Quick visit in Amsterdam at the waag's fablab | july 2010
FabLab >>
Fab Labs, (abbreviation for Fabrication Laboratory) are plateform for prototyping everything, or almost everything.
It concerns every "entrepreneur, innovator" that want to experiment and to enhance their knowledge, for the 'do-it-yourself' man of the 21 century.
FabLab let you to imagine, concept, prototype, do, make, test almost every object or installation. So, there is in a fablab a group of machines professional, standard and cheap …
exemples : Ordinateurs (CAO, pilotage fabrication), Petit matériel (soudure, outils divers), Découpe laser, Plates-formes électroniques (Arduino…), Fraiseuse haute résolution, Outils de test, Défonceuse à bois, Réseau, vidéoprojection, Imprimante 3D…
Mobilier (table centrale, établis…)
This concept of 'fablab' came from a MIT Center for Bits program. Today, near 40 fablab exist in all the world…
If i analyse what the'are doing, and each specification, in particular in Benelux; some approach are used :
- a place to learn, of exchange of skill
- a working place, a open workshop dedicate to fabrication and prototyping
- a space to appropriate himself all component of Open Source creativity and ability
We can resume that the situation varies from fablab to fablab depending on the relationship with their local environnement.
Case studies : Waag Society >>
In Amsterdam at Waag Society, they develop some creative project ( they call them « technological creativity versus creative technology …») since more than ten years: it's mean that ordinary people can imagine, involve our new tech society undergoing radical transformation. They was involved since 1994 in the internet as a shape of public space, they continue their experimentation about different subject in relation with new technology and society : for example : KoppieCopy, Urban Reality Lab, Wet lab , Rip ! a Remix Manifesto : http://ripremix.com/, FairPhone , …
In Pakhuis de Zwijger, Media Guid is a creative business incubator, they help eight team at the time to build with waag society their project. More and more, they need to mak, build their own prototype ( in the sense of DIY culture + open source evocation ) in their space : so fablab was a necessity. It takes part of the network of fablab, and do exchange with near lab, for example with the competition OPENdesign « http://www.unlimiteddesign.com ».
Human(s) in a Lab >>
In the heart of the fablab, there is a fablab manager. Here it's Alex Schaub, ex-head of technical team of waag society. He leads all different shape of activities in the lab ( workshop, session, fabrication, advice, help, … ), and he organize the connexion inside the network's fablab. Mike Pelletier, stakehodler for some workshops ( processing, reprap, …) is today in the lab : he comes here 2 days a week to meet activities of fablab; he works in a design agency too. Emesec Sornai, young new media artist stay here during next 2 months to create the presentation book of FAB6 . Sander Link, student take part of the team of fablab and is take care of the construction of the new machine http://mtm.cba.mit.edu/ … A french videast just come visit this lab so strange … we discuss
As a tool, as a public space >>
More than a "tool" for the project of waag society, this fablab – from september 2010 – will start a new orientation with new aim : because of his geographic place – in the heart of the city – the fablab could be visited by everyone, more accessible, more open, … it will mean for the team a new organisation about openess, …. to be continued.
This choice mean that they really concretizee choix confirme bien en tout cas l'orientation de la Waag Society de placer – comme la plupart de leurs actions – le débats et les actions au coeur de la cité…
Rencontre Ton Zilstra / Fablab Foundation >>
I meet Ton Zijlstra www.tonzijlstra.eu :
He lead a fablab Foundation subnetwork in Benelux.
He did a speak keynot at lift 2010 à Marseille during last juin abhttp://www.slideshare.net/TonZijlstra/fab-lablift-marseillesme.
This network group several fablab with different approach, depend if there is a link with university, a labo, with artists, students, cultural organization, …
… perhaps a begin of co-production :
* Fablab Amsterdam The Waag Society
* FabLab Den Haag
* Fablab Utrecht Protospace
* Fablab Groningen
* Fablab Gent
* FabLab Arnhem
* Fablab Texel i.o. …
VisioConf' & fabAcademy >>
There is system of visioconference between all fablab – a bit supervised by MIT and Neil himself – in each workshop : they can use it for exchange of knowledge, if there is a technical problem, for working in a small group about a specific problem, …
After a first feeling with auto-watch video surveillance, rapidely you are in a real impression of a big workshop dispatched.
And it's in this channel that there is every week presentation and meeting during fabAcademy session : each participant should develop a project original.
Fab Lab en .Fr >>
There is some space with different openess in France : espace public numérique, hackerspace, médialab , espace co-working, … We have this (frenchy) problem about the 'name'; however there is a lack of space where you can talk about fabrication, make and try some technical installation, create in collective way… A big work of sensitisation is necessary in France :
Thereis a project next year « FabLab Squared » : Choosed as a "Prototype technologique" by the région Ile de Francefor the festival Futur en Seine de 2011, "Fab Lab Squared" (FL2)' aim is to create a open plateform mobil with a rapid installation of a Fab Lab. this project co-funded by région Ile de France & Cap Digital et leaded by Fing with some partenairs : Design school (Ensci, Institut Télécom), Institut de recherche et d'innnovation du Centre Georges Pompidou, agency Bearstech & Nod-a, Silicon Sentier, and 4 non-profit organisation that represent open source communauty : usinette, /tmp/lab, Ping et TetaLab
There is two aim :
– to be emerged in France this new space of innovation.
– add the concept of Fab Lab by creating something new : a mobil fablab fr
There is yet a web site – leaded by Alexandre Korber from hackerspace Tmp/lab– Usinette.org : he hosts and make connection between some non-profit organisation fr ( Tetalab, … ) in the field of open source community.
A network of fablab in our région, some Fablab@Nantes, ONE fablab in our neighbourhood >>
In this city where there is a focus on cultural broadcast, where there is big city planning, where creativity and international visibility seems to be important, where university and lab will/shoud be able to collaborate, it could be a "normal" that some fablab grow in our land …
Actually, only space intermediate we can meet in non-profit inside organisation & inside open source community should be able to be a suitable shape to begin …
Foremost if we want take a focus on the social appropriation of this kind of innovation, and less about rapid-design-cheap, the question of Open Source software/hardware seem to be a question ethical and about a collective involvment. It appears that the question about a effective openness for most people possible should be resolved in spaces where there is social activities already to turn it in a innovation space.
Annexe :
Le réseau mondial :
Fab Foundation : http://www.fabfoundation.org
Fab Fund : http://www.fabcompany.net
Fab Academy (éducation) : http://www.fabacademy.org
Liste de Fab Labs : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Projets en France :
http://www.usinette.org
http://www.fablasquared.org
http://www.tmplab.org/
http://www.tetalab.org
Article InterActu oblige : http://www.internetactu.net/2010/07/15/fablabs-refabriquer-le-monde/