Game of Drones, Robot Takeover, Emergency Tetherball, more at Mini-Maker

There’s nothing “mini” about the collection of maker projects kids can see demonstrated or make themselves at the third annual Pittsburgh Mini Maker Faire on Aug. 18 at Buhl Community Park and the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh on the North Side.

Co-presented by the museum and HackPittsburgh, Mini-Maker is bringing together groups involved in 3-D technology, robots, electronics, indie crafts, sustainable living and more.

“New projects at this year’s Pittsburgh Mini Maker Faire include floating origami, electronic stuffed animals, steampunk fashion, robot wars and lots more,” says Bill Schlageter, the museum’s director of marketing. “I’m particularly looking forward to seeing the Girls of Steel FIRST Robotics team demonstrate their 2013 Frisbee shooting, pyramid climbing robot, EVE.”

This year’s makers include: Game of Drones (a drone –a personal unmanned air vehicle – that plays basketball with ping pong balls; Rookie of the Gear Pitching Machine  (a large-scale catapult created at the museum’s MAKESHOP gets its trial run before debuting at PNC Park; and the Emergency Tetherball Kit (through which the old game gets a makeover for any streetlamp or pole).

Schlageter says he hopes kids attending the Faire will enjoy “the best of DIY creativity … and be inspired to make, create, learn, invent, craft, recycle, build, think and play all year long.”

Writer: Marty Levine

Source: Bill Schlageter, Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh