Public Invention

10/10/2026

Join us Sunday, October 11, from 2:00–3:30 PM CST for a virtual Oct. Inventor Gathering featuring Victoria Jaqua, Co-Principal Investigator of the OpenDQM project, as she introduces this exciting research initiative.

🌐 Featured Project: OpenDQM — Open Distributed Quality Management

Financially sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF), OpenDQM is a Phase I research project exploring how an open-source, community-governed ecosystem could help makers, manufacturers, researchers, regulators, and standards organizations collaboratively define, validate, and steward quality practices for distributed manufacturing.

During this presentation, we'll explore how the project aims to:
🔹 Identify stakeholder needs and opportunities in distributed manufacturing.
🔹 Investigate current quality practices, technologies, and market readiness.
🔹 Explore collaboration with regulatory and certification organizations.
🔹 Prototype approaches to shared governance and data exchange. 🔹 Understand how consumers and makers can help shape the future of quality through training and engagement.

💡 Why attend?
✅ Attend the virtual gathering to learn more about OpenDQM.
✅ Connect with our research team to be interviewed and help inform this research. Your experiences, insights, and perspectives can help shape the project's direction.

When/Where
📅 Sunday, October 11th
🕑 2:00–3:30 PM Central Time
💻 Virtual seminar - Via Zoom!
Register Today - https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/WpclRLJ5QB6VYOq4JbXcEA

We look forward to bringing our community together to explore how we can make quality more collaborative, accessible, and trustworthy!

08/30/2026

💡 Have an invention idea that could make a difference? Bring it to our next Inventor Gathering!

Join Public Invention on Sunday, September 13 from 2:00–3:30 PM (CST) for a FREE, virtual Project Pitch Session via Zoom.

This is a chance to share an invention or engineering idea with a community that believes great ideas shouldn’t be locked behind patents or price tags. 🌎🔧

How it works:
- Bring your idea and a one-page summary explaining the problem, proposed solution, and why it matters.
- We'll review submissions for mission fit and technical feasibility
- Accepted projects will be published as an open-source project idea, giving people around the world the opportunity to build on it, improve it, and put it to work.

✨ No experience required—just curiosity, creativity, and a desire to make a difference.

Whether you're an inventor, engineer, maker, student, STEM professional, or simply someone with an idea worth exploring, you’re welcome to join us!

📅 Sunday, September 13
⏰ 2:00–3:30 PM CST
💻 Online via Zoom
🎟️ Registration required

👉 Event Details: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sept-inventor-gathering-project-pitch-session-tickets-1999224554460
Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/WpclRLJ5QB6VYOq4JbXcEA

Come share an idea. Maybe it’s the beginning of something that can help people around the world. 🌍

08/02/2026

🌍 How do open hardware and open science projects get funded?

From research grants and crowdfunding to institutional support, sponsorships, and community-driven funding, there are many ways to sustain open projects, but what actually works?

Join us for our August Inventor Gathering! This is a free virtual gathering hosted monthly and open to the public. This month we are hosting an informal discussion on funding strategies for open hardware and open science initiatives. We'll begin with a brief intro from our founder, then open the floor for a community conversation where participants can share experiences, ask questions, and exchange ideas.

Whether you're launching your first open project, looking for sustainable funding, working in this sector of non-profit work, or simply curious about how others make it work, all are welcome to join us.

📅 See the event details:
Date: Thurs, Aug 20th
Time: 8-9:30PM (CST)
Register via Zoom (Eventbrite TBA)- https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/WpclRLJ5QB6VYOq4JbXcEA

We look forward to the discussion!

07/15/2026

💡 What were the biggest takeaways from PubInv Con 2026? And where do we go from here?

Join us for our July Inventor Gathering: PubInv Con 2026 – A Retrospective & The Road Ahead as we recap the conference, share standout innovations, and discuss what's next for inventors, makers, and the public-interest innovation community.

Whether you attended PubInv Con 2026 or couldn't make it, this gathering is a great opportunity to:
🔹 Hear conference highlights and key insights
🔹 Learn about innovative projects and emerging ideas
🔹 Connect with fellow inventors, makers, engineers, and entrepreneurs
🔹 Discuss future opportunities for collaboration and community impact

Innovation doesn't stop when the conference ends; it grows through conversations like these. Come share your thoughts, ask questions, and help shape the road ahead.

📅 We'd love to see you there!

🎟️ Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1993978604683

Tag a fellow inventor, maker, or entrepreneur who should join the conversation!

Join us online to connect, create, and share cool new inventions with fellow inventors!

06/24/2026

This live boil test compares the EcoPot with standard, flask, and wavy pot designs. The EcoPot is optimized for cooking over open flame due to its rounded base and heat transfer fins. It will save time and fuel for communities throughout the world who use open fires for cooking and heating water.

This was recorded by Robert L. Read during the 2026 Public Invention Con in Austin, Texas on June 13th.

Learn more about the EcoPot project:

github.com/PubInv/EcoPot

pubinv.org/project/the-ecopot/

06/18/2026

🔧 What if hardware worked like Unix?

Most gadgets are built from the same basic ingredients: a microcontroller, some sensors, and a control system. Yet creating new devices often requires custom integration and reinvention.

The Rapid Gadgeteering Interface (RGI) explores a different approach—applying the Unix philosophy of modular, composable systems to physical computing. Imagine building gadgets from interoperable hardware components that can be connected, recombined, and repurposed as easily as software tools.

Join us for a discussion of how modular interfaces, physical composability, and reusable hardware building blocks could dramatically accelerate prototyping and gadget development.

📅 Thursday, June 18
🕗 8:00–9:30 PM CST
💻 Online via Zoom

Whether you're a maker, engineer, embedded developer, hardware hacker, researcher, or simply curious about the future of physical computing, you're welcome to join the conversation.

Register via Eventbrite and Zoom: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/june-2026-inventor-gathering-tickets-1992097508273

Discover the Rapid Gadgeteering Interface: Unix-inspired modular hardware for rapid prototyping and gadget creation.

06/11/2026

🚀 The countdown is on for PUBINV CON 2026!

Join public involvement professionals, community leaders, and industry innovators for an unforgettable experience of learning, collaboration, and connection.

✨ Inspiring speakers
🤝 Meaningful networking
💡 Innovative ideas shaping the future of public engagement

📅 PUBINV CON 2026 | SAT, JUN 13th | 9AM-5PM CST
📍 Austin Central Library - 710 W Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78701

Ready to be part of the conversation?
Register Here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/o/public-invention-17833601438

06/11/2026

🚀 The countdown is on for PUBINV CON 2026!

Join public involvement professionals, community leaders, and industry innovators for an unforgettable experience of learning, collaboration, and connection.

✨ Inspiring speakers
🤝 Meaningful networking
💡 Innovative ideas shaping the future of public engagement

📅 PUBINV CON 2026 | SAT, JUN 13th | 9AM-5PM CST
📍 Austin Central Library - 710 W Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78701

Ready to be part of the conversation?
Register Here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/o/public-invention-17833601438

06/09/2026

Technology can do more than innovate—it can improve lives.

Join us at Public InventionCon 2026 for a day of speakers, live demonstrations, and hands-on experiences focused on becoming Humanitarian Engineers and Public Inventors. Connect with innovators, engineers, students, researchers, and makers who are building open-source technologies to solve real-world challenges. From healthcare innovations and NASA-inspired technologies to breakthrough engineering projects, you'll discover how invention can create meaningful impact.

📅 June 13, 2026 | 9am-5pm (CST)
📍 Austin Central Library, Special Events Center

Whether you're a student, professional engineer, inventor, researcher, or simply passionate about technology for good, this event is designed to inspire action and collaboration.

Register today: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/public-inventioncon-2026-registration-1985257063318

06/08/2026

🚀 Why attend PI Con 2026?

Because the future belongs to those who are willing to learn, connect, and lead. 💡

At PI Con 2026, you'll gain game-changing insights from industry experts, build meaningful connections with innovators and decision-makers, discover emerging trends, and unlock opportunities that can elevate your career and business.

Whether you're looking to grow your network, sharpen your skills, or be inspired by what's next, PI Con 2026 is where it all happens.

✨ Learn. Connect. Innovate. Transform.

Don't just hear about the future—be part of creating it.

Join us Sat, June 13th | 9am-5pm CST at the Austin Central Library.
710 W Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78701