Editing Project Proposals (section)

== Fab Lab ==

Build our own MIT-style Fab Lab. From the FAQ:

''Fab labs have spread from inner-city Boston to rural India, from South Africa to the North of Norway. Activities in fab labs range from technological empowerment to peer-to-peer project-based technical training to local problem-solving to small-scale high-tech business incubation to grass-roots research. Projects being developed and produced in fab labs include solar and wind-powered turbines, thin-client computers and wireless data networks, analytical instrumentation for agriculture and healthcare, custom housing, and rapid-prototyping of rapid-prototyping machines.''

''Fab labs share core capabilities, so that people and projects can be shared across them. This currently includes:''

* ''A computer-controlled lasercutter, for press-fit assembly of 3D structures from 2D parts''
* ''A larger (4'x8') numerically-controlled milling machine, for making furniture- (and house-) sized parts''
* ''A signcutter, to produce printing masks, flexible circuits, and antennas''
* ''A precision (micron resolution) milling machine to make three-dimensional molds and surface-mount circuit boards''
* ''Programming tools for low-cost high-speed embedded processors''

This would be a large scale effort, featuring lots of fundraising (50 to 60 thousand dollars) and more space hunting, but would satisfy a lot of folks' initial visions for B'node.

===References===

* [http://www.ted.com/tedtalks/tedtalksplayer.cfm?key=n_gershenfeld TED talk]
* [http://fab.cba.mit.edu/about/faq/ FAQ]
* [http://fab.cba.mit.edu/about/fab/inv.html Parts and Equipment]

[[User:Abachman|Abachman]] 15:54, 31 July 2009 (UTC)