without thought

Fablab

This January I am heading over to Holland and Amsterdam where I will be teaming up with some fellow Type fanatics to check out the new possibilities brought to us by MITs Fablab.

I have no idea what to expect from Fablab. This technology could transform all of our working lives. Fablab was originally intended for developing countries, enabling people to create objects normally attributed to large scale production. Examples of what Fablab is capable of is given in a piece in Wired magazine:

“In India, farmers created measurement tools to ensure a safe milk supply and measure fat content, and women found a way to scan and print carved wooden blocks used for a local kind of embroidery. In a separate project, villagers designed small LED lights for use in areas lacking electricity.

Villagers in Ghana, meanwhile, harnessed solar power to make electricity and cook food rather than relying on firewood.”

With the development of things like Fablab, it looks now as though the gap between what we make with our hands and what we produce using technology is rapidly closing.

What’s the next step?