Fab Lab

Wired magazine 3D printing explanation

Fab@Home and Jeff Lipton quote.

Beyond his many publications and patents, Prof. Gershenfeld is the author of the popular books "Fab" and "When Things Start To Think," and the technical texts "The Nature of Mathematical Modeling" and "The Physics of Information Technology." His work has been featured by the White House and Smithsonian Institution in their Millennium celebrations, he has been the subject of print, radio, and TV programs in media including the New York Times, The Economist, CNN, and PBS, and has been selected as one of the top 100 public intellectuals. Dr. Gershenfeld has a B.A. in Physics with High Honors from Swarthmore College, was a member of the research staff at Bell Labs where he studied laser interactions with atomic and nuclear systems, received a Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Cornell University for experimental tests of order in complex condensed matter systems, and was a Junior Fellow of the Harvard Society of Fellows where he ran an international study on prediction techniques.

"From the Dutch design firm Studio Wieki Somers come household objects made out of human ashes. Yes, human ashes."

"Greene says that we have paralyzed our children with the fear of being wrong. Risk-taking and making mistakes are critical to the scientific process. This fear of being wrong has resulted in disengagement from science and mathematics: learning science and math is a drag!"

Bruce Wayne had to sweet-talk Morgan Freeman into girding his Bat-loins with heavy Bat-artillery, but Tony Stark, an engineering virtuoso himself, cajoled not a soul. In a case of life imitating art, the production team behind Stark's iconic body armor Iron Man 2 relied on neither CGI nor gadget-minded elder statesmen, but a bleeding-edge prototyping technology commonly known as 3D printing.

MachineShop is a software tool designed to help middle school children design and construct the mechanisms used in automata and mechanical toys. While Computer Aided Design and Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) systems are common for adult engineers and designers, the landscape of these tools for children is barren.

MachineShop is a software tool designed to help middle school children design and construct the mechanisms used in automata and mechanical toys. While Computer Aided Design and Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) systems are common for adult engineers and designers, the landscape of these tools for children is barren.

In a period of six weeks, students must develop a site plan, a scale model, floor plans, a perspective drawing, a cost estimate, and a written proposal. They must then make an oral presentation to local school architects who judge the projects and "award" the contract -- all making use of geometric and mathematical concepts. Also see: Article

In a period of six weeks, students must develop a site plan, a scale model, floor plans, a perspective drawing, a cost estimate, and a written proposal. They must then make an oral presentation to local school architects who judge the projects and "award" the contract -- all making use of geometric and mathematical concepts. Also see: Article

Perhaps a better triangulation lesson than the other bookmark. In this activity, students will use bearing measurements to triangulate and determine objects' locations. Working in teams of two or three, students must put on their investigative hats as they take bearing measurements to specified landmarks in their classroom (or other rooms in the school) from a "mystery location."

Perhaps a better triangulation lesson than the other bookmark. In this activity, students will use bearing measurements to triangulate and determine objects' locations. Working in teams of two or three, students must put on their investigative hats as they take bearing measurements to specified landmarks in their classroom (or other rooms in the school) from a "mystery location."

Students find the volume and surface area of a rectangular box (e.g., a cereal box), and then figure out how to convert that box into a new, cubical box having the same volume as the original. As they construct the new, cube-shaped box from the original box material, students discover that the cubical box has less surface area than the original, and thus, a cube is a more efficient way to package things. Students then consider why consumer goods generally aren't packaged in cube-shaped boxes, even though they would require less material to produce and ultimately, less waste to discard. To display their findings, each student designs and constructs a mobile that contains a duplicate of his or her original box, the new cube-shaped box of the same volume, the scraps that are left over from the original box, and pertinent calculations of the volumes and surface areas involved.

Students find the volume and surface area of a rectangular box (e.g., a cereal box), and then figure out how to convert that box into a new, cubical box having the same volume as the original. As they construct the new, cube-shaped box from the original box material, students discover that the cubical box has less surface area than the original, and thus, a cube is a more efficient way to package things. Students then consider why consumer goods generally aren't packaged in cube-shaped boxes, even though they would require less material to produce and ultimately, less waste to discard. To display their findings, each student designs and constructs a mobile that contains a duplicate of his or her original box, the new cube-shaped box of the same volume, the scraps that are left over from the original box, and pertinent calculations of the volumes and surface areas involved.

The students will use a "real" 3D coordinate system. They will have 3 axes at right angles, and a plane (the XY plane) that will be able to slide up and down the Z axis. The students will then be given several coordinates and asked to find these points in space. They will also be asked to find the coordinates of the 8 corners of a box with given dimensions.

Perhaps this lesson cold be tweaked to include fabricated models and a fictitious map. Engineers design systems that require precise and known locations, and often use triangulation calculations to do this. Engineers use triangulation with ground data to determine where in space a satellite is located. Accurately determining a satellite's location is important to adjusting its position to keep it on course. Triangulation technology is also used to inform a robot of its current and target locations. Triangulation helps in spatial modeling to determine the area covered by cell phone transmitters, roadway noise zones, voltage maps and river high-water marks.

Engineers design systems that require precise and known locations, and often use triangulation calculations to do this. Engineers use triangulation with ground data to determine where in space a satellite is located. Accurately determining a satellite's location is important to adjusting its position to keep it on course. Triangulation technology is also used to inform a robot of its current and target locations. Triangulation helps in spatial modeling to determine the area covered by cell phone transmitters, roadway noise zones, voltage maps and river high-water marks.

ABC pop-up book

ABC pop-up book

Beta site for model 2.  The URL will likely change in a couple of months.

FabEpoxy is an epoxy based, 1:1 ratio, light weight, long worklife material created for use with SFF (Solid Freeform Fabrication) or Fab@Home machines. It is formulated to produce a creamy paste consistency for easy dispensing using a standard deposition tool/syringe and nozzle set up.

This is a place to share digital designs that can be made into real, physical objects. Let's create a better universe, together!

The February 2010 article talking about digital fabrication.

The February 2010 article talking about digital fabrication.

UVA's MacArthur submission...

UVA's MacArthur submission...

Project Lead The Way (PLTW) prepares students to be the most innovative and productive leaders in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and to make meaningful, pioneering contributions to our world. PLTW partners with middle schools and high schools to provide a rigorous, relevant STEM education. Through an engaging, hands-on curriculum, PLTW encourages the development of problem-solving skills, critical thinking, creative and innovative reasoning, and a love of learning.

Project Lead The Way (PLTW) prepares students to be the most innovative and productive leaders in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and to make meaningful, pioneering contributions to our world. PLTW partners with middle schools and high schools to provide a rigorous, relevant STEM education. Through an engaging, hands-on curriculum, PLTW encourages the development of problem-solving skills, critical thinking, creative and innovative reasoning, and a love of learning.

A demonstration of 3d shape drawing in Yenka Software http://yenka.com

A demonstration of 3d shape drawing in Yenka Software http://yenka.com