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A Fab Lab (fabrication laboratory) is a small-scale workshop with an array of computer controlled tools that cover several different length scales and various materials, with the aim to make "almost anything". This includes technology-enabled products generally perceived as limited to mass production.
While Fab Labs have yet to compete with mass production and its associated economies of scale in fabricating widely distributed products, they have already shown the potential to empower individuals to create smart devices for themselves. These devices can be tailored to local or personal needs in ways that are not practical or economical using mass production.
Examples of flexible manufacturing equipment within a fab lab:
- Laser cutter, plasma cutter and water jet cutter - sheet material cutting
- CNC machines - computer controlled mills, lathes etc
- Rapid prototyper - essentially 3D printing with plastic
- Printed circuit board milling
The fab lab program was started in the Media Lab at MIT, a collaboration between the Grassroots Invention Group and the Center for Bits and Atoms (CBA) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, broadly exploring how the content of information relates to its physical representation, and how a community can be powered by technology at the grassroots level. While the Grassroots Invention Group is no longer in the Media Lab, The Center for Bits and Atoms consortium is still actively involved in continuing research in areas related to description and fabrication but does not operate or maintain any of the labs worldwide (with the exception of the mobile fab lab).
The fab lab concept also grew out of a popular class at MIT (MAS.863) named "How To Make (Almost) Anything". The class is still offered in the fall semesters.
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Lab Locations
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As of June 2008, there were 34 labs in 10 countries. A partial list is:
MIT Global Lab List: [1]
North America
- mobile fab lab : a fab lab in a trailer!
- USA, California, San Diego : run by the Heads on Fire organization
- USA, Illinois, Chicago : in the Museum of Science and Industry, Fab Lab MSI
- USA, Massachusetts, Boston : in the South End Technology Center
- USA, Minnesota, White Bear Lake : in Century College
- USA, New York, South Bronx : run by the Sustainable South Bronx
- USA, Ohio, Elyria : in the Lorain County Community College
- USA, Ohio, East Cleveland : in the MC2STEM School on the GE Nela Park campus
- USA, Oklahoma, Ponca City : run by Pioneer Technology Center (Mobile Lab)
- USA, Oklahoma, Claremore : run by Will Rogers Junior High School
- USA, Oklahoma, Tulsa : in work, planned by Kendall Whittier, Inc.
- USA, Wisconsin, Appleton, in the Fox Valley Technical College
Central/South America
Africa
- Ghana, Sekondi-Takoradi : in the Takoradi Technical Institute
- South Africa, Bloemfontein : Central University of Technology
- South Africa, Cape Town : Cape Craft and Design Institute
- South Africa, Kimberly : Northern Cape Higher Education Institute
- South Africa, Potchefstroom : North West University
- South Africa, Soshanguve : in the BMW community center, run by the Bright Youth Council and sponsored by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
- Kenya, Nyanza : in Majiwa, Bondo District. Run by ARO Fablab sponsored by ARCKenya, ARC-Aid and Norad Norway
- Kenya, Nairobi : in the University of Nairobi, run by the School of Engineering
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Asia
- Afghanistan, Jalalabad : the flagship lab
- India, Pabal : in the Vigyan Ashram school
- Iran, Tehran : run by the Carbonstudio
Europe
- Iceland, Vestmannaeyjar : at the Icelandic Innovation Center
- Norway, Lyngen : also the headquarters of the Fab Foundation.
- Netherlands, Amsterdam : in the Waag Society
- Netherlands, Eindhoven, Tilburg : Free Form Fab
- Netherlands, The Hague : in the CabFab
- Netherlands, Utrecht : ProtoSpace
- Spain, Barcelona : in the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia
- Norway, Høylandet : The FabLab in Mid Norway.
See also
- Fab Lab at MSI
- Fabber
- Hackerspace
- Rapid prototyping
- Self-replicating
- Von Neumann machines
- Desktop manufacturing
- Self-replicating machine
References
- Gershenfeld, Neil A.; Fab : the coming revolution on your desktop--from personal computers to personal fabrication, Basic Books, New York, 2005, ISBN 0-465-02745-8
External links
General / Networks
- Fab Lab Central at CBA
- FabFolk: Fab users group
- Amy's Fab Blog: unofficial news, updates, notes, observations, articles, and photos
- (early) Fabrication Lab's Webpage
Press / Media
Related Projects
Lab Sites
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