When I was finishing my first year in undergrad, I was undecided in the College of Arts and Science with an idea for an invention and no one to turn to for guidance (note: a makerspace wasn’t even a thing yet). That summer of 2000, I filed my first provisional patent and made the decision to switch into mechanical engineering because I wanted to learn how to make anything I imagined. Little did I know that it wouldn’t be till graduate school that I would hone the maker skills I use today for my creative pursuits, research projects, and product development ventures.
Since coming to Vanderbilt in 2016 to start the makerspace in the Wond’ry, one of my goals has been to smooth the road for any student that has a project or an idea and provide the guidance and training I wish I had in undergrad. In support of this, we have built an amazing team with deep technical expertise in functional apparel design, electronics, mechanical design, and emerging technologies that are here to support you with their wealth of insights and best practices to make your ideas real. For the uninitiated, the resources in the Wond’ry might seem daunting or too hard to learn. The reality is, it’s not.
I have been teaching a course – How to Make (Almost) Anything and Make it Matter – for several years to students of all majors and they’ve shown over and over that you don’t need to be an engineer to do electronics or design parts for laser cutting and 3D printing.
If you’re not sure where to start, make an appointment for a consultation or come take our safety seminar offered Monday - Thursday at 7:00 PM and see in person what we have to offer.
At the Wond’ry, we believe every great idea starts with curiosity and “what if”—so bring yours, and let’s make something amazing together. To help you get started, here are 10 resources available in our makerspaces that can empower you to turn your ideas into reality, no matter your background or experience level.
- 3D Printing and Design
Use 3D printers to create physical objects from digital models. You can design prototypes, tools, or artistic creations using software like Tinkercad, Solidworks, or Fusion 360.
- Laser Cutting and Engraving
Use our laser cutter to precisely cut or engrave sheet materials like paper, cardboard, wood, and acrylic. This is great for creating intricate designs, custom parts, and being the most unique gift giver ever.
- Vinyl Cutting and Design
Create custom stickers, decals, or heat-transfer designs for water bottles, clothing or a class project using our vinyl cutters. This is perfect for personalizing items or covering up that stain on your favorite shirt.
- Electronics Prototyping and Soldering
Learn to solder and build electronic circuits using breadboards and microcontrollers. This is ideal for creating gadgets, wearables, or IoT devices.
- Hand Tools and Power Tools
We have many hand and power tools tools such as saws, drills, hammers, and wrenches that create parts from wood, pvc, and metal. If you’ve never used these tools before, don’t let that stop you. Come in for tool training.
- Sewing and Textile Arts
Come learn the fundamentals of sewing from hand sewing to machine sewing and then grow your skills in areas such as functional apparel design, adaptive tailoring, and sustainable fashion.
- Digital Art and Graphic Design
Use our computer stations with seats of Adobe Creative Cloud to create digital illustrations, logos, or animations. You can also laser cut/engrave directly from Adobe Illustrator files.
- Molding and Casting
Create molds from silicone or other materials to replicate objects using epoxy, plaster, concrete, and other casting materials.
- Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) Development
Visit the Emerging Tech lab to design immersive VR or AR experiences using tools like Unity. If you’ve never worn VR goggles join one of our VR introduction workshops.
- Photo Box
Take high quality, shadow free images of the things you create in our photo box. This will make it stand out in presentations, publications, social media posts, and your portfolio.