Maker Week focuses on hands-on science, innovation
ASU’s College of Technology and Innovation held its first ever Maker Week, Feb. 16-23, at the Polytechnic campus. Events throughout the week engaged students and the community in hands-on, do-it-yourself-activities focused on science, technology and innovation.
College of Technology and Innovation students Dale Bryant (left) and Bobby Mayfield take part in the Maker Pitch competition. Maker Pitch is an opportunity for ASU students and community members to pitch ideas for technologies or products before a live crowd. Any individual with a venture idea regarding the creation or launch of a new technology or product is eligible to pitch.
Michael Hust (right), a School of Letters and Sciences student, pitches the “Alien’s Guide” project during the College of Technology & Innovation’s Maker Pitch competition. The purpose of Maker Pitch is to inspire students and community members to celebrate invention and to share their ideas with others.
Verne Latham, a retired air traffic controller who teaches in the Department of Technology Management, explains the operation of the Ottosen Air Traffic Control Simulation Lab to the hammond Family: John (center), Marshall, 10, (left) and Reva, Located on ASU’s Polytechnic campus, the lab is one of the most advanced air traffic simulation centers in a university setting in the country.
Jim Van Zee (second from right) tries to drive a remote-controlled car at the RC Xtreme Technologies area in the Student Union. RC Xtreme Technologies is a startup combining smart phone gaming with remote control cars.
Aaron Van Duerm (left) lends support and advice, as does RC Xtreme business owner Cindy Matthews (right).
Sal Herrera, 7, tries an Introduction to Physics experiment under the direction of Liz Chain of the Physics and Applied Mathematics Department. Sal and the rest of his family were checking out the Mini Makers Faire on a trip to the Polytechnic campus, from Yuma, Ariz.
Fresh from his appearance at the White House where he wowed President Obama with his Extreme Marshmallow Canon, Joey Hudy (left) was at the Mini Makers Faire to represent Make Magazine. The aspiring electrical engineer explains his creation to Jesse Jacobs of Gilbert, Ariz. Maker Faire is an extension of Make Magazine, a national organization that celebrates the DIY movement, featuring technology, science, and art exhibits that run the gamut from educational and entertaining to the purely whimsical. The purpose of Maker Faire is to excite the public about the concepts of invention and creation.
Jesus Vaquez (center) an electronic engineering technology major, explains his team’s senior capstone project to a visitor at the Mini Makers Fair. At right is Aaron Nelson, another of the team members and a mechanical engineering major. The team’s project is a dog waste digester that they are building for the town of Gilbert’s Cosmo Dog Park.
Bryan Bowles, an environmental technology major sits with "DOG," a 2-year-old golden retriever, in front of a prototype of the dog waste digester. Bowles is on the team developing the prototype. The finished device will be used at Cosmo Dog Park in Gilbert, Ariz., in an effort to minimize dog waste that is not properly disposed. The dog waste will be converted into methane gas that will in turn generate energy to power a lamp at the dog park. DOG also contributed to the project.
Uzair Quraishi (left), a visitor to the Makers Fair, talks with (from left to right) Nathan Nelson, Maria Gonzalez and Justin Carstens about the app the team has developed for wildlife data collection and query. Gonzalez is working on her master’s degree in computer studies. Nelson and Carstens are applied computer science majors.
Jouquin Flores, 13, of Mesa Prep, prepares his Lego Mindstorm robot for competition.
Donovan Woletz, from Saghuarita High School, works on his robot prior to the VEX Robotics competition. Each year, teams of high school students compete to build robots that can complete a task and the tasks vary from year to year.
The Sahuarita High School team (left) and one of the Fountain Hills High School teams compete in an early round of the VEX Robotics competition. Teams are given a standard set of parts and the game details at the beginning of January. They have six weeks to construct a competitive robot that can operate autonomously and when guided by wireless controls, to accomplish the game's tasks.
Andrew Cooper reloads game objects into the Fountain Hills High robot during the VEX Robotics competition.