FabLab.nl

We had the pleasure to welcome Ronen Kadushin at the Fabtafel. He told us about the fundamentals of Open Design – an alternative design and development method that frees a designer to pursue creative expressions. It follows the example of Open Source Software.

We got a sneak-preview of the (Un)limited Design Contest which was opened on 13 August at Hacking at Random (HAR).

And we heard from the Spullenmen about their approach to Fablab, about their Open Toko, a series of workshops about technical topics in the field of art, design and technology.

For their (planned) Fablab they are investigating a way to encourage sharing: when sending a design to e.g. the lasercutter, users should have to choose to share it or to pay for the use of the machine. This would ideally be integrated into the workflow, e.g. as part of the “print” dialogue or when transferring the design to the controller computer.

Every now and then we publish articles at FabLab.nl in English. Usually because the posting is about something of general interest to the wider global FabLab network. To facilitate that, we have now created a seperate RSS feed with postings in English.

Add this new RSS feed to your feedreader, and follow the Dutch FabLabs more closely.

As part of a guest lecture on supporting knowledge work in complex environments and creating circumstances for community building, I worked with a group of students ‘concept and product design’ in the last month. We used FabLab as a case. I asked the students to come up with both on- and off-line elements to help strengthen the global network of FabLab, and stimulate community forming.

Dutch FabLabs as Accelerator
The Netherlands has a large density of FabLab initiatives (3 operational labs, about 5 in various stages of development, all within 2.5 hrs driving distance). This gives us unique opportunities. Globally the FabLab network is highly fragmented. As FabLabs are started, especially if its a completely local initiative, they are focussed on bootstrapping themselves into existence, not on connecting to the outside world. The high density of labs in the Netherlands allows us however to connect people and FabLabs much more easily. First having a number of FabLabs within close vicinity allows experiments in community building basically ‘locally’, without the need to do everything at a global scale immediately. Second the high density creates an ‘acceleration room’, it is the ‘city’ in the FabLab landscape, allowing quick iterations of those different experiments in community building. Successful community building efforts can then be offered to other FabLabs worldwide, or attract attention by themselves from the wider FabLab network.

Existing Building Blocks
Of course there are already all kinds of things going on. To name a few:
The Dutch FabLabs are building a sharing platform, allowing different FabLabs to interact and share both content and user accounts easily;
FabLab Academy is being set-up, which is a collective educational programme coordinated by MIT;
There is a (almost) yearly FabLab conference, the next one coming August in Pune, India;
A number of FabLabs use a collective video-conferencing system.

Challenges
There are also challenges that will play a role when scaling up efforts to the global FabLab network:
Because FabLabs work locally, they are all firmly rooted in their own context, character and language. While this is a rich source of diversity, making global sharing of knowledge and designs more valuable, it also means there is little in terms of shared language, shared branding and iconography;
Access to enough bandwith or even internet itself is not guaranteed for each FabLab. This may imply having local copies of e.g. information, with periodical synchronization, or at the least more asynchronous communication;
FabLab challenges conventional notions of production. It brings industrial machinery in the hands of individuals. The ‘otherness’ of the concept is a source of attraction but may mean it’s actually harder to explain to others, before you have ‘proof’ of what it can mean.

Students trying out FabLab

Suggested Ideas
Most of the students handled the assignment well. What turned out to be very important is that a group of them visited the FabLab in Utrecht, Protospace, to experience first hand what a FabLab is, as well as see the machines and video conferencing equipment working. Those that visited Protospace did a whole lot better than those that didn’t. Some of the ideas that were generated:

- Global single sign-on for FabLab users;
- FabTube, video tutorials;
- FabCases, instructables;
- A credit system (valid in every FabLab, you get credit for sharing things e.g.);
- Cases, workshops etc. with local companies;
- FabTalks, TED-like talks streamed on video;
- Fab Awards, yearly awards for great FabLab projects;
- Consistent use of recognizable visual elements throughout;
- Text only version of information, or stand-alone wiki’s on a stick;
- FabLab staff presented in person on websites;
- Connecting FabLab staff worldwide on shared expertise;
- Have a person in each FabLab focussing on/stimulating sharing with the FabLab network;
- Connecting those sharing-focussed people;
- Build contacts with local companies, higher-ed institutions, schools for workshop etc;
- Fab Elections: people nominate projects. Yearly award session in different FabLab each time;
- FabBook, a yearbook with sections by each FabLab. Some page maybe a design e.g. Book can be on reading tables, and on USB-sticks;

Students generating ideas

It’s a nice mix of both on- and offline elements. For the most part they can be implemented among the Dutch FabLabs first, without making later wider roll-out difficult. Especially the book and the credit system are interesting, but when put together in the mix of other things suggested. We’ll definitely start working on these ideas after the summer.

Today eight of us spent half a day under the guidance of Frank Houben, to brainstorm about an on-line FabLab platform for sharing experiences, knowledge and projects between FabLabs, FabLab users and the general public.

Nine people brainstorming at the Amsterdam FabLab

We focused on the goals and stakeholders involved, as well as what seem to be the most promising starting points, the risks we need to address and the commitment each of us can make to this project.

We envision a platform that can serve as the fundament for individual FabLab websites and at the same time ensures the possibility of sharing content (designs, experiences, tutorials, great moments) across the different websites that FabLabs maintain, as well as bring the global FabLab community together. At the same time the fundament can serve as a basic website for new FabLabs to build their own web presence on, that can be quickly implemented right out of the box, including the use of existing content from other FabLabs. Of course it will be free and open sourced.

Joris (FabLab Utrecht Protospace) summarizing results from a discussion round

The Netherlands, due to the high number of FabLab initiatives here, is in a unique position to quickly experiment with using different types of functionality, and iteratively build a modular platform. We will actively seek the involvement of other FabLabs around the world that already have indicated their interest. The availability of multiple FabLabs in close vicinity to eachother makes it possible however to maintain momentum as well as find funding and resources more easily. That is how we want to make sure to get results quickly as the platform evolves.

We will document the project transparantly and have adopted English as the language to be used for all our work, ensuring the ability for the wider FabLab network to contribute and comment. Interested in being involved in our project? Or interested in staying informed about our progress? Let me know (ton@fablab.nl), so we may actively involve you.

After the workshop last week Friday on experimenting with Lego Mindstorms and Arduino open source hardware, I returned to the ProtoSpace FabLab in Utrecht today. This time around it was all about learning to work with the machines the FabLab is equipped with: a laser cutter, a vinyl cutter, a milling machine and a full colour 3D printer. 

The impressive bit of FabLab is not the fact that the type of machines it offers exist. The impressive part is that you can get these machines to do your bidding by feeding it things as simple as PDF files. You create your model or drawing and then basically hit the print button, select ‘laser cutter’ instead of your regular ink jet printer, and watch the machine get to work.

We played with the 3D full colour printer, which is very impressive.
In the 5 minute video below I documented the whole process. From the example object, to making 7 smaller copies of it. 3D printing is time consuming, but you can do amazing things with it.

Siert and I created a card board casing for Arduino boards to prevent it from short-circuiting because of the surface it is lying on. For the first version I simply drew a first sketch in Neooffice (the Mac version of Open Office), in a text document. I then imported that text document as PDF into Corel Draw on one of the PCs in the FabLab and hit the print button. The lasercutter cut a piece of card board according to my sketch, which assembled resulted in the first version of our Arduino holder.


Version 1.0 of Arduino board holder

Then Sierts education as an engineer kicked in and he adapted the design into version 2.0. Again hitting Print resulted in a handful of pieces of cardboard coming out of the lasercutter that fitted snugly together. Who would have guessed I could be so pleased with a few bits of card board?


Version 2.0 of the Arduino holder

The video below shows another run with the laser cutter for a different item (part of a 3D game board)



Last week as well as today I made a point of showing the other participants how easy it is to share pictures and video of what you are doing while you are doing it. To help lower the threshold for them to start sharing their FabLab work as well.

(crossposted from my blog at Interdependent Thoughts)

One of the more interesting developments in web technology at the moment is the move to so called transient technology: taking applications out of your laptop screen and making them part of pieces of hardware in your physical surroundings. We are moving towards an ‘internet of things’ where everyday objects are connected to the internet and can interact. Open source hardware like Arduino, or the robotics of Lego Mindstorms, and hardware building blocks like Phidgets allow you to experiment with how to connect sensors, actuators, interactive applications and internet-based information.

Last Friday ProtoSpace, the FabLab in Utrecht, organized a full day workshop to introduce Arduino, Mindstorms and Phidgets to participants, so that they can start their own experiments. I loved taking part. From creating a script to make a robot slalom around obstacles, to the simple pleasure of making a single LED-light blink in intervals that I defined myself, it was a fun day. Meanwhile I have created a corner in my home office space where I can tinker with my Arduino kit, as well as with the Lego Mindstorms gear that I bought the day after the workshop.

Making the Lego Mindstorms Robot slalom:

Playing with Arduino programmable hardware:

This week I will attend another workshop at ProtoSpace to learn to work with the different machines the FabLab has available. At the Arduino workshop we already played with the laser cutter during lunch, and admired the 3D printed objects.

Lasercutting apples:

3D printing examples at FabLab Utrecht/ Protospace:

FabLab Amsterdam zoekt een trainee:

From november 1, 2008, we are looking for a trainee for the fablab in Amsterdam for a period of 3 months. Are you a creative mind studying in the design field and always wanted to know more about digital fabrication? At Waag Societys Fablab, you can get your hands on and learn how to make (almost) anything with our digital production machines. As an example, have a look at our fab moments all done in our lab, using a laser cutter, a cnc milling machine or a vinyl cutter. If you are interested, send a mail with your motivation and CV to Alex Schaub the labmanager – alex (at) waag.org- or call us monday – thursday in the lab 020 7884419

We have 2 Dutch participants joining the How to make (almost) Anything! course at MIT’s FabLab with Neil Gershenfield. Follow Alex Schaub’s results here. And follow Nadya Peek’s results here. Alex is labmanager at FabLab Amsterdam; he’s following the course remotely via videoconferencing, a pilotrun of the FabAcademy. Nadya Peek is a former Mediamatic employee and was involved in the first Dutch pilot of FabLab Amsterdam at the El Hema Design Expo.

It is fantastic, in my opinion what they are making! Check it out (by clicking on the pictures) and keep checking it out; class ends 15th of December 2008. The 2nd semester MIT’s FabLab will teach the course “How to make machines that make (almost) anything”. We’ll keep you posted on that. For information on all FabLab activities worldwide email us at informatie (at) fablab.nl or call +31 6 22540390.