White House Maker Faire: 10 Cool Inventions
More than 100 exhibitors of all ages gathered at the White House to show off their inventions. Check out some of the intriguing innovations.
![](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt69509c9116440be8/blt81e44271c532ef61/64cb581b574c369037e91c32/Obama-exhibit.jpg?width=700&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)
Inventors and entrepreneurs across the country, including students and regular citizens, are using technology such as 3D printers, desktop tools, and design software to come up with innovative ideas. More than 100 of these "makers" from more than 25 states gathered at the White House on June 18 to showcase their ingenuity in the first-ever White House Maker Faire.
"I call upon all Americans to observe this day with programs, ceremonies, and activities that encourage a new generation of makers and manufacturers to share their talents and hone their skills," President Obama said in a proclamation issued prior to the Maker Faire. "This event celebrates every maker -- from students learning STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) skills to entrepreneurs launching new businesses to innovators powering the renaissance in American manufacturing."
A more detailed view of the participants is available on this story map created by Esri, a provider of geographic information systems mapping software. The map is split into four categories: exhibitors and honored makers, participating universities, participating libraries, and maker mayors.
In addition to spotlighting various exhibits, the president used the Maker Faire as an opportunity to launch new efforts aimed at creating businesses and jobs. More than 13 federal agencies and companies such as Etsy, Kickstarter, and Indiegogo made commitments to provide inventors and entrepreneurs with support services, such as startup grants and business mentoring. For example, Etsy and Fuze Hub, which was launched with a grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partnership, will conduct a pilot to help small designers get access to local manufacturers.
The president also announced that the Small Business Administration, through its $2.5 million Accelerator competition, is calling upon communities to support startup accelerators and "maker spaces" for entrepreneurs. The SBA will work with the Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to raise awareness and cultivate a new generation of inventors.
Separately, the USPTO plans to open outreach spaces that will host programming for inventors in the agency's four new regional offices in Detroit, Denver, Silicon Valley, and Dallas. Additionally, the USPTO will release a how-to guide on patenting and IP issues for entrepreneurs, and it will host a series of roadshows across the country.
The Maker Faire showcased how people of all ages are using technology in creative ways, and why it's important for the Obama administration to support such efforts. Explore our slideshow to see some of the event's fascinating inventions and their creators.
Image source: White House
A 17-foot-tall, 2,200-pound robotic giraffe dominated the South Lawn at the White House during the Maker Faire. The electro-mechanical animal is a creation of California's Lindsay Lawlor, who equipped it with music and lighting displays and designed it carry up to 30 people. The robotic giraffe, which "walks" on wheels, is Lawlor's way of teaching others how engineering, design, science, and technology can be combined in a unique way. Image source: White House
Darrell Hurt, a structural biologist working at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), came up with the NIH 3D Print Exchange project, where anyone can create, share, and download 3D-printable models of proteins, viruses, cellular structures, organs, and even lab equipment. The NIH 3D Print Exchange also provides modeling tutorials and educational materials that can be used in classrooms. Image source: National Institutes of Health
Darius McCoy, a 16-year-old student from Baltimore, Md., displayed objects he created using Printrbot, a 3D printer that offers affordable 3D printing to makers and educators globally. McCoy is credited with building several 3D printers himself and co-founding Frozen Lava, a company that produces and sells custom 3D-printed iPhone cases. Image source: Printrbot
David Lang and Eric Stackpole prototyped an idea for a low-cost underwater robot and approached a global community of ocean explorers to help improve upon their open source design. They're now busy launching a network of connected devices to explore the world's oceans and lakes as part of a project called OpenROV, which has grown to include more than 3,300 members. Image source: OpenROV
Teenage entrepreneur Quin Etnyre used open source electronics platform Arduino to launch his own business, Qtechknow. Through his Qtechknow website, Quin sells a line of fun and educational kits he developed to let anyone experiment with electronics. Image source: Qtechknow
Sisters Camille and Genevieve Beatty of Asheville, N.C., began experimenting with robotics at a young age. With the help of their father, the girls constructed a 16-legged walking creature, an 8-wheeled lunar rover, a flying drone, and a Mars Rover replica. The family, which owns a company called Beatty Robotics, now builds robots for museums, including the New York Hall of Science. Image source: White House
Krystal Persaud is a product designer for littleBits, a New York City-based company that allows anyone to build a circuit by snapping together magnetic color-coded modules. It requires no programming, soldering, or wiring. The power modules can be connected to inputs, outputs, or a computer to create robots, synthesizers, gadgets, and more. Image source: littleBits
Hahna Alexander, of Pittsburgh, Pa., has found a way to power mobile phones with every footstep. She's the co-founder and CTO of SolePower, a company that created a shoe insole that charges electronics by walking. The flagship product, EnSole, works by generating power in the heel with each step. It stores power in a power pack holstered on the shoelaces and can be removed at any time to charge a device using a USB port. Image source: SolePower
Another clever way to charge a mobile device is by plugging it into a solar-powered bench on the street. Sandra Richter has been designing furniture with her startup, Changing Environments, and came up with the idea of "soofa," a hub for charging electronics. Shortly after the Maker Faire, Richter and her team will be installing their first 12 units in Boston and Cambridge, Mass. Image source: Soofa.co
Sara Wylie co-launched Public Lab to provide citizen scientists with do-it-yourself tools for studying environmental health. The nonprofit develops open source hardware and software from community-based environmental monitoring. One tool, Grassroots Mapping, is a cheap digital camera attached to a balloon or kite for creating high-resolution aerial maps. The Public Lab tool has been used by community mappers for various purposes, including cleanup and identifying historic landmarks. Image source: Public Lab
Sara Wylie co-launched Public Lab to provide citizen scientists with do-it-yourself tools for studying environmental health. The nonprofit develops open source hardware and software from community-based environmental monitoring. One tool, Grassroots Mapping, is a cheap digital camera attached to a balloon or kite for creating high-resolution aerial maps. The Public Lab tool has been used by community mappers for various purposes, including cleanup and identifying historic landmarks. Image source: Public Lab
-
About the Author(s)
You May Also Like