This is an age in which there are no limits to creation.
At Powell River Makerspace, people can explore their imagination, learn about electronics, 3D printers and a laser cutter.
“I used to play around with electronics. I learned about it, but I didn’t do that much hands-on stuff and this is hands-on,” said Powell River resident Guy Durnin, who attended one of the open houses at Makerspace behind Base Camp on Marine Avenue. “There’s lots of applications. I don’t know what the limits are.”
According to Tye Leishman, who was at a recent Makerspace open house with his nine-year-old son James, it is about learning the future.
“It’s interesting to be able to make any product that you can think of as a prototype,” said Tye. “There’s a lot of interest here for the technology.”
James, who said he likes science, already knows what he would like to make.
“A five-foot airplane,” said James. “Five feet tall and five feet long and three feet wide.”
At Makerspace, James might be able to do it, or a robot could help.
“We teach people how to program microprocessors,” said Makerspace co-founder Theo Rosenfeld. “Robots are a really flashy way to display the capabilities of microprocessors, but I think they’re actually a very small part of how useful they are in our current world.”
Rosenfeld is one of the new breed of Powell River commuters. He and his family live here and he travels to Vancouver for a few days every week where he teaches interdisciplinary science.
“I have a specific interest in encouraging in Powell River a vibrant, healthy, technology scene and economy,” said Rosenfeld. “My interest with the Makerspace is bringing the skills that I provide professionally in Vancouver into Powell River to share with people here.”
The maker culture is a technology-driven, contemporary, do-it-yourself movement in which people create new devices and tinker with existing ones. Its predecessor would be arts and crafts, but this is arts and crafts with electronics, robotics, 3D printers and microprocessors.
“The 3D printer draws people in because people have heard of 3D printers. They look neat. They do neat things,” said Rosenfeld. “Once they’re drawn in some people don’t realize how cool the laser cutter is and how much they can do with it.”
Some people, he said, want to build an automated door for their chicken coop or a critter cam to take pictures of bears in their backyard.
Microprocessors, Arduinos, which are open-source hardware, software and micro-controller kits, make the technology possible to do those things.
“I would really like people in Powell River to access it,” said Rosenfeld. “It’s actually not that hard to learn. I’m really happy to help share the skills.”
Makerspace has had its doors open since the beginning of summer. It offers workshops that are usually sold out quickly because Makerspace space is so small.
For more information, go to prmakerspace.com.
