Category: News

Burlington is a powerhouse for innovation, creativity, and art. The Generator community is composed of people from all demographics, backgrounds, interests, and goals. These articles highlight different members stories and how Generator is part of a bigger creative community.

  • Artist Elliott Katz Is New Shop Manager at Burlington’s Generator

    Artist Elliott Katz Is New Shop Manager at Burlington’s Generator

    [vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][heading]Seven Days[/heading][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][vc_column_text]

    Artist Elliott Katz Is New Shop Manager at Burlington’s Generator

    POSTED BY  ON FRI, JUN 8, 2018 AT 3:24 PM

    On Thursday afternoon, Generator announced the newest addition to its team:  Elliott Katz, who will be the new shop operations manager. Katz is an artist who previously worked as an adjunct professor and sculpture technician at the University of Hartford and managed the Seven Below Arts Initiativeresidency — a collaboration between Phish’s Trey Anastasio and Burlington City Arts that ended last year.

    That gig also brought Katz into contact with then-BCA curator and current Generator director Christopher Thompson. Additionally, Thompson included Katz in the BCA show “Human = Landscape” in 2009. Thompson was the chief curator at BCA from 2008 to 2012, and joined Generator in August last year.

    In a recent phone interview, Katz said he’s excited to get started in the Generator shop facilities, which currently include basic wood and metalworking.

    “Everything needs a deep reordering and cleaning,” he said. After that, he plans to build out the forge and add a foundry — a facility for melting and shaping metal.

    Read Full Article>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • Design Thinking- Fail Faster to Succeed Sooner

    Design Thinking- Fail Faster to Succeed Sooner

    [vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][heading]YES Program at Generator[/heading][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][vc_column_text]Generator is helping Community & Economic Development Office (CEDO) and Burlington High School (BHS) give 18 students the opportunity to explore entrepreneurship and different career paths through a design thinking workshop on Friday, June 1st.  High school is the time to try different fields and start a career. That can be a daunting task if you don’t know what you want to do. Burlington High School Year End Studies (YES) program offers all students of the BHS community exciting alternatives for learning. These non-traditional courses expand student understanding and inspire new student interests. Generator will be guiding students through prototyping exercises that encourage failing fast to succeed sooner. Intensive, interest-driven opportunities like the design thinking workshop enhance enthusiasm for learning.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][image_with_animation image_url=”5586″ alignment=”” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • One Year in Burlington’s South End

    One Year in Burlington’s South End

    [vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][image_with_animation image_url=”5562″ alignment=”” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][image_with_animation image_url=”5566″ alignment=”” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • America’s First Permanent Indoor Drone Racing Course at Generator

    America’s First Permanent Indoor Drone Racing Course at Generator

    [vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][heading]America’s First Permanent Indoor Drone Racing Course at Generator[/heading][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][vc_column_text]America’s first permanent indoor drone racing course is launching this July by Vermont Drone at Generator. Free Meetups/Races are held the first Tuesday of each month at 6:30pm at Generator, 40 Sears Lane, Burlington, Vermont. Vermont Drone has successfully tested their first iteration of their Tiny Whoop Drone Racing Course. Tiny Whoop Drone Racing is a lot like a real flying Mario in a Super Mario Galaxy game. Tiny Whoop is a small first-person-view (FPV) quadcopters aircraft flown using a VR headset. Generator members are preparing to compete in the next Tiny Whoop Drone Race.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7S75yfWcqZE”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • Photo Competition- Win Free Month of Membership

    Photo Competition- Win Free Month of Membership

    [vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][heading]Photo Competition[/heading][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][vc_column_text]Generator needs high quality-professional-fun photos of the storefront/entrances, member activity, and events! Here is your chance at a free month of membership.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][image_with_animation image_url=”5549″ alignment=”” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • 2018 Pitch It, Fab It Winner

    2018 Pitch It, Fab It Winner

    [vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][heading]

    You Will Lose Your Marbles For

    This Year’s Pitch It, Fab It Winner

    [/heading][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][vc_column_text]Generator was full of applicants and supporters of Pitch It, Fab It last week on April 18th.  There were many great pitches for innovative and fun items.  We are proud to announce that Generator member and lifelong tinkerer, Todd Taylor is the recipient of this year’s Pitch It, Fab It competition with his marble maze kits.

    I’m a marketer by day and a dad to a creative 4 year old girl. She’s my Chief Inspiration Officer for the tinkering that I do at the Generator. One day last fall, she and I were playing with marbles and paper towel tubes, and inspiration struck! I started brainstorming how to make cardboard blocks and ramps that would fit together like Lego pieces. My vision is to turn this into flat-pack, pre-cut cardboard toy kits that fold and assemble into interlocking ramps for marbles. They would create a system of play that offers boundless possibilities and numerous STEM learning opportunities. The pieces would pop out of die-cut sheets and easily fold into sturdy blocks – no glue needed! Once assembled, pieces could be arranged and constructed into countless formations. And because they are made of cardboard, you could easily add your own, homemade ramp elements and chain reaction elements using found parts. Cardboard invites you to cut, glue and decorate it in your own unique way, offering a full STEAM learning experience through creative, open-ended play. I owe a big shout-out to Ben and Pete at Cardboard Teck Instantute, as well as many folks in the maker community, for the inspiration and support!

    -Todd Taylor

    [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][image_with_animation image_url=”5508″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • Pitch It, Fab It 2018

    Pitch It, Fab It 2018

    [vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][image_with_animation image_url=”5446″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][vc_column_text]Call to innovative Vermonters!

    Do you have a product in early stage development that could benefit from a solid engineering push? Are you in need of a prototype that your customers can touch, feel and experience? Join UVM’s Instrumentation and Modeling Facility (IMF) and GENERATOR for an evening of invention and ingenuity. Dubbed Pitch It, Fab It! this fast and interactive evening of pitches is aimed at exciting the IMF to collaborate with you on your idea.

    For 45 years IMF has designed and fabricated custom instruments and innovative prototypes for UVM researchers, emerging technology companies, and Vermont inventors. Here’s your chance to access the tools and minds on tap at IMF.  Learn more about IMF HERE. Work with UVM Instrumentation and Model Facility (IMF) to Design and Fabricate a Killer Product. With a single pitch, a team can walk away with up to $5,000 in-kind services, materials and expert mentoring for:

    • Precision machine and mechanical design consultation
    • High-resolution 3D printing using hard and flexible materials
    • And the parts and materials needed to build your prototype

    Event Date: Wednesday, April 18th | 5:30 – 7:30pm
    Event Location: Generator, 40 Sears Lane, Burlington, VT 05401
    Deadline: April 13th, 2018

    Apply now at https://generatorvt.com/about/programs/pitch-it-fab-it/[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • Making Connections with the Maker Community

    Making Connections with the Maker Community

    Create Make Learn Blog>>

    March 10: Making Connections with the Maker Community

    Meet Carrie Speranza, librarian, and Jenny Jacobson, art educator, at the Swanton School, Swanton, Vermont –  two educators who are masters are making connections to bring more opportunities to their students.

    This year, Carrie and Jen ended up spending hours making connections with community makers at The Generator (a community maker space in Burlington, Vermont)  and building their skills as maker educators as the 2017 IGNITE a MAKER team.  
    IGNITE a MAKER is an opportunity offered through the Create Make Learn community  for educators to spend a few months as members of a community maker space  where they have access to prototyping tools such as laser cutters, 3D printers,  and CNC machines along with other tools and resources.  During that time, the Generator has invited them to  take classes that build their skills using these maker tools.  This has provided  Jenny and Carrie the opportunity to make connections with an amazing community of makers who are always willing to help the IGNITE a  MAKER maker educators leverage access to maker tools  to level up projects for their classroom.
    Though they have tackled several projects, Jenny and Carrie have primarily focused on working with a product called Touch Board from Bare Conductive to create an Interactive Mural of their student’s personal research project. The Touch Board contains 12 electrodes and can trigger sounds though its MP3 player. A perfect device to create an Interactive Mural Board.
    Using the Touch Board, Carrie and Jenny worked with  their sixth grade students to create an interactive mural board, allowing them to present their passion projects in an innovative and creative way. The Touchboard is the heart of their projects. It allows the sixth graders to record short segments about their projects, which are played at the touch of a button (or a star!). The device is similar to a Makey Makey but programmed using a mini SD card and works with conductive paint. YES conductive paint!

    Here is their Journey as IGNITE a Maker Educator and bringing back new skills to their classroom.

    Jenny working with the Touch Board for the first time. Sometimes you just have to dive into the unknown. Tinker away!
     
    After becoming familiar with the Touch Board and taking a certification class on the laser cutter,  Carrie and Jenny cut out their students’ board designs using the laser cutter at the Generator. The students created their design using Inkscape, however once it was time to cut it out, it was much easier to put it into Adobe Illustrator prior to sending it to the laser cutter. After working out some of the design flaws and getting some advice from another Generator member, the boards were successfully cut out.
     
     
    The Generator’s Laser Cutter!
    After some test cuts with cardboard (and some minor fires- note: always stay an arms distance away from your laser cutter and watch it!), they successfully cut out a final product on ⅛” plywood.
    Once the physical boards were cut it was time to program the Touch Boards. The students used Voice Recorder on their Chromebooks to create audio files giving short snippets of information about their projects.
    Next, they used stencils and conductive paint to create the connections on their boards. Although each Touch Board is able to support 12 touch points, the students only painted 5 to allow some room for error.
    Now that the connections are painted, the students will finish recording their audio clips, and attach the Touch Boards to their laser cut pieces. The final result will be an interactive mural which allows for the audience to engage in learning in a different and exciting way!
    They will be sharing their interactive mural with the maker community and educational community this spring.
  • At Generator’s First Global Service Jam, Design Happened

    At Generator’s First Global Service Jam, Design Happened

    At Generator’s First Global Service Jam, Design Happened

    By 

  • Seven Days Article: Generator to Present Big Thinkers in ‘Reckless Ideas’ Series

    Seven Days Article: Generator to Present Big Thinkers in ‘Reckless Ideas’ Series

    Generator to Present Big Thinkers in ‘Reckless Ideas’ Series
    Find the schedule and RSVP for the Reckless Ideas Speaker Series here.

    Josh Bongard – VERMONT COMPLEX SYSTEMS CENTER

    The Generator Maker Space in Burlington’s South End is launching a new speaker series that follows the previous Big Maker Series.

    “Reckless Ideas” is the brainchild of Generator director Chris Thompson and Juniper Lovato, outreach director for the Vermont Complex Systems Center. That part of the University of Vermont’s College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences deals with trans-disciplinary ideas.

    “I met Juniper a few months ago when she was just getting ready to move to Vermont with her husband, Laurent [Hébert-Dufresne],” Thompson writes in an email. “We were talking over coffee at Muddy Waters about all the incredible people doing intriguing, original work around Burlington who she had to meet. Within about half an hour, we had decided that we had to collaborate on a speaker series as an excuse to bring them together.”

    Thompson and Lovato are interested in creating a “salon atmosphere,” the director says. The name Reckless Ideas comes from a similar event that Lovato hosted at the Santa Fe Institute, where she was the director of education for complex systems.

    The speakers are a mix of big thinkers from the Complex Systems Center and Generator. Josh Bongard is the director of the Morphology, Evolution & Cognition Laboratory at UVM; Hébert-Dufresne is an assistant professor of computer science at the same university.

    Jenny Bower, a keyboardist and data scientist, is the next maker-in-residence at Generator, and John Cohn, chief scientist for IBM’s Watson Internet of Things Division, is one of Generator’s founding board members.

    Bongard is first up with a talk on Wednesday, February 28, called “Creating Autonomous Yet Safe Robots.” He’ll address the onset of the robot revolution and our approach to the new reality it will create.

    Lovato says each lecture will be followed by a conversation. “I envision the series to be an opportunity to bring two worlds together,” she writes in an email, “and I hope that the lectures will be a springboard for discourse.

    “In complex systems research, we’re always trying to push the boundaries and form unlikely pairs,” Lovato continues. “I hope the maker community and the scientific community coming together will inspire new collaborations and ideas.”