Last night I had the pleasure of being a part of Open Hack Night at OmniCorpDetroit. Taking place the first and third Thursdays of each month, Open Hack Night invites all who are curious and interested to have a look at the inner workings of a space devoted to the projects of various makers, doers, tinkerers and visionaries. The space alone is the worth the visit — a stunning 3,000-square-foot warehouse at the Eastern Market, outfitted with welding equipment, a darkroom, a weaving loom and, really, just about any tool you can conceive of. As I toured the space, I had a fascinating conversation with a puppet maker, and I learned many new things, including what an oloid is, which I literally cannot explain. For that explanation, I’d recommend having a look at the blog of the man who showed me the many oloids he’s been working on, and who politely explained their history, function and physics to me, despite my obvious inability to grasp the heady concepts.

OmniCorpDetroit is based out of this warehouse in the Eastern Market. Image courtesy of Vanessa Miller

One of the projects-in-progress. Image courtesy of Vanessa Miller

A very brief selection of the many projects that have come out of the space includes various robots, a smoke ring cannon, an aural- and ocular-confusion defense system known as Threat Manager 2, hybrid bikes, custom saddlebags and tons more. Currently in its second year of existence, its membership levels continue to grow, and it serves as the home base of Motor City Riot, a group that rebuilds and tricks out mopeds.

OmniCorpDetroit’s logo. Image courtesy of Vanessa Miller

A member of the group hard at work. Image courtesy of Vanessa Miller

You’d be hard pressed to find more welcoming, inclusive and fascinating people than the folks over at Omni Corp Detroit, which has rapidly become one of the finest examples of Detroit’s DIY culture, garnering an assortment of well-deserved national media attention. They are holding their next Open Hack Night on August 16 from 8-11 p.m. See you there?

OmniCorpDetroit: 1501 East Division, at Eastern Market, Detroit; info [at] omnicorpdetroit.com; omnicorpdetroit.com.