Clermont Times

Transforming ideas into the physical world is at your fingertips.

Hands-on learning, problem-solving and creative experimentation are all available at the University of Cincinnati Ground Floor Makerspace.

This 12,000-square-foot space inside the UC 1819 Innovation Hub is home to state-of-the-art tools and equipment to bring any idea or product to life.

UC faculty, staff and students can access the space for free. However, the Makerspace also is accessible to residents of Cincinnati through a  membership, which provides community access for creating prototypes, works of art or everyday items.  

"We are here to support artists, designers, inventors, tailors, hobbyists, startups, small companies and everything in between."

 Benjamin Jones, Manager of the UC Ground Floor Makerspace

Benefits of empowerment

Benjamin Jones is manager of the Makerspace. A sculpture artist whose commissioned works have been exhibited and installed across the country, Jones previously served as an assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he built a smaller-scale makerspace before arriving at UC in 2018.

He described the Makerspace as a resource supporting the entire university.

"Think about a library and how it serves as a resource to the community. We are that resource for the university," Jones said.

Frequent users bringing ideas to life:

• Artists, crafters and do-it-yourselfers
• Engineers
• Designers-interior and fashion
• Researchers
• Students

Why the Makerspace matters

• Access to equipment                                                                                                         

Specialized tools can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars and take up valuable space in your garage or workshop. The Makerspace offers numerous technologies under one roof. The cost of renting one device for a day could give you access to a month’s worth of accessible tools for your project.

• Training                                                                                                                                  

Safety is the number one priority of the Makerspace. Training and supervision are provided for experiential workshops and processes on various equipment such as digital 3-D printers, fabrication equipment, laser cutting, sewing machines and woodworking tools. 

• Entrepreneurial support                                                                                                    

“We are uniquely designed to support commercialization,” Jones said. “We are here at the early phases of development to help would-be entrepreneurs fine-tune a device or test whether a product is viable and scalable. Identifying issues early on saves time and money.”                                                             For large scale production needs, the Makerspace can help connect individuals with resources in the community.

Original source can be found here.