Maker Faire Orlando is preparing to welcome thousands of technology enthusiasts, families, and creators for one of the most anticipated events on the global maker calendar. For many attendees, the annual gathering represents a celebration of grassroots engineering and creative ingenuity. This year holds special significance for staff members of Make: magazine, including long-time team members who are attending the Florida-based event in person for the first time.
As organizers finalize the schedule, the expanded layout features a newly added second stage, which effectively doubles the presentation and demonstration lineup. This expansion accommodates a robust roster of professional creators, including veteran theme park makers who bring Hollywood-level spectacle and industrial design expertise to the community stage. Perusing the official exhibit catalog reveals a diverse array of projects ranging from street-legal aircraft hybrids to localized artificial intelligence experiments and intricate typography-based art.
1. PlaneCar
One of the most striking automotive art projects heading to the venue is the PlaneCar, engineered by Steve Woodruff of AutoBeYours. The vehicle merges the aluminum fuselage of a 1982 British Aerospace Hawker private jet with the running gear and mechanical platform of a 2004 Toyota Prius.
The result is a fully street-legal, hybrid art-car limousine that allows visitors to step directly inside a vintage aircraft cabin. All original flight controls, structural wiring, and cockpit instruments remain visible to the public. Equipped with working lights, turn signals, horns, and seat belts, the custom build strictly adheres to legal highway width and height dimensions. Its journey to the exhibition floor promises to turn heads and spark conversations about the boundaries of automotive modification.
2. Freedom A.I.
Artificial intelligence takes a physical and decentralized form in the Freedom A.I. project, developed by John Bach. Challenging the paradigm of cloud-locked corporate systems, this customizable personal-assistant architecture allows users to define a unique character, voice, personality, and interface that travels securely between compatible Windows machines.
At Maker Faire Orlando, Bach is showcasing his custom assistant, named "Ghost," integrated directly into a heavily modified Chevrolet Silverado. The AI assistant interacts directly with festivalgoers through the truck’s audio system, accompanied by a physical character representation that brings the software to life. The project highlights a growing movement among creators to build tangible, localized hardware integrations for generative models and personal computing assistants.
3. Rocket Tracker
Capturing orbital launches requires precision engineering, a challenge met by retired engineer John Smith with his autonomous Rocket Tracker system. Designed to track and film rockets ascending toward space, the system utilizes a specialized motorized gimbal carrying two distinct optical instruments.
An operator initially acquires the target using a joystick-controlled tracking camera. Once the system identifies the boosting spacecraft, it locks on automatically and maintains smooth tracking while a secondary high-magnification telescope camera records the brilliant exhaust plume. According to the creator, optimal atmospheric conditions allow the system to clearly capture rocket bodies from distances exceeding 140 miles.
4. 3D Printed Cameras
The intersection of traditional photography and modern desktop fabrication continues to yield remarkable experimental hardware. Photographer and printing enthusiast Jacob Bates is presenting a collection of custom photographic equipment developed over years of iteration.
By combining open-source digital designs with custom-modeled components produced on standard 3D printers, Bates explores the viability of creating fully functional, analog and digital cameras at home. The exhibit demonstrates how accessible rapid prototyping is democratizing optical engineering and allowing independent photographers to design tools tailored precisely to their artistic workflows.
5. Curtis Epperson’s Word Mosaic Art
Visual art meets meticulous typography in the work of Curtis Epperson. From a distance, his pieces present striking, high-contrast portraits of cultural icons, famous landmarks, and beloved animal subjects. Upon closer inspection, however, the photographic illusion dissolves into a dense web of hand-drawn words and phrases contextually relevant to the subject.
A defining characteristic of Epperson’s meticulous technique is that no single word or phrase is ever repeated within a composition. His returning presence at regional maker events continues to draw crowds eager to examine the microscopic detail woven into each large-scale portrait.
6. Throwback! Jai-Alai Heroes
Celebrating regional sports heritage through interactive media, the Orlando-based independent studio Astro Crow is showcasing its award-winning arcade title, Throwback! Jai-Alai Heroes. Jai-alai holds deep historical roots in Florida culture, and the development team designed, coded, and physically fabricated a custom arcade cabinet dedicated entirely to the sport.
The project represents the vibrant indie game development scene thriving in Central Florida, where digital design intersects with traditional cabinet woodworking, custom control wiring, and arcade-style community engagement.
7. Jupiter 7
Transforming a standard convention booth into an active aerospace workshop, the Jupiter 7 exhibit blends live manufacturing with educational outreach. Operating laser cutters and 3D printers in real time, the maker behind the project surrounds visitors with space-themed engineering projects constructed entirely on-site.
Beyond aerospace-inspired fabrication, the creator manages a diverse professional practice spanning digital design, laser manufacturing, and apiculture. The exhibit serves as an engaging platform to introduce younger audiences to core principles of physics, mechanical engineering, and digital manufacturing through hands-on construction.
8. Orlando Ghostbusters
Community costuming and prop replication take center stage with the Orlando Ghostbusters. Operating as a dedicated volunteer prop-building collective, the group brings unfinished works in progress to the floor, offering fans an unvarnished look at how complex screen-accurate proton packs and ghost traps are fabricated using 3D printing, electronics, and finishing techniques.
In addition to sharing technical building methods with aspiring makers, the group uses its presence at regional events to raise charitable donations for the Starlight Children’s Foundation, blending technical recreation with community philanthropy.
9. Block Printing with a Modern Twist
Warren Hart III, creating under the moniker Famous After Death, reimagines traditional printmaking through a contemporary technological lens. Eschewing traditional hand-carving tools and linoleum blocks, Hart designs his printing matrices entirely in digital space before producing them on high-resolution 3D printers.
The resulting printing blocks are utilized to pull bold, graphic prints that merge ancient artistic traditions with modern digital fabrication workflows. Regional maker gatherings have served as crucial networking hubs for Hart, connecting him with fellow artists and printmakers across the Southeastern circuit.
10. The People Who Make It Happen
Behind every mechanical display, arcade cabinet, and live demonstration lies the immense logistical effort coordinated by independent organizers and volunteers. Maker Faire Orlando is independently produced by The Maker Effect Foundation, relying on a passionate network of regional coordinators to manage everything from exhibitor placements to large-scale educational programs like Field Trip Day.
The event also serves as a vital gathering point for regional producers from across Florida, including organizers from Miami and Daytona. Exchanging operational notes and collaborative strategies among homegrown event producers ensures that the maker movement continues to expand and thrive throughout the region.
Attendees can explore the complete schedule and plan their custom itineraries by visiting the official Maker Faire Orlando website.
