Fab Lab: shifting e-learning from bits to atoms; International Fab Lab Association; Pieter van der Hijden (The Netherlands); Lindi Mophuti (South Africa); Presented at "eLearning Africa 2012"; Cotonou, Bénin, 23-25 May 2012.
1. FAB LAB: SHIFTING E-LEARNING FROM BITS TO ATOMS
International Fab Lab Association
Pieter van der Hijden (The Netherlands)
Lindi Mophuti (South Africa)
2012 –Pieter van der Hijden (pvdh@sofos.nl) and Lindi Mophuti (lmophuti@csir.co.za) - This
work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution- Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
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4. INTRODUCTION
How it started
Prof. Neil Gershenfeld
Center for Bits and Atoms
Massachusetts Institute of
Technology
Course: How to make
(almost) anything
Outreach activity
Set-up some simple and
cheap (50k USD) Fab Labs
Autonomous initiatives
Now 140 Fab Labs
worldwide
All continents
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5. WHAT IS A FAB LAB
Who are visiting us
What do we offer
What will they find
What will they do
How about costs
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6. WHAT IS A FAB LAB: WHO ARE VISITING US
People looking for practical
training
Individuals, tinkerers,
inventors, crafters
Children and youth, both
school classes and
neighbourhood groups
Community groups, adults,
women
SME’s
Innovation teams,
researchers, students
“Tourists”
Etc.
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7. WHAT IS A FAB LAB: WHAT DO WE OFFER
Empowerment
Education
Problem solving
Invention
Job creation Job Creation
Invention Problem Solving
Education
Empowerment
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8. WHAT IS A FAB LAB: WHAT WILL THEY FIND
Free/open access
Fab charter
Tools and processes
Laser cutter (and engraver)
Milling machine
Vinyl cutter
Additive machine , e.g. 3D
printer
Video conferencing
Computers
Software
documentation
Skilled staff and volunteers
Cooperation with other Fab
Labs
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9. WHAT IS A FAB LAB: WHAT WILL THEY DO
Solve local problems
with our means for
developing
technological solutions
Conceptualize, design,
develop, fabricate and
test almost anything
Prototypes
Unique products
Small batches
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10. WHAT IS A FAB LAB: HOW ABOUT COSTS?
Access at some times is
free; materials used
maybe not
Other services might
have a price
Financial; sustainability
is a challenge
Set-up costs about 50k
USD (machines only)
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11. WHAT IS A FAB LAB: NEW: THE MINI FAB LAB
Mini Fab Lab for
personal fabrication
Set-up costs 5k USD
Examples:
A3 Vinyl cutter usd 300
Simple laser cutter usd
1500
3d printer DIY usd 800
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12. OUR ECOSYSTEM
Local level:
autonomous (or
embedded) Fab Labs
Regional level:
non-profit organizations to
support Fab Labs
Global level:
MIT/CBA
Fab X annual conference
Fab Academy
International Fab Lab
Association (natural
persons)
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13. FAB LAB AFRICA
Current situation
Swot analysis
Perspective
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15. FAB LAB AFRICA: SWOT ANALYSIS
Strengths
Range of high-tech tools and hand tools
Fixed and Mobile Fab Labs as a platform
Weaknesses
Geographical positioning
Sustainable funding model
Too many visions
Opportunities
Alignment with National Priorities
Integration of school curricula into Fab Lab model
Linkages with other similar initiatives
Threats
Support staff turnaround (retention of capable staff)
Lack of support from identified partners
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16. FAB LAB AFRICA: PERSPECTIVE
Coming soon
Fab Lab Africa Network Alliance
(FAN)
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17. CONCLUSION
From bits to atoms,
welcome next step in
exploring, learning and
training
eLearning extended to
learning to design,
learning to make
(worldwide)
Where to start?
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18. CONCLUSION
Movie “A Fab Lab in three words” by Susanna
Tesconi, Fab Lab Barcelona
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19. REFERENCES
Business model generation; a handbook for visionaries, game changers, and challengers; Alexander Osterwalder et
al.; John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken NJ, USA, 2010.
CBA - The Center for Bits and Atoms; web site; http://cba.mit.edu/
Design Thinking for Educators; Design Team Riverdale Country School and IDEO; 2011.
Fab Central; website; http://fab.cba.mit.edu/
Fab Lab Locations; FabWiki; website; http://wiki.fablab.is/wiki/Portal:Labs
Fab; the coming revolution on your desktop; from personal computers to personal fabrication; Neil Gershenfeld; Basic
Books, New York, USA, 2005.
FabLab Business Models; presentation to the first Artilect FabLab Conférence; Peter Troxler; Toulouse, 20-23 October
2011.
FabYearBook 2011; another year of growth; Ton Zijlstra (ed.); 2011.
International Fab Lab Association; web site; http://www.fablabinternational.org
Open design now; why design cannot remain exclusive; Bas van Abel et al.; Bis Publishers, Amsterdam, The
Netherlands, 2010.
Special report: Manufacturing and Innovation; The Economist; print edition 21 April 2012.
Survey of ICT and Education in Africa: A Summary Report, Based on 53 Country Surveys; Glen Farrell & Shafika Isaacs
(eds.); infoDev / World Bank, Washington DC, USA, 2007.
The butterfly paper no.1; Sophie Koers; Butterfly Works; 2008.
The futures of technology in Africa; Jasper Grosskurth; STT, The Hague, The Netherlands, 2010.
Transformation-Ready: The strategic application of information and communication technologies in Africa; Education
Sector Study; Lishan Adam et al.; African Development Bank, the World Bank and the African Union; 2011.
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20. THANK YOU!
International Fab Lab Association
www.fablabinternational.org
Pieter van der Hijden
Sofos Consultancy, The Netherlands – pvdh@sofos.nl
Lindi Mophuti
CSIR, South Africa – lmophuti@csir.co.za
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