The TurBULL Encabulator, for Red Bull Creation 2013

The LI4E Makerspace Project team, aka Team Awesome, is back in action for the 2013 Red Bull Creation challenge.  This year, the qualifying entry centers on the theme of “Light,” and registered teams received a goody box in the mail that included addressable LED strips and the whimsically named TurBull-Encabulator, a “super simple, but extremely complicated, multi-function circuit board.”

It occurred to us that some younger Makers (and maybe some older ones) might not totally get the joke.  The TurBULL Encabulator is a tongue-in-cheek nod to an almost 70 year old practical joke about the Turboencabulator . The  history varies a bit depending on the source, but there is general agreement that it’s very, very funny.

You can see one 1962 version of a Turboencabulator “info sheet” from GE at http://www.turboencabulator.info/ , along with a few videos extolling such product virtues as  the turboencabulator’s use in “operating nofer trunnions. In addition, whenever a barescent skor motion is required, it may be employed in conjunction with a drawn reciprocating dingle arm to reduce sinusoidal depleneration.“

The Onion’s “600 Lever Voting Machine” comes to mind here, as well.

The fun in all of this, of course, is “technobabble,” the habit of  using overly complex technical jargon to suggest superior knowledge.  Sometimes it may in fact indicate a high level of knowledge.  Usually though, it’s just nonsense.

As  Leonardo DaVinci said, ““Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”

And as Red Bull Creation said, “Have lots and lots of fun!”

With these words, Mitchell Brown, a reporter for 83 Degrees, a Tampa Bay media group devoted to creating “ a new narrative for a new economy”, perfectly captured the spirit and intent of our 2013 Tampa Bay Mini Maker Faire!

“It’s impossible to leave the Mini Maker Faire uninspired,” writes Brown. “Ultimately, that’s the whole idea.”

Read the complete article at : http://83degreesmedia.com/features/makers040913.aspx and stay inspired with us all year long!

Many, many (many, many!) thanks to all the incredible volunteers from the Concourse Council, the Pasco County Library Cooperative, local Maker fans and all our great Makers for making the day so wonderful!

Stay tuned for more stories, photos and video soon. And don’t go far – we’ve only just begun the Maker fun in Tampa Bay!

Our 2013 Event Program is now online!  Hardcopy versions are being printed courtesy of Dex Imaging in Tampa, who graciously donated printing services last year, too. ! Thank you, Dex Imaging, for your support of the Tampa Bay Mini Maker Faire!

Open to all USF students, the Robotics Interest Group (RIG) focuses on sharing knowledge about designing and building robotic devices, promoting robotics in the area, and representing USF in robotics competitions.

One of RIG’s major focuses is on combat robotics. Popularized by the TV show Battlebots, combat robotics involves a competition where two robots enter an enclosed arena, and fight for a set period of time or until one of the robots has been disabled. Through designing and working on these robots, students learn the principles of design, manufacturing, and programming.

RIG first competed at the 2009 Battlebots IQ Nationals with the 15lb robot ‘Quasar.’ That year they won the rumble competition and placed well in documentation of the build process. In 2010 RIG members competed with the robot ‘Gruff’ in the 220 lb heavyweight division at the Combots Cup V earning USF mention in the robotics magazine Servo. In 2011, RIG won two bronze metals in the 3lb autonomous combat and 30lb combat divisions at the International Robogames. Gruff again competed in the heavyweight division, and was featured on a Science Channel Special, Killer Robots: Robogames 2011. The same year, RIG also placed first at the NRL Nationals with the debut of 15 lb robot ‘The Brain’. In 2012 RIG placed first in both the 3lb and 120lb divisions at the Combots Cup VII.

RIG is sponsored by Southern Manufacturing Technologies in Tampa, and are supplied by Magnum Steel Services with plastics and steel for our robots.

At this year’s Mini Maker Faire, RIG will be demonstrating their championship robots and others, from the tiny 150g ‘I Kid’ to the 120lb ‘Ziege’.

The project was successful beyond all our wildest dreams! Busloads of kids dug in with a deconstructive fervor  comparable only to that of Ugors in the Paradise System.  (See Star Wars Trivia)  Many had rarely or never experienced the joy of taking something apart just for the fun of it. Chuck proved an encouraging deconstruction guide, showing students everything from how to properly handle tools to providing guided tours of the insides of everything from computers to cell phones.

Urban Conga proved adept at re-imagining the detritus of old equipment remains and from their ruins grew the Tree of Technology – and our team of Crowdsourced Creatives actually won The Deconstruction!

Since then, the Technology Tree has been on the road with Urban Conga – to the Tampa Downtown Market and the Gasparilla Arts Festival, and it’s coming to Tampa Bay Mini Maker Faire on Saturday, too.

And we’ll be deconstructing some more, just for the pure fun of it! This time, we’ve got a lot more stuff , more tools and a more measured approach to making the most out of taking things apart.   We’re providing for metal salvage and e-waste, and attendees will be invited to take any parts they want for hacking or reuse, later.

So if your kids – or the kid in you –  have always wondered what’s inside that old CD player, computer tower, keyboard, phone, or any number of various and sundry electronic and mechanical things, be sure to stop by the Deconstruction Zone on Saturday, grab a pair of safety glasses and hang out for a while!

[The Tree of Technology] – Urban Conga & Li4E from Ryan Swanson on Vimeo.

And now, at the Tampa Bay Mini Maker Faire!

His puzzle, Mentagy, which he’s bringing to Tampa Bay Mini Maker Faire 2013,  has received multiple awards, including the 2012 Puzzle of the Year Award from Creative Child and  the 2012 Brain Child Award from Tillywig,

Developed to help his chess students improve their decision-making, Mentagy is now available on multiple platforms, as a game board, puzzle book, and as a digital puzzle.  At our Mini Maker Faire, Allyn will have game playing opportunities at his exhibit and will be providing a workshop on ” The science of Neuroplasticity: How doing mental activities, like puzzles and games, creates new networks in your brain, at any age.”

Join us at Tampa Bay Mini Maker Faire 2013 and expand your mind!