PHOTO ESSAY: Where Metro Detroit Invents

Maybe you've passed by a nondescript building and heard some noises you've never hear before. Industrial noises. Maybe a stereo blasting some vintage Metallica. You might conclude that it's just some metal shop. Maybe they make pipes. or work on engines.

But then you see some folks step inside. They're not burly machinists. They look more like someone you'd find hanging out at a college computer lab. Or a late night cafe. Except instead of a mocha lattes they're double-fisting cans of Monster and Red Bulls. Curiosity might lead you to investigate further. You open the door and inside is an eclectic mix of individuals, turning ordinary objects into something extraordinary.

Like Ted Sliwinski of OmniCorp Detroit and Mount Elliot Makerspace, who not only modifies mopeds and turns them into classy rides but also makes gold-encrusted "jort cannons". Or you might run into the Rushing brothers at TechShop Detroit, where they will be clad in spandex as they build their own American Gladiators Assault Course.  Or maybe when you peek into i3Detroit in Ferndale you'll see makers throwing an impromptu BBQ!

Welcome to the typical Metro Detroit "hackerspace," work studios where people come together to socialise, collaborate and, most importantly, create.

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