D model at DIYode, a 2500-square foot community workshop in Guelph, ON.

General computer skills are the only requirement for joining this collaborative learning workshop. Learn more.

3D Printing for Total Beginners! – July 3 – Toronto, ON 

Draft Print 3D invites you to their workspace to learn how to design your own 3D printable items and hear about all of the cool ways this technology is being used in the real world!

While the event on July 3 is sold out, add yourself to the waiting list for early access to tickets for the next 3D Printing for Total Beginners workshop.

Have an event you’d like us to share?

Waterloo Maker Faire highlights

Waterloo Mini Maker Faire was a huge success! Several thousand people came through and saw ~40 makers, many with hands-on activities and lots of awesomeness. I took 93 photos, here’s some of the most interesting stuff I saw:

Cairo Coat

Custom Etched PCB for DIY LIDAR

Prototype of MYO, a muscle-sensing wireless controller

Steam Spaceship by Russel Zeid

Lots of 3D printers, including this Makerbot Replication 2X

Mascot Heads by Agnes!

Cyber Netimals – make your own augmented stuffed toy!

Crowds of people in a beautiful venue: Kitchener City Hall

And lots more, these were just my favorites, there was something for everyone!

Waterloo Mini Maker Faire Is This Saturday!

Two of us from the Maker Faire Toronto team will be heading to Waterloo Mini Maker Faire this weekend, and we are super excited! And it looks like this is the first time that a Maker Faire is happening in Waterloo. We were lucky enough to have a few of the organizers of it at our Launch Party as well – we’re all sharing the Maker Faire love here in Ontario, and on a broader scale, Canada (one of our organizers met the Vancouver Mini Maker Faire team at Maker Faire Bay Area in San Mateo, California). Based on this tweet, it looks like the Ottawa Mini Maker Faire team will be making a road trip to be there this weekend as well. Confused yet? In any case, the Waterloo Mini Maker Faire this Saturday looks awesome, and you should go – we’ll see you there!

The details: Waterloo Mini Maker Faire is this Saturday, June 15th from 10AM-10PM at Kitchener City Hall. It is a FREE event!

Here are some examples of the Makers you will be able to see there:

RobotGrrl’s Robot Creatures. “RoboBrrd, is a small robotic bird designed as a DIY kit. It can interact with humans using its sensors, expressing its delight by flapping its wings and opening its beak.”

Agnes Makes: “These textiles plants are made from laser cut fabric, with floral wire inside each leaf to give the plant life.”
“Agnes took home three Editor’s Choice Ribbon’s for her plants at the Detroit Maker Faire in 2012”

Hacklab.TO Propaganda Booth: From our very own city, “HackLab.TO is a technology community space in Toronto with a diverse membership, including artists, computer programmers, web designers, and hardware hackers. It is inspired by the philosophies of the global hackerspaces movement which encourages people to socialize, share knowledge, and work together on their projects. A variety of member projects will be on display.” Disclosure: One of the organizers of Maker Faire Toronto is the President of Hacklab TO!

Kids Can Hack! (Kitchener Public Library): “Come play with some squishy circuits and learn about KPL’s summer programs. Don’t have a library card? We can sign you up for one at our maker booth!”

MYO (from Thalmic Labs): I have read a lot about this online but am super excited to see it in person! “MYO is a gesture-based control device that connects the real and the digital world. It works out of the box with things you already have, like your Mac or Windows PC, and allows you to take control using the movement of the muscles in your forearm.” Check out their awesome video:

Bluetooth Polygraph: “Surreality Labs presents the Bluetooth Polygraph – a new project using biofeedback sensors, open-source hardware and an Android application to duplicate the equipment from your favourite cop shows and spy movies at a far lower cost. Can it actually tell if you’re lying? Probably not. Is it fun? Of course!”

Clearpath Robotics: “Clearpath Robotics Inc. specializes in the design and manufacture of unmanned vehicle systems, software, and components for academic and industrial research and development. Our clients range from small local businesses to some of the best known technical institutions on the planet. Based in Kitchener-Waterloo, Clearpath Robotics employs highly talented people who live and breathe robotics. We believe that work must have a high “cool” factor, and we’re looking for people who share in our passion to create remarkable products and change the world.” You may notice that one of Clearpath Robotics’ products was featured in the MYO video – go Waterloo, go!

Upcoming Events for the Curious Creator

In anticipation of the Toronto Mini Maker Faire this fall, why not hit up a few events to learn a thing or two, so you can get started on a project worthy of a public show and tell. It’s no secret that Toronto and surrounding area has a lot to offer when it comes to events that appeal to makers of all kinds. From code to creations, this city serves as an informal school for the curious.

We’ve pulled together a list of events happening over the next few weeks which peaked our interests:

Intro to Flame Effects – June 2
While we don’t know the intricacies of this event, the title does a pretty good job of summing up what this workshop is all about. It’s one of many being hosted by Site3 this month that’s worth checking out – take a look at their calendar.

3D Printing for Total Beginners – Tuesday, June 4
If you haven’t had the chance to get hands-on with 3D printing, this hands-on workshop will give you the chance to do just that. You’ll also learn everything you need to know to get started designing your own 3D printable items.

FITC Spotlight: Hardware – Saturday, June 8
At its next event, FITC is putting the focus on all the goodies that makers dream of: Google Glass, Arduino, Raspberry Pi, Leap Motion, 3D printing, drones, depth cameras and more! Featuring 10 creative technologists, this one day event covers emerging technology which is impacting the tech world. Register and save 10% with code MMFTO.

The Next Big Thing: Data with Nora Young – Monday, June 10
The brilliant Nora Young, acclaimed journalist and host of CBC Radio One’s Spark, will be talking about big data at the next Girl Geeks Toronto at CSI on June 10th. Join fellow geeks – boys and girls – for an evening of insights, great conversation, food and wine.

Waterloo Mini Maker Faire – June 15
Like all Maker Faires, this event will be one of the greatest show and tells on earth! The event is being held at Kitchener City Hall and admissions is free. You can expect RobotGrrl’s Robot Creatures, Clearpath Robotics Inc., Engineering Models and more!

Thursday, June 13 – The Ultimate Intro to Arduino Workshop Series
If you’ve been thinking about getting hands-on with Arduino, InterAccess Electronic Media Arts Centre’s 3-part workshop might be the perfect introduction. They’ll be covering off the basics from connecting input sensors and outputs to using serial data to communicate between the Arduino and a computer.

Tuesday, June 18 – Intro to Raspberry Pi!
More than just a microcontroller, the Raspberry Pi is a powerful, but small computer that has a ton of both practical and fun applications. Get familiar with it at InterAccess Electronic Media Arts Centre’s 3-part workshop where you’ll be welcomed to the command line, networking, and Linux, Python and the Raspberry Pi I/O, and advanced networking applications.

Are there other events that the maker community in Toronto should know about? Share them in the comments below and don’t forget to mention why creators should attend!