The 9th Annual World Maker Faire was held at the New York Hall of Science September 22-23, 2018. Showcasing more that 600 projects, it is the “largest celebration of invention, creativity, and curiosity” on the East Coast.
Of the many projects on display was a new creation that married two iconic games: SkeeBall and bowling.
Andrew Buczko, who goes by the handle calvinthedestroyer on YouTube, is a member of the Akron Makerspace and the head of Akron, OH-based Dungeon Studios, a firm that, according to it's website, not only offers prototyping services, but also produces movies. They called it the "Dungeon" because all of the gear is in the basement.
SkeeBowling is a 20-foot long, 8-foot high game that trades the traditional 3 1/8" Skee Ball ball for a 10-pound bowling ball. The game has an Arduino-powered scoring system, and Buczko sourced the rubber targets from industrial conveyor belts. The targets are also lined with carpeting to absorb the impact, and the entire game took 15 sheets of plywood to complete.
The first prototype was built out of cardboard, but it took a team of ten makers two weeks to make the concept a reality.
Buczko volunteers at the Makerspace as the facilities manager. He also maintains the electronics lab and helps teach classes. Some of his other interesting projects include Dance Dance Revolution pads made out of wood and a clock made out of Legos.
Thanks to Caleb Kraft (@calebkraft) for the find, and check out calvinthedestroyer’s projects on YouTube.
