Pop-Up Mobile Makerspace

This past Saturday was the wrap up showcase at the MLK Library for the Pop-Up Mobile Makerspace project. I created a Blurb book in collaboration with the San José Public Library to document our journey of the project. The Pop-Up Mobile Makerspace was an exploration in how to engage a wide range of San José citizens in new ways to discuss urban public space design, while creating a platform that enlivened underutilized public spaces.
We hope that the ideas shared by the public in this project will help inform the shaping of downtown San José public spaces so that these spaces truly invite people to linger, connect and engage. We hope that these experimental pop-up mobile makerspaces become a model for other groups to invite the public into urban planning discussions. The photos in this book capture some of the energy and creativity of the San José public who joined us on this journey. We are eager to see this conversation continue.
Here is a link to the book: 

Future Engineers Design Challenge Winner

Emily was selected as the Future Engineers Design Challenge Winner for the Junior Category (K-12 years old) in early October 2015. The 3D print design challenge was to design a space container for zero gravity. She created a tea cage that would brew tea grown on the ISS. Here is the announcement posted by ASME.
This is her statement for the project:

"Sometimes it gets boring in space. Astronauts need something to liven up their meals. After looking at the categories for a space container I decided to make a container for liquids. In space liquids form spheres and stick to things they touch because surface tension is different in zero gravity. While doing research I saw a video from space of some string holding a sphere of water in place. I realized a cage could definitely do it, too. I was reading about juices and tea. That got my mind working. Tea is flavored by leaves and astronauts study plants in space. Astronauts could plant tea leaves in space and occasionally they could pick a couple leaves and make tea! You put the tea leaves in the lower compartment of this design. The lid closes on hinges so the leaves don’t float away. You use Velcro to keep the lid closed. Then you squirt hot water into the cage. The water sphere would just stay in the cage. The leaves flavor the water through the holes and then you drink the tea!"

Emily being interviewed in a google hangout by NASA engineers, Made In Space engineer, and an astronaut. 

test 3D print

Emily's Tinkercad design work in progress.

initial concept sketches