At the World Maker Faire, "do not touch" was not part of the equation.

Held last weekend in Queens, New York, the Maker Faire brought together scientists, artists, inventors, and curious local residents to share and explore inventions large and small. "It's in the image of the county fair," says Margaret Honey, CEO of the New York Hall of Science, which hosted the second annual event, " but rather than pigs and pork it's rockets and robots."

The two-day event featured robots doing most anything—from wandering around to drumming—as well as a laser-cut, LED-lit waterfall; a fire-breathing dragon play structure; a one-handed glove that acts as a keyboard; and much more. Honey hopes that the playful element of the event will show kids that science and technology are fun and exciting career possibilities.

"We're really focused on creating new approaches to learning and engagement that sit at intersection of design, make, and play," Honey says. "The idea was really to bring makers out of their homes, workshops, garages, whatever, into the community where they could interact with one another."

Photos courtesy of Andrew Kelly and Shimpei Takeda for the New York Hall of Science

Braindrop is a 17-foot-tall, 10-foot-wide, 5,000-pound water drop made of laser-cut steel and illuminated by LED lights.

The Life Size Mousetrap is a 16-piece, 50,000-lb. interactive kinetic sculpture set atop a 6,500-square-foot game board. This giant Rube Goldberg-style contraption includes music, clowns, can-can dancers, and acrobats.

GonKiRin is a steel fire-breathing dragon sculpture and playground built on the frame of a 1963 dump truck. Measuring nearly 60 feet from nose to tail, she features a DJ booth inside.

General Electric's solar-powered carousel, a star attraction with kids.

Liron Dan of Circus Warehouse, a training program for circus performers, swinging from silks at the Maker Faire.

The Sashimi Tabernacle Choir car has 250 electromechanical singing fish and lobsters, powered by nearly 300 pounds of batteries.

A budding inventor building her own project out of popsicle sticks and straws.

Geysers of soda shooting more than 20 feet into the air in a Mentos-powered version of the Bellagio Fountains.

Deus Ex Machina uses the motion of a swing to pump water and create a waterfall from above.