Category: Admin Posts

Posts by the admin.

Talking about making a makerspace on the Vassar campus

Events (Pizza Provided):

Wednesday 11/4, 7-9pm UPC/DC

Friday 11/6, 12-1:30pm Old Laundry Building 104

Tuesday 11/10,  12-2pm MPR (2nd Floor College Center)

Thursday 11/12, 12-1:30pm Old Laundry Building 104

Please note: these events are designed as informal, “drop in” discussions. Stay for a few minutes or the whole time — it’s entirely up to you!

[Click links to add to your calendar]

What is a Makerspace?

(GIF: Academic Computing Services’ 3D Printer in Taylor Hall)

To describe them simply, makerspaces are community centers with tools. Makerspaces combine manufacturing equipment, community, and education for the purposes of enabling community members to design, prototype and create manufactured works that wouldn’t be possible to create with the resources available to individuals working alone. These spaces can take the form of loosely-organized individuals sharing space and tools, for-profit companies, non-profit corporations, organizations affiliated with or hosted within schools, universities or libraries, and more. All are united in the purpose of providing access to equipment, community, and education, and all are unique in exactly how they are arranged to fit the purposes of the community they serve.

Makerspaces represent the democratization of design, engineering, fabrication and education. They are a fairly new phenomenon, but are beginning to produce projects with significant national impacts.

What are some examples of campus Makerspaces?

Davidson College (CA)

http://davidsonmakes.org/

http://www.davidson.edu/innovation-and-entrepreneurship-initiative/campus-maker-and-innovation-space

  • Credit-Card Computers: Raspberry Pi, Beaglebone Black
  • Microcontrollers: Arduino Mega, Arduino Uno, Makey Makey
  • Cloud-Connected Sensors: Ninja Block, Twine
  • Circuits: Little Bits Deluxe and Smarthome kits, Othermill
  • Code/Soft Computing: The Studio is compiling a list of online resources to be posted soon.
  • Control Interfaces: LeapMotion USB
  • Cameras: GoPro Hero 4 Black, Lytro
  • 3D Printing: MakerBot Replicator 5th Generation, Afinia Model H
  • 3D Scanning: Matter & Form compact 3D scanner
  • Prototyping: OpenBeam LEGO bricks, LEGO Digital Designer software, Sifteo cubes
  • Aerial Tools – quadcopter drones capable of carrying aerial imaging tools
  • Music – Tabletop for iPad, iOS MIDI interfaces, other software for mobile music development
  • Resource Directories – directories for finding additional resources such as 3D printing services, machining and production services, local hackerspaces, development guides, etc.

Edmonds Community College (WA)

http://www.edcc.edu/workforce/entrepreneurship/makerspace/

  • Additive Manufacturing – 3D printing, laser cutting
  • Material Science – composite manufacturing techniques
  • Testing equipment
  • General shop equipment – lathes, CNC lathe, CNC router, drill presses, sanding equipment, plastic injection molding, extrusion, and thermoforming machinery

Wheaton College (MA)

http://wheatoncollege.edu/whale/

  • NextEngine 3D Scanner
  • MakerBot Replicator
  • Arduinos
  • Raspberry Pis
  • ShiftBrite & single-color LEDs
  • Craftsman hand tools
  • ¼ mile of electric fence wire
  • 4 XBox Kinects
  • sewing machine, serger, programmable embroidery machine, conductive thread
  • spherical etching machine
  • letterpress printing press
  • laser cutter
  • robot
  • board game library

Williams College (MA)

https://sites.google.com/a/williams.edu/makerspace/

  • LulzBot TAZ 5
  • MakerGear M2
  • Oculus Rift
  • David 3D Scanner
  • Othermill
  • Stereolithographic Printer (Form 1+)
  • Arduino & Raspberry Pi

“Designed to help students & faculty with 3D printing, scanning, and circuit boarding.”

Bergen Community College (in collaboration with Bergen County Technical Schools) (NJ)

http://bergenmakerspace.bergen.org/

  • Shopbot Desktop CNC Router
  • Makerbot Replicator 2
  • Makerbot Replicator 2X
  • Drill Press
  • Bandsaw
  • Hand Tools
  • Soldering Stations
  • Assorted Electronics Equipment

College of San Mateo (CA)

http://www.libraryasincubatorproject.org/?p=15979

  • tool lending library (http://libguides.collegeofsanmateo.edu/tools)
  • Learn to Solder
  • Lei Making
  • Gingerbread Houses
  • Up-cycled Clothing
  • Salsa Dancing
  • 3D Printing
  • Terrariums
  • Solar Cars
  • Arduino Basics
  • African Inspired Masks
  • Soda Straw Architecture: Geodesic Domes
  • Sestinas: Collaborative Poetry Making
  • Cyanotypes: Printmaking With the Sun
  • Jewelry Making
  • Knitting
  • Holiday Ornaments
  • Molds and Casting
  • String Art

(They don’t have a permanent space, so offered these events around campus under their auspices; most were held in the library.)

Champlain College (VT)

http://www.champlain.edu/centers-of-excellence/emergent-media-center/makerlab

In the MakerLab

  • 3D Systems Projet 4500 3D printer (Quick Training Guide)
  • 3D printer Makerbot Replicator 2x 3D printer (Quick Training Guide)
  • Epilog Mini 24 (60 Watt) Laser Cutter (Quick Training Guide)
  • Roland GX-24 Vinyl Cutter (Quick Training Guide)
  • Epson – Stylus Pro 9900 Printer 44″ wide-format inkjet printer (Quick Training Guide)
  • Epson 3880 large-format printer (Quick Training Guide)
  • Cubify Sense 3D scanner
  • Electronics – Arduinos and other microcontrollers, a variety of sensors, wearable computing platforms
  • A variety of hand and power tools
  • NECCHI Sewing Machine and assorted sewing notions
  • Coming soon: a variety of kits and tools available for student checkout

At the Generator makerspace (a community partner – https://generatorvt.com/about/)

  • Epilog Fusion 32 Laser cutter – 60 Watt, 32″ x 20″ work area
  • Stratasys uPrint SE 3D printer, 8″ x 6″x6″ work area with support removal system
  • Roland MDX-40A CNC Milling Machine, 12″ x 12″ x 4″ work area
  • Blackcat Cougar 24″ CNC Vinyl Cutter
  • 6 soldering stations
  • A variety of hand and power tools
  • High-end Macintosh and PC workstations for data visualization,  3d Modeling and app development
  • Computer training lab with gigabit internet access-some of the fastest in New England
  • Limited Metal Shop
  • Jewelry Shop
  • Limited Wood Shop

UMass Amherst (MA) – affiliated with the library

http://www.library.umass.edu/locations/dml/

  • 2 green screen rooms for chroma-key productions
  • 4 sound rooms for audio recording
  • Flexible workspace with rolling desks and chairs to accommodate individual and group work.  
  • 27” iMac workstations with a full range of multimedia software needed to produce videos, interactive presentations, 3-D animations, music compositions, and more.
  • MakerBot Digitizers, Sense hand-held scanner
  • 3D printing by submitted file, for $.15/gram

NB: They also have a FURNITURE TESTING AREA in their Learning Commons! – http://www.library.umass.edu/assets/Uploads/Learning-Commons/floorplann2015.pdf

Boise State University (ID) – affiliated with the library

http://makerlab.boisestate.edu/

  • 3D Printers
  • Vinyl Cutter
  • Arduinos
  • Green screen & lighting
  • Audio & video editing
  • Raspberry Pis
  • Leap Motion
  • can checkout: laptops, accessories (cables, calculators, drives, etc.), iPads, Makey Makeys, cameras, Arduino kits, Leap Motion Controllers, microphone kits, Raspberry Pis, white boards, map tools, presentation tools

Carnegie Mellon University (PA) – affiliated with the library

http://ideate.andrew.cmu.edu/

  • Rabbit Laser cutter
  • 3D printing
  • lumber
  • plastic

Social Widgets powered by AB-WebLog.com.