Brno will come alive with inventions. Festival Maker Faire will present innovative projects from BUT

The fifth edition of the increasingly popular Maker Faire festival is here! Enthusiasts of inventions and modern DIY will gather at the Brno Exhibition Center over the weekend of October 19–20 to discover makers and their projects. Representatives from Brno University of Technology (BUT) will also be present, showcasing sixteen innovative projects to the visitors.

Maker Faire is a festival filled with inventions, workshops, and interactive activities. “Creative making is an integral part of projects developed at Brno University of Technology, and it's great that there is a platform where the public can see them. For students, presenting at the festival is a great preparation for their future careers and an opportunity to get feedback,” explained Lenka Svobodová, the event coordinator for BUT.

Makers from BUT will showcase a variety of projects to festival visitors, offering insights into automotive industry, space, aviation, 3D printing, robotics, and engineering.

What projects can visitors discover?

The TU Brno Racing team, which designs and builds racing formula cars for student competitions across Europe, will present their latest formula car, the Dragon e4. Visitors will have the chance to explore it and try out a racing simulator to experience being a formula driver.

The student team Chicken Wings will attract aviation fans with a demonstration of their aircraft, explaining the process of developing an airplane from conceptual design to the final flight test.

YSpace is the first student team in the Czech Republic focusing on satellite development. Visitors will be able to explore prototypes, electronics, and the structure of nanosatellites.

The BUT Drone Research Center will showcase the components that make up drones and demonstrate how to set them up for flight.

The Pneuracer Team will present a car powered by compressed air. Similar vehicles are built by high school students for the Pneuracer competition, where they race against each other.

At the mechatronics lab Mechlab, visitors will discover student projects created at BUT, including those prepared by high school students during the Summer School of Mechatronics.

The student community strojLAB will showcase the projects they are working on and the workshop they operate at the university. Visitors can try their hand at creative work using modern technologies.

A recent BUT graduate will present their project, a smart beehive, which automates beekeeping processes like honey collection using 3D printing and other technologies. Gardening enthusiasts will be drawn to the intelligent planter that monitors soil and environmental conditions and alerts the owner if they deteriorate, ensuring the plant's survival. Other highlights include a robot created using a 3D printer with a robotic arm that reaches up to one meter, smart blinds, and a CNC router for machining soft materials. Festival visitors will also be able to find out if a prosthetic hand moves just like a real one at the biomedical engineering booth.

At the booth of the Faculty of Information Technology, visitors will learn about biometric systems and how artificial intelligence is shaping this field. Enthusiasts of 3D printing will have the chance to assemble their own mechanical button, with parts they print themselves on a 3D printer.

Visitors can learn more about 3D printing and its use in education at BUT by visiting the booth of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication, where they can also discover an interesting fact about a 3D printer built by a university student.

Creative making and technology for the whole family

All projects and the accompanying program will be available to visitors on both Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 AM at Pavilion A1 at the Brno Exhibition Center. The event is suitable for families with children and the general public.

The Maker Faire festival is held annually in Prague, Brno, and other regional and county towns. It brings together enthusiasts and experts, known as makers, tinkerers, or digital DIYers, to share their inventions and inspire one another. The festival’s goal is to popularize technology and creative making.