Inventors Thrill Crowds at Maker Faire Detroit

DEARBORN— Hundreds of creators, hackers and inventors descended on the grounds of The Henry Ford museum to celebrate unconventional ingenuity, unbridled creativity and a whole lot of forward thinking during the fourth annual Detroit Maker Faire this weekend.

The two-day festival featured everything from baseball pitching robots and flame shooters to mega-sized board games, remote controlled hot air balloons and handmade crafts.

"No other maker faire is quite like Detroit's," Marge Little of Bloomfield Hills said. "We've been coming here every year just to see what's new."

David Little said his favorite exhibit was the life-size Mousetrap. The display blends science, engineering and metal sculptures inspired by the original 1963 children's board game.

"It was really inspiring to see all of the inventions," he said. "This is how we're going to save the next generation, by showing our kids that it's okay to play and build."

Patricia Mooradian, president of the Henry Ford, said the number of makers involved in the fair has more then doubled since the debut event in 2010. This year had more than 400 participants.

"It is so fitting for The Henry Ford, a place our founder conceived and built, to host Maker Faire, as this event is the perfect example of ordinary individuals inventing and creating solutions for, perhaps, a better way of life," Mooradian said. "It is also a great way to show people, especially kids, that everyone can make something."

Maker Faire Detroit is independently produced by The Henry Ford in collaboration with Maker Media. Maker Faire Detroit is sponsored by Ford Motor Company Fund, Compuware and Pure Michigan.