10. STE(A)M and Makercarts

‘A Makerspace is a creative Do-It-Yourself space that provides hands-on, creative ways to encourage students to dream, design, build, experiment, learn and invent as they immerse themselves in science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics (STEAM). ‘

It does not to be high tech. For many libraries and schools a 3D printer is a luxury. Or not even missed. And they have a fine $100 to $1000 makerspaces .

Like in makerspacesaustralia.weebly.com/portable-makerspace.html said:
‘Construct a Maker Kit for students of all ages by simply filling a large plastic container with equipment that will stimulate their creativity and provide what they need to become Makers.’
With:
- scissors and paper, sewing and craft supplies
- colouring pencils, cardboard, crayons
- scrapbooking supplies, duct tape
- pliers,glue (hot or stick)
- string/wire, batteries,
- electronic supplies including Makey Makey, Arduino and Lego
- Robotic kits
- computers, printers and scanner
- a laminator

All these elementary things could be put on a trolley or a cart on wheels that you roll out into a classroom or the library.
There is an instructable for such a makercart. Go one step up and add a 3D-printer and a Cameo Silhouette.

Like this makercart at Vanderbilt hospital that keeps kids that have to be for weeks, even for months, in hospital active and motivated.

It would be nice to design a more generic Makercart that holds a full miniFabLab. There is research on that. Any fablab with a shopbot could then produce a swarm of Makercarts that could go anywhere in the school or out in the field. They could be wheeled out of a Makertrailer, Makervan or a Makerbus to provide more people with experience.

I proposed the hub approach in at FabLab1.5 Moscow when I presented the $10K fablab.
A mobile fablab could act like a hub, a mothership for the Makercarts.
Making hubs mobile add to their virtue !

 

August 2016 IKEA released the SLADDA bike trailer € 125. As a proof of concept I made it into an Urban Makercart. See Bike Trailer FabLab in the menu on the left.

But then I made the real thing:  the MAKERKAR.

 

All of it in the menu at left.