Whenever you go to cover a tech conference, there’s always an outing to a local bar to satiate the desire almost every journalist has to have a buzz on. When we went out for the obligatory brew at Computex this year, I had no idea I was about to get a lesson in 3D printing, electronics and foozball all at the same time. It’s called Makerbar, and it’s an awesome concept.
In the same way that establishments like the Mana Bar give gamers the opportunity to have a few brews while playing new and retro games, the MakerBar gives geeks the opportunity to get together with fellow makers and build stuff.
You get access to 3D printers, Arduino gear, ready-to-make projects and all the tools you could possibly need to get the job done.
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We went with the ready-to-make kits, and built an Arduino-powered Mustang with a 3D-printed shell over the top. The board also had a Bluetooth component which allowed us to race the cars against each other with an app, all the while switching between games of foozball and chatting with mates.
Australia already has the video game bar, now it needs the maker bar. [MakerBar Taipei]