President Obama met a 17-foot electric giraffe named Russell Wednesday as part of the White House Maker Faire on the South Lawn.
The event came as part of an effort to emphasize new tools and technologies to boost the economy and strengthen math and science education..
“We’ve got to make sure that more Americans have the skills and opportunities to land a job in a growing industry or to create entire new industries,” Obama said. “That’s why I’m declaring today a national day of making.”
More than 100 “makers” from 25 states were at the White House, among them Lindsay Lawlor of San Diego. Lawlor created Russell, a 17-foot-tall, 2,200-lb robotic giraffe powered by a hybrid fuel-engine motor and scoots around on wheels.
Also, the giraffe-bot is ticklish, because this is America and we build our robots to have feelings.
"He has kind of a British accent," Obama says of robot Giraffe on the South Lawn at WH's #MakerFaire "Ha ha that tickles," giraffe responds
— lesley clark (@lesleyclark) June 18, 2014
After owner says they could ride the giraffe, Obama says "the Secret Service would not let us do that"
— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) June 18, 2014
Not to be outdone, Rep. Bill Foster (IL-11) bumped into none other than Bill Nye the Science Guy at the faire.
Ran into @TheScienceGuy at the @WhiteHouse Maker Faire #NationOfMakers #BillSquared pic.twitter.com/xquKzANdCd
— Congressman Bill Foster (@RepBillFoster) June 18, 2014
And for the record…
"Why is there an 'e' on the end of faire?" Obama asks of Maker Faire. "Is there jousting?..This is America. We don't have e's at end of fair
— lesley clark (@lesleyclark) June 18, 2014
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
