Farmington Hills Residents Featured at Maker Faire

On July 30 and 31, The Henry Ford in Dearborn will be the place to visit when Maker Faire Detroit returns to Henry Ford Museum for two days of unconventional imagination and stunning ingenuity.

Farmington Hills residents Rishab Chander and Jordan Grider will bring their inventions to the event. Chander's Toilet Helper 2.0 is an improved version of an invention debuted last year; it lifts the lid and flushes for you. Learn more on Chander's website. Grider represents FRC Robotics Team, which will present a robot that picks up tubes and places them on a rack 9 feet in the air.

In all, more than 300 makers will bring their wares, ideas, inventions and solutions to Maker Faire Detroit. This year, 80 percent of the makers are new to Maker Faire Detroit.

First-time Michigan makers include Phillip McRoberts from Macomb and his Robbie the Robot, a roving 5-foot-tall webcam robot that streams video and audio; the Green Girl Scouts from Birmingham who turn trash into treasure like neckties into sunglasses, old magazines into gift bows and old belts into bracelets; Detroit artists Kristine Diven and Micho Detronik of District VII and their Mannequin Forest, an artificial forest of mannequins, circuitry and interaction; i3Detroit’s John Sugg and his Atari 2600 turned synthesizer keyboard; and Rick Erickson of Niles and his Michiana Shanty 2, a folding portable shelter for extreme cold conditions and more.

It wouldn’t be Maker Faire without some Faire favorites: The LifeSize Mousetrap, the Coke and Mentos guys, the i3Detroit Hackerspace booth, Handmade Detroit and the make-and-take Marshmallow Shooters. And don’t forget about the food – along with the selection from The Henry Ford’s award-winning culinary team, ticket-holders can visit the booths of Sweet Sass Foods from Livonia, Doodle’s Sugarbush from Blanchard, Genesis Tea from Detroit, Naturally Nutty Foods from Traverse City, Treat Dreams from Ferndale and more.

Ticket prices at $28 for adults (13-61), $19 for youth (5-12), and $26 for seniors (62+) can be purchased now. Children 4 and under are free. Prices for a two-day pass are $48 for adults, $33 for youth, and $45 for seniors. Members of The Henry Ford receive free admission to Henry Ford Museum and can purchase Maker Faire tickets at a discounted price. For more information, please call 313-982-6001 or visit thehenryford.org/makerfaire

Created by the publishers of MAKE Magazine and makezine.com, Maker Faire draws tech and DIY enthusiasts. Visitors will enjoy arts and crafts, science and engineering, robotics, sustainable living, music and fine arts, fun for kids and families and more.