Maker Movement Is Attracting Researchers, Scientists

Maker Movement Turns Scientists into Tinkerers

Researchers in growing numbers are starting to enlist do-it-yourself 3-D printers, cheap electronics, sensors and more to advance their work 

Prachi Patel | August 22, 2016

To do science, scientists need money—and usually a lot of it because specialized equipment and tools don’t come cheap. That means researchers often have to spend a significant amount of time pursuing funds from government agencies and private entities. But the era of open-source software and cheap hardware, including 3-D printers, is making it easier for them to quickly test innovative ideas and make their own research tools. These technologies are typically considered the dominion of “makers,” a word that evokes tinkerers and hobbyists, yet many scientists have begun to embrace the build-it-yourself ethos to advance their research in a variety of fields, including energy, transportation, neuroscience and consumer electronics.

[Click on link for video.] (New tech turns your skin into a touchscreen for your smartwatch. A team at Carnegie Mellon has found a way to make skin a user interface for gadgets.May 5, 2016) Source: http://www.theverge.com/2016/5/5/11597878/skintrack-carnegie-mellon-skin-tracking-smartwatch-userface

Maker Movement - LinkedIn. Source: https://www.linkedin.com/topic/maker-movement

<more at http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/maker-movement-turns-scientists-into-tinkerers/; related articles and links: http://www.theatlantic.com/notes/all/2016/06/does-the-maker-movement-matter/486647/ (More on the Public Role in Fostering Private Innovation. June 18, 2016) and http://www.theatlantic.com/notes/2016/06/the-maker-movement-if-hamilton-were-around-he-would-be-a-fan/487292/ (The Maker Movement: If Hamilton Were Around, He Would Be a Fan. Jun 16, 2016)>