Robot Fest & Mini Maker Faire

National Electronics Museum

Calling all makers, hackers, hobbyists, DIYers, experimenters, students, artists and engineers, both young and old. Come share your passion for technology and creativity at Robot Fest / Mid-Atlantic Mini-Maker Faire!
 
April 30th, 2011 will mark the 11th annual Robot Fest, a one day event for those with the unquenchable urge to create new, previously unseen forms from lifeless electronics and mechanical parts of metal and plastic.  In the early years Robot Fest focused on the demonstration of robotic projects, but our visitors wanted more.  We have met the demand by expanding into realms where technology is used in any creative fashion.  Robots and creative tech, side by side, enjoyed by over 1200 attendees at the 2010 event.
 
One goal of Robot Fest is to spark an interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) with workshops and activities designed to appeal to both boys and girls.  Robot Fest features regional teams of students proud to present their robots built to compete in state and national F.I.R.S.T. robot competitions.
 
Join us for our Wearable Tech Fashion Show presenting electronic embedded smart fabrics featuring the work of students from Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) and Johns Hopkins University.  The LEGO store at Arundel Mills will provide building opportunities and MINDSTORMS® robots demonstrations will including “Dr. Heartbeat".  Stop by and see full-size R2D2s wandering the halls.  Art Institute of Washington is bringing their Dead Animatronics and dancing robots.  There will be much, much more including some surprises from our DIY cohorts and "hackerspaces" in Maryland, Washington DC and Pennsylvania.

New this year we will hold a Combat Robot Competition on Sunday, May 1st.  The PennBots Robot Club from Pennsylvania will be running the competition, where robots battle for three minutes or until a robot is unable to move or falls into a hazard pit.  If you want to compete with your Flea, Ant and/or Beetle weight class robots contact us.  We also welcome larger bots if you'd like to display them for our visitors.

For more information please  visit http://www.robotfest.com, contact Gary Mauler at 410-419-8247 or via email us at info@robofest.com.

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See something new.  Dare to ask questions.  Awaken your creative instinct.
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About The National Electronics Museum - The National Electronics Museum promotes and encourages the study of science and engineering using our electronic heritage to educate and inspire students and the general public.  The Museum provides visitors with an appreciation of the evolutionary milestones in electronics that led to the sophisticated products in use today, and honor the achievements of the pioneers who made these advancements possible.  For more information, visit http://nationalelectronicsmuseum.org or call 410-765-0230. 
 
About MAKE - MAKE Magazine brings the do-it-yourself mindset to all the technology in your life. We celebrate your right to tweak, hack, and bend any technology to your own will.  MAKE is published by O'Reilly Media, the premier information resource for technology innovation. Since 1978, business leaders and geeks alike have relied on the company's books, conferences, and web sites to illuminate new computer technologies around the globe.