Highlights from the 2016 World Maker Faire [Slide Show]

Scientific American checked out New York City’s annual ode to homemade robots, 3-D printers and dozens of other DIY technologies

By Larry Greenemeier

SeeMeCNC's Partdaddy was one of the most ambitious 3-D printers—and certainly the largest—on display at this year's show.

LARRY GREENEMEIER *Scientific American*

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!

The chill in the air last weekend was a reminder that fall has arrived in New York City. Time for the leaves to turn colors, for the stifling subway stations to air out and for hundreds of do-it-yourself tech enthusiasts to descend on the New York Hall of Science in the Borough of Queens for the annual New York Maker Faire. For the seventh time in as many years the science center was converted into an indoor/outdoor ode to the DIY movement, this year featuring mammoth 3-D printers, homemade Star Wars droids and acres of hands-on activities.

More than 200 Maker Faires are held worldwide each year, purporting to showcase technologies that empower people to build things they cannot—or would rather not—buy. The events’ main appeal is that they let hobbyists, students and those in search of technological oddities get their hands on not just finished products but also the components used to create them. Tech companies have for years talked up “wearable” computers that fit into clothing and jewelry. At the World Maker Faire, chipmaker Intel let visitors to its booth tinker with larger versions of the accelerometer and gyroscope modules and circuit boards that enable wearables to track their own movement and orientation.

View a slide show of other highlights from the 2016 World Maker Faire

On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

Start-ups also thrive at maker events, where they can demonstrate their technologies in person rather than simply through videos posted to an online campaign for crowdfunding. Kickstarter, one of the most prominent crowdfunding Web sites, featured several newcomers at its booth—including the Wazer, a desktop water jet capable of cutting through titanium.

It’s Time to Stand Up for Science

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.

I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.

If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.

In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.

There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.

Thank you,

David M. Ewalt, Editor in Chief, Scientific American