The Arizona Science Center's Create lab is only on the cusp of its first birthday, but its founders believe it has already created a place for itself in the community.
"Makerspace is like a gym," Victor Surovec, the lab's woodshop manager, said. He has worked at the Arizona Science Center for many years, but is particularly excited about what the Create center has offered in just one.
"One of our members, she's got some disabilities, but she's made a (computer) mouse for her foot, so she can actually control her computer that way," he said.
This project takes place among others in the Create lab's three room facility.
"One for woodworking, one for artistry, and one for technology," said the center's media specialist, Michele Meyers.
The artistry and woodworking sections are impressive in their own right. The center of the woodworking lab is dominated by a computer-controlled routing machine, and the artistry lab has several small 3D printers.
That said, the tech lab and its laser cutters — each powered by a 60-watt laser and with a $60,000 price tag — steal the show.
In order to engrave whatever the designer chooses, the laser fires at a 45-degree angle into a gold-laced mirror. Another mirror sits at the same angle in a rod that passes overhead. The laser beam is reflected off of this mirror as well, into a small head moving rapidly back and forth across the rod, which has a final mirror, this one reflecting the beam straight down into the subject.
Jerome Villaflor, one of the two students under Surovec's tutelage, designed and crafted an award to commemorate a community service event put on by APS at the Create facility.
"We wanted to make something that reflected the location of the event," Jerome said. After inputting his design, it took the machine less than 4 minutes to complete his plaque.
Surovec said he wants to make the experience of completing an entire design and production process accessible to anyone.
"I lived in California for almost ten years, and I was really spoiled," Surovec said.
He recalled how California had an abundance of labs like Create — but none of them as accessible. Students only need to be thirteen to use the facility's equipment.
Surovec said he expects this younger generation of laser engravers and other creators will be working with much better equipment very soon.
"It's getting better and better," Surovec said, picking up a 3D-printed statuette of the Star Wars character Yoda.
"Ten years ago, for instance, you weren't going to have the servos and the control to take all these data points and work so quickly," he said, gesturing at the creases and folds in Yoda's face.
"If I were to have a model like this in 1997, and I were to move it," Surovec said, rotating Yoda's head in his hands, "Sometimes it would take overnight to calculate it all."
Now the process is instantaneous, and the result of this improved rendering is demonstrated throughout the lab. Dozens of 3D-printed and laser-cut figurines adorn the room.
"Where I see this place going, hopefully more people hear about us, and they come, and there's a community that's started, and they actually start to collaborate," Surovec said. "Hopefully we'll have people from all walks of life who'll come here and utilize the space, but also come to ask questions."
Create is located off of Washington and Fifth Streets in downtown Phoenix, and is open every day for visitors. Hours can be found on the Create lab website.
Reach the reporter at sdeadric@asu.edu or follow @deadrick_sam on Twitter.
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