Creativity never dies! This was demonstrated at the MakerFest on Saturday, Mar. 15. For the third year in a row, Superior Fab Lab brought MakerFest to life with different organizations such as CAPE and InventCon. The goal is to allow inventors in the community to show off their projects despite their age. Some of these inventions range from finding new solutions to problems, personal interest, and providing opportunities for the community.
InventCon is where young inventors can show their talents and original ideas. Each of these participants had months of research in their focused area to problem-solve an issue they were able to come up with. They had to present their findings to the public and compete in a showcase. With a passionate eye and persistence, some lucky individuals will present their creations at the state competition on May 3.
In a different area at MakerFest, individuals could show their skills and personal interest to be judged based on the materials they used. These categories ranged from metal, plastic, textile, wood, and electronics. With each specialty of materials, vastly different crafts were created. In the plastic area, inventors utilized Lego to build famous landmarks in the Keweenaw. Each category was judged and awarded for best creation.
One of the awardees was Chris Kositzky, for the audience choice and plastics award. “I was surprised,” Kositzky exclaimed. “I just wanted to display something that has not been done before. I was not expecting to win!” Kositzky’s Lego creation was a Viking village. He could use past builds he had and reuse each Lego piece to build his masterpiece.
With the judging and high competition with each invention, local community members came together to show different opportunities to the community. Some stations had Tech students running and providing resources to inspire people to pursue their creations from electronic applications, woodworking, and robotics.
Shane Oberloier, Superior Fab Lab’s co-owner, discussed his views on the importance of MakerFest, saying, “It’s a way to allow individuals to show their ideas regardless of age.” In addition to allowing people to show off their inventions, Oberloier wanted “Tech students, community, and everyone” to come together.
With the collaboration of the community, one of the owners, Jason Mack, announced a new makerspace for the public. Mack claims that “makerspaces are hubs for talents and ideas.” With the interactions and support at the MakerFest, a new makerspace will allow people to interact more. Mack hopes that with this new space, there can be “happy collisions” with people having similar interests or a background in an area to help others.
As this year’s MakerFest came to a close, inventors are more motivated to win next year. A year is a long time to fine-tune skills and create a plan. If inventing is not your forté, there are volunteering options available. Keep an eye out for next year’s MakerFest and keep creativity alive!
