Fab Lab: shifting e-learning from bits to atoms

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FAB LAB: SHIFTING E-LEARNING FROM BITS TO ATOMS

International Fab Lab AssociationPieter van der Hijden (The Netherlands)

Lindi Mophuti (South Africa)

2012 –Pieter van der Hijden ([email protected]) and Lindi Mophuti ([email protected]) - This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution- Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.

mailto:[email protected]


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AGENDA

Introduction What is a Fab Lab? Our eco-system Fab Lab Africa Conclusion

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INTRODUCTION

Movie “Full Printed” by GrafixTV

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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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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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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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WHAT IS A FAB LAB: WHAT DO WE OFFER

Empowerment Education Problem solving Job creation Invention

Invention

Job Creation

Problem Solving

Education

Empowerment

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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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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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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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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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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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FAB LAB AFRICA

Current situation Swot analysis Perspective

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FAB LAB AFRICA: CURRENT SITUATION

Benin: Porto Novo: Songhai

Burkina Fasso: Ouagadougou

Ghana: Accra Kenya: Kisumu, Nairobi Mali: Bamako Namibia: Windhoek South Afrika: Bloemfontein,

Cape Town, Pretoria, Kimberly, Potchefstroom, Sedibeng, Soshanguve, Limpopo, Thokoza

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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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FAB LAB AFRICA: PERSPECTIVE

Coming soon

Fab Lab Africa Network Alliance (FAN)

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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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CONCLUSION

Movie “A Fab Lab in three words” by Susanna Tesconi, Fab Lab Barcelona

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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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THANK YOU!

International Fab Lab Associationwww.fablabinternational.org

Pieter van der HijdenSofos Consultancy, The Netherlands – [email protected]

Lindi MophutiCSIR, South Africa – [email protected]

http://www.fablabinternational.org/



Fab Lab: shifting e-learning from bits to atoms

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