A blinking robot, a 3D-printed beehive, and chess that gives advice. BUT shone at Maker Faire

Enthusiasts of DIY and creative inventions filled the Brno Exhibition Centre over the weekend of October 18–19. The popular Maker Faire festival also featured innovators from Brno University of Technology and their extraordinary projects, which were viewed by more than seven thousand visitors over two days.

BUT showed off at the Maker Faire festival. | Author: Václav Koníček

The Maker Faire festival brings together tinkerers, makers, and creative enthusiasts of all ages. “Events like Maker Faire play a huge role in popularizing technical education. Thanks to them, both children and adults discover that behind many great ideas are skilled students who aren’t afraid to experiment and seek new solutions,” says Lenka Svobodová from BUT, adding that it’s great to see how enthusiastically visitors respond to student and university projects.

BUT representatives presented nineteen original projects in fields such as robotics, aerospace technology, engineering, and artistic design. During the weekend, thousands of visitors not only viewed them but also tried many of them hands-on, while the question “How does it work?” could be heard all around. The excitement of both visitors and exhibitors was truly contagious!

Maker Faire Brno 2025. | Author: Václav Koníček

“Do you need it to advise you?” asked someone at the educational chessboard that suggests the best possible moves. “No, but I’m curious what moves it will show,” replied a quick-witted young chess player. Modern DIY fans were also fascinated by electronic dice that recognize which side they’ve landed on, or by a humanoid robot that cheerfully blinked, waved, and showed off its moves to children and adults alike.

Beekeeping enthusiasts were captivated by a 3D-printed beehive. “The hive is equipped with sensors monitoring temperature, humidity, and weight. For instance, when it gets too hot in summer, the hive can cool itself down,” explained the project’s author and BUT graduate Jiří Václavič, describing the benefits of his master’s thesis project.

Student teams from BUT also drew great attention. Visitors could take a close look at a Formula racing car, drones, remote-controlled aircraft, or inventions from the StrojLab and MechLab workshops, and, most importantly, chat directly with students who design, program, and test everything themselves. “It’s incredible that you came up with this and built it all on your own,” admired many visitors.

The BUT exhibition also featured 3D printing, a favorite tool of every maker. Visitors could watch live demonstrations of how the printers work and even take home a printed figurine as a souvenir. At the 3D scanner, they tried scanning objects from all possible sides and angles or discovered how a robotic arm works – an arm that, apart from screws and electronics, was entirely made on a printer.

Maker Faire isn’t only about technology. This was proved by the exhibition Husovice 2030+, showcasing architectural concepts of how the city district could transform in the future, as well as by the robotic art pieces “robo-paintings” that were a huge success at the festival. “That’s amazing,” exclaimed fascinated visitors nearby.

Learn more about these extraordinary projects, not only from BUT, on the festival website.

The Maker Faire festival is held annually in Prague, Brno, and other regional cities. It offers a unique space where modern technology, innovation, and creativity come together, providing opportunities for mutual inspiration. Its goal is to popularize technology and creative making.

Find more from Maker Faire in the gallery!