We’ve seen some amazing costumes brought to life with Maker skills. From moving masks and giant wings to a flickering cathedral dress, having a variety of techniques at your disposal can allow for some truly original ideas. Still, I never expected to see a public transit fare gate suit.
Taylor Waddell, who you may recognize from the OpenCAL Layerless 3D printer, saw a BART gateway and asked “why not?” It was largely built with a laser cutter at Jacob’s Makerspace at UC Berkeley, and features motorized doors and a job card reader. This is actually Waddell’s 2nd.
As it happens, there are actually multiple BART mascots to emulate; from Baylee the online influencer who loves Boba, to Barty “the reincarnated bunny spirit of a legacy car who has seen it all.” If you’re in the SF Bay Area and excited to show off your local public transit pride, Waddell just came up with one more idea to choose from. We also have some tips from professional cosplayers that will come in handy.
Featured photo by Bay Area Rapid Transit