Explore the MILL
We have several short activities to share some of the technology in the MILL:
Button Maker
Makerspaces aren’t all about digital tools–the MILL features many outlets for your creativity. Our button maker is one of our most popular devices. Pair it with a type writer to create your custom bling!
Vinyl Cutter
Our Silhouette Cameo uses a small blade to cut paper, card stock, vinyl, fabric and more following a design you create on the computer. The software allows you to convert images or sketches into decals!
Ozobots
Ozobots are tiny programable robots–that you can command by drawing lines with a marker. Ours prefer to wear Vandal Helmets…
Coloring
Yes, everyone from toddler to elderly loves a good coloring session sometimes. We always keep a selection of art supplies and coloring book pages in the MILL–very handy for finals week stress relief! Be sure to download our UI Gem of the Mountains coloring books.
MakeyMakey
MakeyMakey is a simple gadget that turns anything into a touchpad! Connect the allegator clips to the MakeyMakey board and an object, then hold the ground wire. Touch the object to create a connection. The MakeyMakey acts like a keyboard or mouse for any program on your computer–get creative to come up with some wacky interfaces!
Here are some web apps to play with:
- Make music with MK-1, a Scratch piano (you can remix it!), MakeyMakey piano, or Bongos
- Try to master Scratch Tetris with your friends as the controller!
- Get silly with one button games like Platform rush, slimey-jump, treasure-hunter, space-line
Raspberry Pi
Raspberry Pi is a single board computer that is cheap, hackable, and fun! This simple computer runs Raspbian, a Linux-based operating system that can do everything it’s bigger laptop cousins can do. It comes pre-loaded with great software, like a special edition of Minecraft, the Scratch visual programming language, or Python Games ready for you to hack. RPI is great for learning to code, building projects, or just playing some games!
VR / AR
Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are emerging tech with ever increasing use cases. The MILL has several simple devices to start exploring the possibilities. Google Cardboard is a cheap way to transform your phone into a VR headset: