Maker Faire Shenzhen makes AI's tomorrow tangible

The future of artificial intelligence was on full display at the Maker Faire Shenzhen 2025, which concluded yesterday at Design Commune in Vanke Cloud City, Nanshan District.

Now in its 14th year, the event is known for connecting makers and industries worldwide, having showcased tens of thousands of innovative applications and tech solutions.

A glance at Maker Faire Shenzhen 2025 held at Design Commune in Vanke Cloud City, Nanshan District. Photos courtesy of the organizer unless otherwise stated

An exhibitor introduces a product to a visitor at Maker Faire Shenzhen 2025.

Organized by Chaihuo Makerspace in partnership with Seeed Studio and Make Community, this year’s two-day event, themed “AI and More Things,” united makers, tech leaders, and academic institutions from more than 30 countries and regions. It also featured 145 pioneering projects and close to 1,000 demonstrations of AI hardware.

Prominent exhibitors such as Raspberry Pi, Hugging Face, Arm China, and D‑Robotics underscored the event’s significance with projects focused on applying AI to real-world challenges in intelligent manufacturing, agriculture, smart cities, culture and entertainment.

Erika Steel from DeepSea Developments hands game controllers to visitors.

Many robotics projects emphasized embodied intelligence, reflecting the growing integration of AI with mechanical control and environmental interaction.

“The wave of AI is enabling makers to evolve much faster. Competition around centralized large models has become a crowded, fierce ‘red ocean.’ In contrast, fragmented AI application scenarios are a ‘blue ocean’ for makers — a vast, open field of new opportunities,” said Eric Pan, founder of Seeed Studio and Chaihuo Makerspace, at a forum Saturday.

Booths bustle with tech enthusiasts.

Attendees participate in a workshop.

Children participate in a welding workshop yesterday. Photo by Cao Zhen

Nick Velasquez, CEO of DeepSea Developments, exhibited gadgets like robot companions and a video game. Describing the event’s biggest value as inspiration to Shenzhen Daily, he shared, “I see interesting things and am motivated to create more.”

Alfredo de Candia, founder and CTO of Hoken Tech, presented TrustWatch, an AI-driven mobile app that authenticates luxury watches. Users simply upload a photo of a watch dial to the app, which then analyzes various features. The app’s AI model has continuously improved to detect new counterfeits. He expected to meet potential customers at the fair and also planned to attend a fashion week event in Shenzhen this week.

Nick Velasquez (R) introduces prototypes to a visitor. Photo by Cao Zhen

Alfredo de Candia shows how TrustWatch works. Photo by Cao Zhen

Becky Stern smiles to visitors. Photo by Cao Zhen

U.S. designer and influencer Becky Stern, who has posted many DIY tech and craft tutorials online, showcased projects from controllers to knitting. She said that making and sharing are her two biggest passions.

Twelve‑year‑old Lee Choi‑hei from Man Kwan Pak Kau College in Hong Kong exhibited an intelligent indoor air-quality monitor that tracks PM2.5 and signals alerts with a face that either smiles or frowns. The college also displayed an e-bike parking app developed by two 13-year-old students; the app uses AI image recognition and public data to notify users of available parking spots.

The fair also offered 29 workshops for visitors of all ages and backgrounds, covering AI hardware, robotics, 3D printing, AI animation design, and more. Fifteen international makers shared insights and experiences in their evolution as creators.

Lee Choi‑hei from Man Kwan Pak Kau College in Hong Kong introduces his indoor air-quality monitor to visitors. Photo by Cao Zhen

International makers share insights.