Atmel celebrates Makers with President Obama

As Tom Kalil and Jason Miller note on the White House blog, the United States has always been a nation of tinkerers, inventors and entrepreneurs.

“In recent years, a growing number of Americans have gained access to technologies such as 3D printers, laser cutters, easy-to-use design software and desktop machine tools. These tools are enabling more Americans to design and build almost anything,” Kalil and Miller write.

“Across the country, vibrant grassroots communities of innovators, visionaries and manufacturers are organizing Maker Faires, creating local Makerspaces and mentoring the next generation of inventors.”

According to the White House, the rise of the Maker Movement represents a huge opportunity for the United States, with new tools for democratized production boosting innovation and entrepreneurship in manufacturing.

Indeed, Making is capable of inspiring and empowering more young people to excel in design and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), as well as helping them pursue careers in manufacturing.

That’s why President Obama is hosting the first-ever White House Maker Faire today, with Makers, innovators and entrepreneurs of all ages showcasing their cutting-edge tools and projects.
 We at Atmel are proud to be at the very heart of the global Maker Movement, with Quin Etnyre and Super Awesome Sylvia (both sponsored by Atmel) attending the DC Faire.

Indeed, our microcontrollers (MCUs) power a wide range of open source platforms and devices, from 3D printers to wildly popular Arduino boards.

For us, every Maker Faire has always been the Greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth – a family-friendly venue of invention, creativity, resourcefulness and a celebration of DIY culture. Simply put, it’s a place where people of all ages and backgrounds gather together to show what they are making and share what they are learning, whether in Washington DC, New York, San Mateo or Shanghai.

Working together, we can prove that in America, the future really is what we make of it.

Tom Kalil is Deputy Director for Technology and Innovation at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and Jason Miller is Special Assistant to the President for Manufacturing Policy at the National Economic Council.

Atmel @ Maker Faire Rome 2013

Just weeks after taking center stage at the 2013 World Maker Faire in NYC, Atmel is getting ready to kick off Maker Faire Rome 2013 at the Palazzo dei Congressi in Italy.

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.

Also be sure to check out our AVR Hero Maker Faire Contest online. As we’ve previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, Atmel is challenging Makers, designers and engineers to develop new AVR-powered gadgets and gizmos with commercial potential.

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?

Interested in learning more about our contest? Click here to submit your AVR project today!

Prototyping is as easy as Uno, Due, Tres

The long-awaited 2013 World Maker Faire kicks off on September 21st in the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI). We’ll be there in the Arduino pavilion, showcasing a number of innovative devices powered by Atmel-based Arduino boards.

Atmel’s Bob Martin will also be taking center stage at the show with a presentation titled “Prototyping is as Easy as Uno, Due, Tres.” According to Martin, the Ardruino Uno is an excellent lab tool for technicians and hardware engineers who have a specific design in mind.

During the presentation, Atmel will demonstrate how our MCU apps lab uses the Uno to test harnesses for LED lighting, SBC reset response and power supply stress-testing for a weather station prototype. So be sure to stop by and see Atmel’s Arduino prototyping demo on Sunday, September 22, 2013, 12:30PM – 1:00PM ET at the electronics stage.

We’ll also be hosting a public media/industry analyst panel on Friday, September 20th, on the Maker Community and education. Members of the panel include Atmel’s Reza Kazerounian, co-founder of Arduino Massimo Banzi, Atmel Maker and Hexbug guru Bob Martin, university engineer professor Annmarie Thomas, EDN’s Executive Editor Suzanne Deffree, 12-year old CEO and maker Quin (Qtechknow), and MAKE Books Senior Editor Brian Jepson. The panel will be moderated by Windell H. Oskay of Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories.

Tune into our live Twitter feed of the panel starting at 11:30 am ET on September 20th under #Atmelmakes or visit our recently launched microsite for more details. Interested in attending Atmel’s panel? Be sure to email us at pr@atmel.com. For those of you who plan on visiting the Faire, Atmel’s booth is showcasing a number of uber-cool exhibits and demos including:

• Hexbug/hovercraft hacking: Watch Atmel employees hack traditional Hexbugs and hovercrafts using Arduino boards.
• MakerBot: We’ll be showcasing the wildly popular AVR-powered 3D printer and providing 3D samples over the weekend.
• 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.

Additional exhibitors at the Atmel World Maker Faire booth include Fuzzbot (robots), Evil Mad Scientist and Colorado Micro Devices. We’re looking forward to seeing you, so don’t forget to follow us at @makerfaire, @atmel and @arduino!