More on the Fab Academy
Bryan Bishop
http://fab.cba.mit.edu/academy/about/index.html
Sounds like the students should be reading the ToolBook. Contents of
that page are as follows:
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The Fab Academy provides instruction and supervises investigation of
mechanisms, applications, and implications of digital fabrication.
Just as communications and computation went from analog to digital,
resulting in PCs and the Internet, the digitization of fabrication is
leading to personal fabricators that will allow anyone to make almost
anything, anywhere. The development of digital fabrication is based on
creating codes that don't just describe things, they are things, much
as proteins are coded in molecular biology. This research roadmap is
ultimately aiming at a Star Trek-style replicator, but prototype
versions of these capabilities are already available in field "fab
labs".
Fab labs began as an outreach project from MIT's Center for Bits and
Atoms (CBA), and spread around the world. The Fab Academy was launched
to provide local access to advanced instruction for students in these
labs exceeding the educational resources available to them. It links
groups of students and instructors in fab labs, with online video
collaboration and lectures by a global faculty. Unlike remote
instruction from a central campus, the digital fabrication tools in a
fab lab effectively allow the campus to come to the student, for
distributed rather than distance education.
The Fab Academy offers Certificates on relevant technical topics, and
a Diploma aimed at vocational and technical training for employment
and investment (along with assistance to its graduates in those
areas).These are accredited by the Fab Academy; it is anticipated that
they will by followed by a Bachelor's degree to be offered under
applicable regional accreditation, along with post-graduate study.
Fab Academy Certificates provide familiarity with technical options
and capabilities, hands-on experience, and direction for further
study. Each requires, and is evaluated by, developing and documenting
projects. They are periodically renewed to reflect best practices. The
Certificates typically require 1-2 weeks. They are combined in the
Diploma, which is roughly comparable to completing MIT's
rapid-prototyping course "How To Make (almost) Anything". It requires
about 1 year, with progress evaluated by skills and projects rather
than time or credits.
Following an initial trial in 2008, the Fab Academy will accept the
first Diploma students in the Fall of 2009. Admission is limited by
available space, and based on balancing the students' backgrounds,
interests, and experience, as well as project portfolios. Fab Academy
tuition is priced to cover the local costs of instruction, facilities,
and materials, as well as global capacity. Where possible, support is
sought for needs-based tuition assistance. The Fab Academy application
is available at (link to come)
The Fab Academy faculty is coordinated by CBA's Director Prof. Neil
Gershenfeld, and currently includes: (list to come)
Hands-on class work is guided by instructors in the labs with the
skills to supervise and evaluate Certificates. Participating fab labs
and instructors are: (list to come)
The Fab Academy Certificate topics that comprise the Diploma curriculum are:
* digital fabrication principles and practices
o digital vs analog
+ threshold theorems
+ universality
+ communications
+ computation
+ fabrication
o survey
+ tools
+ processes
+ research
o network
+ Fab Foundation, Fund, Academy
+ Fab Charter
o safety
+ mechanical
+ optical
+ electrical
+ chemical
* computer-aided design, manufacturing, and modeling
o design practices
o hierarchical, parametric, procedural, algorithmic design
o boundary, function representations
o rendering and animation
o toolpath generation
o file formats
o physical modeling
* computer-controlled cutting
o types
+ waterjet, EDM, ...
o knife
+ tools
+ materials
+ speed, force
o laser
+ types
+ materials
+ speed, power, rate
+ maintenance
+ safety
* collaborative technical development and project management
o version control
o synchronization
o merging
o remote desktops
o videoconferencing
o scheduling
* computer-controlled machining
o types
o tooling
o materials
o speeds, feeds
o fixturing
* electronics design and production
o electricity and electronics
o component types and selection
o schematic design
o PCB design
o PCB fabrication
o PCB assembly
o test equipment
* embedded programming
o processor types
o microcontroller architecture
o in-circuit programming
o embedded programming languages
o development tools and environments
o debugging
* 3D molding and casting
o types
o soft tooling
o mold design and manufacture
o casting materials
o composites
* interface and application programming
o interface protocols
o application languages
o graphics
o user interfaces
* 3D scanning and printing
o types
o formats
o scanning
o printing
o materials
* sensors, actuators, and displays
o sensors
o actuators
o displays
* embedded networking and communications
o networking fundamentals
o network protocols
o physical layers
* machine design
o motors and actuators
o motion control
o machine control
o rapid-prototyping of rapid-prototyping machines
* digital fabrication applications and implications
o furniture
o housing
o transporation
o healthcare
o environment
o energy
o play
o art
o development
* digital fabrication project development
o conception
o proposal
o review
o prototyping
o debugging, development
o presentation
o documentation
* invention, intellectual property, and business models
o copyright
o patents
o free and open-source models
o revenue models
o case histories
"""