Difference between revisions of "Main Page"

Revision as of 01:44, 14 March 2013

Welcome to Bloominglabs, Bloomington's very own hackerspace!

Bloominglabs is Indiana's first hackerspace also known as a makerspace. We are a group of community members that have commonly rented a place where we can collectively build projects. We are open to the public on Wednesday evenings from 7pm until 10pm and are family friendly.

Also, a big hackerspace welcome to Club Cyberia, the new Indianapolis hackerspace! This space has been a long time in the making, and is now a reality. Check them out at http://clubcyberia.org/index.php/Main_Page.

Support

We are a non-profit now! Bloominglabs is incorporated as its own entity in the state of Indiana, and is fiscally sponsored by School Factory, Inc., a 501(c)3 charitable organization. Want to make a donation with PayPal? Please use this link:

• (Note to members - this link should not be used for paying membership dues)

Information for our members: this is how we process cash and hardware Donations.

Laser Cutter

We are currently doing a pledge drive to purchase a laser cutter for Bloominglabs. What can people do with this you might ask?? It can cut light wood and acrylic for rapid prototyping. It can also etch wood, acrylic, and metal. Many objects from iphones to laptops can be directly engraved with a laser. Be sure to watch some videos here, here, and here.

What laser do we want? We've done our research and we have decided on a 5th generation 40W laser Full Spectrum.

We currently have $3,830 pledged and need an additional $670 to make this happen. Care to make a tax deductible donation for this cause? Simply use the above PayPal button and mark the donation for "Bloominglabs Laser Project".

Who are we?

Bloominglabs was forged from the Bloomington Hackerspace Initiative and the former IU Robotics Club. We are a bunch of people that want to do interesting things and explore the world and technology around us.

• Bylaws

Stay informed

• Sign up to the announcement mailing list to keep up with our group.
• Our Calendar of events
• Follow us on Twitter @Bloominglabsand Facebook.
• Checkout photos from past events on Flickr
• Our IRC server is at irc.bloominglabs.org:6667, #hackerspace.
• We can also be reached via old fashioned email at contact (]at[) bloominglabs dot o r g.

Our Location

We have 1,000 sq ft of which 750 sq ft is unfinished, cement floor workspace and 250 sq ft is finished office space for hanging out. There's also a full bathroom. The address is 3927 W. Roll Avenue which is just north of 2nd Street up Curry Pike. Come check it out! [MAP]

Grants

Kits For Sale

Bloominglabs is a reseller of adafruit kits and products. See KitsForSale for details.

For members: check out our page about selling things at the workshops at SellingThings and for calculating sales tax, check out Sales Tax Calculator for 47401

Workshops/Classes

Reserve a spot at any of our workshops or classes by sending email to contact]at[bloominglabs.org.

Current Events (PastEvents)

We have lockers available for rent now!!

• Makevention
  • We are in the beginning stages of planning a maker fair in Bloomington called "Makevention"
  • Keep an eye on our page for more information!

• Public Hack Meetings!
  • Every Wednesday from 7pm until 10pm
  • Come build projects, ask questions, teach things, and learn stuff
  • All ages and everyone is welcome

News

• We have acquired a mill. If want to chip in for it, add your pledge to the Mill page.
• We are trying to acquire a laser cutter. If you want to chip in for it, add your pledge to the Laser page.

What is a hacker space?

It's a physical location where people can share resources for their own creative pursuits. It's also a resource where people can come in off the street and advance their own knowledge. In urban locations it can often be hard to find places to weld/build/make noise and keep projects on-going without having to tear down and put-up your work each evening. With a hacker space people can work on their projects and not worry about annoying their neighbors or spouses. The social aspect is also an incredibly important component. Having people to bounce ideas off of and discuss your projects with when you get stuck is a great thing.

Membership

We are accepting memberships! Please see the Membership Manual for details.

Meetings

Currently we meet every Wednesday at 7:00pm at 3927 W. Roll Avenue, Bloomington, Indiana. These meetings are open to the public; anyone is welcome to attend. We usually meet for 2-3 hours and have a lot of fun. Having access to tools is only part of the equation, socializing with people and learning from each other is another large benefit from our group. Pretty much whatever people want to work on or learn is fair game. We currently have an electronics and robotics focus but there's also interest in general science and astronomy as well. If it's cool and interesting then we are all interested.

• Meeting_Minutes
• Bloominglabs Log - highlights of Bloominglabs events and news

Current Projects

Projects

What needs to be done yet?

Check out the Todo list to see the latest things we need to get done.

Also see who else is working on this project: Special:ListUsers

Uploaded files: Special:ImageList

Nearby Hacker Spaces or initiatives:

• Club Cyberia (INDIANAPOLIS!)
• Hive13 (Cincinnati, OH)
• LVL1 (Louisville Kentucky)
• Vault404 (Louisville Kentucky)
• Collexion (Lexington Kentucky)
• Pumping Station: One (Chicago)
• Dayton Diode
• Detroit Facility
• i3 Detroit

Other Cool Groups in Bloomington

• The Bloomington Print Collective -- a non-profit community print shop.
• Indiana Filmmakers Network -- provides support, camaraderie and resources to filmmakers.
• Bloomington Amateur Radio Club
• Indiana University Amateur Radio Club