Robotic mini cars, a pressure-sensitive glove that can counts ‘high-fives,’ a plastic octopus created with a 3-D printer…
These and other enterprising prototypes originated in Red Deer College’s Makerspace — a design laboratory that allows imagination to merge with technological innovation.
The hands-on space, first created in 2015, has moved into a bright, brand-new location in the second-floor Information Common of the RDC Library. At the opening of the larger new Makerspace on Tuesday, Steven Lane, RDC’s association vice-president of academic, spoke about the advantage of students learning to build things in the real, instead of just virtual, world.
At a time when even graphic art can be done with the computer, Lane believes there’s value in learning to also design and build by hand. Makerspace “helps recover craft as an important skill set,” leading to further investigation and experimentation.
“This serves our technology and our design programs,” said Lane, allowing many different students to get a feel for using specialized equipment — including a 3-D printer, button-hole maker, video editing equipment, and a recording and mixing studio.
He feels Makerspace will be a particular asset once the college gains the polytechnic university status it’s seeking. “It increases out ability to design our degrees,” adding a practical learning component to academics.
RDC librarian Kristine Plastow said the upstairs common is the perfect location, since students have always used the library to create and collaborate and Makerspace adds a technological element to the mix. She feels more ideas can be brought to life through shared equipment, knowledge and creation.
Fighting robots and Batman characters made dimensional are some of the projects that Marian Young has been impressed by when she’s visited Makerspace in its former location.
The creation opportunities for students “are endless,” said Young, vice-president of operations for the RDC Student Association.
The renovation and expansion was made possible with a federal government matching grant.
lmichelin@reddeeradvocate.com
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