It’s without question that 13-year-old CEO and whizkid, Quin Etnyre, has already become quite an accomplished Maker changing the world – one Atmel powered Arduino board at a time.
During Maker Faire Bay Area 2014, Quin hosted the “QTechKnow Olympics” robotic challenge featuring Arduino, XBee and FuzzBots.
Quin was also presented with the Maker Faire Editor’s Choice award for his Atmel-based demos and projects.
So what does Quin want to be when he grows up? An educator, user experience designer and electrical engineer.
Atmel’s jam-packed booth (#205) hosted Makers, modders and hackers on day two of Maker Faire Bay Area 2014.
We showcased a number of uber-cool exhibits and demos throughout the day, with various guest appearances by various personalities such as Massimo Banzi and Sir Mix-A-Lot.
Our Day 1 image gallery is available here – and more Day 2 pictures below!
Maker Faire Bay Area 2014 will kick off at the San Mateo Event Center in San Mateo, CA, on Saturday, May 17, from 10am to 8pm and Sunday, May 18, from 10am to 6pm.
Tickets can be purchased on-site at Maker Faire Bay Area 2014 on May 17 and 18, 2014 ($25.00 – $40.00 for a full day pass).
Can’t make it to the Faire? You can follow @Atmel live on Twitter for event updates, or join the conversation by tweeting #AtmelMakes.
Be sure to stop by our booth, where we’ll be showcasing the latest in Atmel-powered tech including:
Hexbug/hovercraft hacking: Watch Atmel employees hack traditional Hexbugs and hovercrafts using Arduino boards.
Pensa: This company uses Arduino boards to make their flagship DIWire, a rapid prototyping machine that bends metal wire to produce 2D and 3D shapes.
Infinity Aerospace: The ArduLab – powered by Atmel’s versatile ATMega 2560 microcontroller – is a highly capable experimentation platform ready for space right out of the box. Sensor mounting is straightforward, with unique functionality addressing the technical challenges of operating in space.
Quin from QTechKnow: Quin will be displaying his Fuzzbot robots.
So if you think you have what it takes to be a Master Maker/AVR hero, submit your masterpieces today! We’ll feature the projects and the people will vote. Along with great fame, respect and worshipful gazes, we’ll also be giving amazing prizes to go with your new title. What will you get? Well, our Master Maker winner will receive a $1,000 cash prize, one-year discount on Atmel products, four tickets to upcoming (local) Maker Faires and some cool Atmel swag!
Each of the four runners up will receive a $500 cash prize, two tickets each for upcoming Maker Faires and awesome Atmel swag. We’ll also advise winners and the four runner ups on how to launch their respective projects on Kickstarter or IndieGoGo, all while granting access to Atmel experts who can help facilitate the transition from prototype to product.
So, how does the contest work? Well, after a period of public voting (September 9, 2013 – December 31, 2013) a panel of Atmel judges will select the top entries based on:
Idea quality – Is it original, creative and substantially different? How so?
Design quality – How complete is your design? Is it robust, repairable and resilient? Is it pretty? Easy to use? Do you have a working model?
Market potential – How would you get your masterpiece to the masses? Will they demand it? What would you need? How much would it cost? And, is it scalable?
Meanwhile, Andreas Eieland (aka Atmel’s “MCU Guy”) talked a little SAM4N with attendees, while Atmel’s Bob Martin offered up some more Hexbug hacking to eager booth visitors.
Martin later took a break from the Atmel booth to give an electronics presentation titled “Prototyping is as Easy as Uno, Due, Tres.”
Although the 2013 World Maker Faire may be drawing to a close, Atmel continues to challenge Makers, designers and engineers to develop new AVR-powered gadgets and gizmos with commercial potential.
So do you think you have what it takes to be a Master Maker?
If you do, be sure to check out Atmel’s ongoing AVR Hero Maker Faire Contest. We’ll feature the projects and the people will vote, with the Master Maker receiving a $1,000 cash prize, one-year discount on Atmel products, four tickets to upcoming (local) Maker Faires and some cool Atmel swag!
Atmel | Bits & Pieces 