Recommended Free Tools
Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Free scan · under a minute
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?
Free scan · Windows 10 & 11
Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
Free scan · exact hardware match
ThatPainter is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn More
Make:’s A Year in Making: Maker Faire Yearbook 2025 is a curated look at maker projects and the people producing Maker Faires around the world—not a complete catalog or a product you need to buy. Published December 15, 2025, the feature identifies AI and robotics as prominent themes while showcasing work in engineering, craft, art, education, performance, and assistive technology.
What the 2025 Maker Faire Yearbook is
Jennifer Blakeslee’s year-in-review feature collects examples of work shared at Maker Faires and celebrates the local producers who create spaces for experimentation and collaboration. Make: says the annual yearbook effort began in 2023. It is an editorial showcase of selected projects, not a single physical yearbook product or a comprehensive global inventory. Read the 2025 feature at Make:.
Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchWindows Errors? Fix Them Before They Spread
Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallThe selection has limits: Blakeslee notes that it draws from many hundreds of projects, while some activities are spontaneous, some cannot be shared for privacy reasons, and some have not yet reached the database. The feature therefore offers a window into the year, not a basis for calculating how many makers, events, or projects there were worldwide.
#1 Best Overall
- 【Professional Function Design】This 60w 110v pencil-type soldering iron features adjustable temperatures(392 ℉-842 ℉/200-450 ℃) and thermostatic setting. In addition, our soldering iron with ON/OFF Switch, which is easy to save energy and ensure safe welding.
- 【Heats Up Quickly & Heat Dissipation Efficiently 】Our soldering iron adopts the advanced ceramic heating core to heat up to reach the desired temperature within 15 secs. Four ventilation holes on the solder iron, reducing the temperature conducted from the tip to the handle.
- 【Must-Have Soldering Iron Kit】Kit Includes soldering iron, simple stand, conventional sponge, 5pcs interchangeable solder tips, fine 0.6mm solder wire, no-clean solder rosin flux paste. It has all the materials you need to get started.
- 【Wide Application】Widely used for welding circuit board, appliance repair, jewelry and metal headdress making, computer, and DIY. Perfect for beginners, welders, basic household equipment, welding engineer training, etc. Excellent Gifts for Fathers Day!
- 【Portable kit & Quality service 】Compared with soldering iron station, our soldering gun kit is portable to carry, just plug then use.
What stood out in 2025
Blakeslee points to AI and robotics as leading subjects in the yearbook, including humanoid robots and AI integration in the Internet of Things. This is the feature’s editorial characterization of its material, not a measured survey of every Maker Faire or exhibit.
Robotics, mechanisms, and performance
At Maker Faire Hannover, Spanish group Antigua y Barbuda presented La Danseuse, a five-meter mechanical ballerina. The same feature describes Hebocon, a competition that celebrates intentionally simple, imperfect robots. Together, these examples show how maker robotics can range from elaborate kinetic spectacle to playful, low-barrier experimentation.
Rank #2
- 【High Efficiency and Safety】The soldering iron has an on/off key for energy saving and safe soldering, it is a 110V 60W adjustable temperature electric soldering iron, which heats up faster. Six air vents extend the life of the soldering iron and effectively prevent the soldering iron from overheating.
- 【Temperature Adjustment】This soldering iron comes with an on/off switch, you can turn off the device at will when not in use, ensuring safe soldering and energy saving. The adjustable temperature range of 200 to 450°C allows you to get the job done under different conditions.
- 【Meet Your Any Needs】Different shapes of soldering iron tips can be easily used on guitars, watches, wires, mobile devices, computer hardware, small electronics, TV capacitors or accessories.
- 【Larger capacity】We have made corresponding adjustments according to the feedback of customers, and the capacity of solder wire and solder paste has been increased, so that you do not need to purchase additional
- 【Creative Design】The ergonomically designed handle and high temperature resistant silicone protective cover can protect your hands for long-term use of welding items and have a comfortable grip and anti-slip effect. At the same time, the use of insulating rubber materials improves the safety of the soldering iron.
Assistive and human-centered technology
At Maker Faire Rome, Valerio Spelati’s HugLab uses interactive soft pets designed to support autistic children and gather data about interactions. The feature also describes Morph, a human-powered, load-bearing exoskeleton intended to reduce physical strain. These are project descriptions; the yearbook does not establish clinical efficacy.
Blakeslee also quotes Bodo Hoenen describing a brain-controlled exoskeleton built for his daughter. Hoenen says it was “100X cheaper, 10X lighter” and that his daughter recovered 60% of her strength. Those are his reported project and medical-outcome claims as quoted by Make:, not independently verified comparative measurements or clinical findings.
Rank #3
- 1️⃣[Upgrade & Heat up Quickly]: This soldering iron adopts a premium ceramic core with 80w High Power, which heats up to operating temperatures in 10 seconds, and its heat output to hold at a constant temperature. The 110-120Volt digital soldering iron can be accurately adjusted to 180℃-480℃/ 356°F-896°F and switch between ℃ / °F.
- 2️⃣ [Automatic Sleeping & Temperature Memory]: In power on state, If the smart soldering iron is placed on the stand for 5 minutes, it will auto decrease temperature to extend heating core lifetimes (LCD displays "OFF"). Holding the soldering iron handle will restore the heating. If you turn off the solder iron at 356°F, when you turn it on next time, it will auto heat up to 356°F.
- 3️⃣[Clear Digital Display & Anti-scalding Handle]: A high-definition LCD screen display, which indicates the temperature status more clearly, so you don't worry about finding the right temperature and you can really tell how hot it is and accurately control the heat. Heat-resistant handles can insulate temperature effectively to get a long cool handle.
- 4️⃣[Use-Friendly & Widely Use]: Compared with soldering iron station, this lightweight soldering kit for electronics is portable, easy to use or carry, just plug and play. You can widely use this solder kit for welding circuit boards, home DIY soldering, jewelry welding, appliance and electronics repairs etc.
- 5️⃣[Design & 100% After-sales]: This lcd soldering iron was designed in Chicago, USA. We have a strict quality management system, Liouhoum soldering iron kit is put onto the market after testing. 💯We offer an 24-month replacement service if it stops working. Please feel free to contact us if there is any issue when you receive or use our products and we will get back to you within 12 hours.
Craft, science, and learning
Keio University’s Future Crafts exhibit at Maker Faire Tokyo combined indigo dye fermentation with electrical energy, linear actuators, and fabric patterning. A separate Young Makers prize project made a spherical display by freezing soap bubbles and projecting images onto them. These projects connect material craft and visual experimentation with engineering concepts.
Light art and creative electronics
Maker Faire Bay Area examples included Oscillara, a light sculpture built from PVC tubes, mirrors, addressable LEDs, Pixelblaze controllers, and custom 3D patterns; Dimensional Dreams, a layered acrylic light box with Arduino-controlled LED animations; and Tesseract, an installation using mirrors and LEDs. They illustrate how electronics can serve as part of an artwork’s form and experience, rather than simply powering a conventional device.
Rank #4
- Fast Heating & Adjustable Temperature - This digital soldering station heats up fast and has a wider temperature range (194℉~896) to choose from. The soldering iron can stay at the set temperature consistently with its PID temperature stabilization. This product conforms to the UL Standard (U.S.), [an Important Evaluation for Electric Appliances Safety].
- Space Saving – This compact soldering station helps save precious work space with an integrated soldering iron holder to provider greater space saving. The metallic protective mesh at the rear of the station prevents accidental contact with the soldering iron, and the mesh comes with soldering tip storage slots.
- Functions & Features – includes easy °C to °F conversion, Sleep Mode (5/10/30 mins adjustable), and Digital Temperature Calibration. All functions and temperature read-outs are displayed via a digital display, and accessed via a master control knob. The station enters sleep mode when non-use is detected for longer than the set duration to reduce unnecessary wear for the soldering tip and heating element.
- 12-IN-1 – This soldering iron kit includes the YIHUA 926 III Soldering Station, 2 Helping Hands, 6 Soldering Tips(YIHUA #1200/900M Series), Roll of Lead-free Solder Wire (35g), Solder Sucker, ESD Safe Tweezers, Solder Wire Dispenser, Cleaning Sponge.
- Choose YIHUA with Confidence – Enjoy our 12-month US- exclusive manufacturer technical coverage and 24/7 professional assistance on Amazon. Note: This model is designed to operate on 110-127V with a US-standard power plug.
Creative computing in Shenzhen
The Shenzhen examples included keyboard-and-mouse performance instruments and a real-time agentic VJ system described as using on-device multimodal AI. These are descriptions of creative projects, not product recommendations or endorsements.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →More examples from a local project directory
The official Maker Faire Philadelphia 2025 projects directory lists examples such as kitebuilding, a multi-bit screwdriver designed for makers, a portable 3D printer, and combat robotics. The page displays 53 results for its Philadelphia event filter. That count belongs to that local directory page; it is not a total for the global yearbook.
Best Value
- 【Upgrade Technology】The soldering iron is upgraded 80W High Power, and can make the soldering iron quickly heat up within 20 seconds; This soldering iron can accurately adjust the temperature and a flexible temperature range of 180℃-480℃/ 356°F-896°F.
- 【Clear Digital Display】A high-definition LCD screen display, which indicates the temperature status more clearly, so you don’t need to worry about finding the right temperature for each welding job.
- 【Efficient Heat Dissipation and Anti-scalding Handle】The four ventilation holes on the solder tip provide better heat dissipation than others. Heat-resistant handle can insulate temperature effectively and is more suitable for long-term welding and repair work.
- 【Wide Application】widely used for welding circuit board, appliance repair, jewelry and metal headdress making, computer, and DIY. Very suitable for beginners, welders, basic household equipment, welding engineer training, etc.
- 【Must-have Soldering Iron Kit】Kit Includes soldering iron, tips,simple soldering iron stand, conventional sponge,solder wire,flux paste . A good basic soldering iron set that has all the materials you need to get started.
How to make sense of the projects
Because the yearbook brings together unlike projects rather than competing products, it does not support a single ranking or like-for-like product comparison. A useful way to explore it is to compare projects by what they do and how people encounter them:
- Discipline: robotics, craft, art, assistive technology, or creative computing.
- Interaction: a demonstration, performance, installation, or hands-on activity.
- Materials and techniques: from fabric and fermentation to LEDs, actuators, and AI-enabled systems.
- Audience and setting: who the project is designed for and how it fits its local Faire.
This framework is a way to navigate the variety, not a ranking published by Make:.
Is there a yearbook product to buy?
The title refers to an online Make: feature and showcase. The sources establish neither a print edition nor one central tool, kit, or material required to understand the yearbook. Individual projects use different equipment and supplies, but none is presented as the yearbook’s necessary purchase.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
