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1. Principles and practices

Course introduction

The course is designed for beginners who would like to emerge to digital fabrication. As such, we will learn about Project management and Introduction to 2D and 3D design tools.

Fab labs are a global network of local labs, enabling invention by providing access to tools for digital fabrication.

Digital fabrication is not actually a new term for me, since as LET student, we have just learned a bit in last semester with course Learning, Environments, and Technologies; and had a small step in this world via a small project. However, I know it would be more than just laser cut or 3D printer with existing templates.

This session is mainly inherented from the FabAacademy. I have been overwhelmed to know that fablab is so world-wide and so meaningful because it faciliates sharing and learning with various practical inventions. It is also astonishing to know that Vietnam also has one fablab which located in my home city. Especially talking about the project management principles, in the lecture of MIT prof. Neil Gershenfeld., I found it interesting in the way he presented in sketch.io when mentioning that Spiral development is the recommendated way of working in Fablab project. It consists adding functionality litle by litle to a prototype.

http://academy.cba.mit.edu/classes/principles_practices/index.html

Assignment for this course

  • Plan and sketch a potential final project. The requirements for the final project are:
  • Create your own integrated design
  • Demonstrate 2D & 3D modelling capabilities applied to your own designs
  • Select and apply appropriate additive and subtractive techniques
  • Demonstrate competence in design, fabrication and programming of your own fabbed microcontroller PCB, including an input & output device

Video from Fabacademy 2021 (Vimeo)