Liverpool Makefest 2024 hosted the Quantum Technology Club for its premier event of the year on Saturday, July 6th. On display where completed projects, old and new; our multi-colour and multi-faceted Quantum logo; Quandome, QuanTV, QuanPixel, and QuanTris.
QuanDome
QuanDome is our flag-ship project and was completed in time for the 2023 Liverpool Makefest. It is a series of illuminated triangles that form a complete spherical object. The arms of each triangle contain lots of Neo-pixels, programmable LEDs, that are individually controllable for colour and brightness. The large companion controller, that resembles a small aircraft control panel, enables members of the public to control the pattern/sequences of lighting that the dome displays, its speed and a host of other aspects of the dome’s function.
This is, by far, the largest, most complex and expensive project that we have completed to-date. Assembly takes around half-an-hour and requires around five assistants.
QuantTV – new for Liverpool Makefest 2024
Undertaken to debut at Liverpool Makefest 2024, QuanTV is our new retro-designed information panel. Featuring large arcade game-machine like illuminated buttons and a 17″ 4:3 LCD display, visitors can get QuanTV to display lots of interesting information about the Quantum Technology Club following a retro-style hierarchical, yet intuitive, menu system.
QuanPixel – also new for Liverpool Makefest 2024
Another project that debuted at Liverpool Makefest 2024 was QuanPixel. It features a display constructed using more Neo-pixels – we like Neo-pixels. Fed with an image from a webcam, it builds works of low resolution art in real-time. When not utilising a live feed, QuanPixel will display random sequences of patterns that take us right back to the swinging psychedelic sixties.
QuanTris
A firm favourite of visitors to our stand over the years has been QuanTris. This is the second major project we undertook and it features …
… go on, guess what it features …
… yep, you got it, lots of Neo-pixels, but this time inside ball-pool balls. They form a display that was initially designed to enable folk to play a blocks game that is similar to another popular game that seems to have been around for generations. To go with it, we built an instantly recognisable giant controller that took inspiration from another device of a certain vintage.
For Liverpool Makefest 2024 it has, however, received a major update. Instead of being a one-trick pony, it has been adapted to accept large 3D printed cartridges that we can program to enable visitors to play a number of disfferst games on the display. This year we had the original block game and another old favourite that might resemble a game called Breakout. We hope to develop more cartridges fort future events.
Amateur Radio
The Quantum Technology Club is not just about electronics, making and coding, many of our members are licensed amateur radio operators and enjoy communicating with other radio amateurs around the world, and even out into space. Our friends from the North Wales Digital Radio Group assisted us with a display of wireless radio communications that utilises the Internet to get RF (radio frequency) signals from one side of the earth, to the other. We also had our Morse-maestro on hand to give the youngsters and opportunity to key out some Morse Code.
Techno-crafting
Another activity several of our members enjoy is tech-crafting; this is the use of technology to craft and make things. Techno-crafting includes 3D printing, vinyl cutting and sublimation printing. Most of our projects feature lots of 3D printed parts. All of the labels and logos were vinyl cut and all of the staff clothing was produced in-house using these methods. We also had a live mug creation facility on the stand were visitors could purchase their own custom-made mugs.
Liverpool Makefest 2024 becomes Liverpool Makefest 2025
As Liverpool Makefest 2024 drew to a close, the organisers were telling us about the next event. Liverpool Makefest 2025 will be tenth such exhibition and they’re thinking big. Each year there is a theme, and next year it will be ‘history’. We’re on it already; we have lots of ideas. The problem will be whittling them down to fit the venue.
Come along and get involved
If you are interested in electronics, coding, making, amateur radio, or techno-crafting come along to our meetings and join us. If you’re new to these areas of technology, then come along and get started with the help of our more experienced members – you’ll be made most welcome.
We’re having a break for the summer, but we’ll be back up and running in September.
Members also get a sneak preview of, and the opportunity to work on, our projects for next year’s Liverpool Makefest 2025.