Three students from the Faculty of Engineering, Sam Walder, Jeremy Dalton and Jaimesh Mistry, took part in Bristol's first Mini Maker Faire at the MShed last weekend [23 March].

The students from the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering showed off their projects, which use electronics to inspire younger children. Their hands-on exhibits included conductive Play-Doh, a banana piano and a relay-logic board.

Other projects on show throughout the day included Origami Robots, 3D printers and a Human Hovercraft. This is the first of a series of local outreach events to be put on by the Department, with the aim of  raising the  profile of this branch of Engineering among school students.

Maker Faires are already popular across the USA and this was one of just a handful of events organised in the UK. They offer an opportunity for local inventors, tech enthusiasts, amateur hardware hackers, crafters, educators, tinkerers, hobbyists, engineers,  artists, science clubs, students, authors and commercial exhibitors to showcase their latest projects and inspire the public with their inventions and workshops.

Bristol was a fitting venue for such an event, given its long renowned scientific and creative heritage – from Isambard Kingdom Brunel to Aardman Animations.