Fun at the Fablab

Today we learned the purpose of the Fab lab. By using my imagination and with the help of the computer software Adobe Illustrator CS3, I was able to create a name plate. Different tools like the laser printer outlined my idea and with the ShopBot, I was able to cut out the border of the name plate. After finishing this design, I was able to use the vinyl cutter to make a Sponge Bob sticker. Esteban demonstrated how to “weed out” the extra parts of the sticker in order to get the picture out.

Later, when Xavier arrived, we discussed a photograph he showed us of a women that was using a unknown machine and we were asked to descirbe what we thought of the image and where this might have been occuring. I though it was like an “I Spy” book that I’ve seen before. Finally after guessing what and when the picture was, Xavier told us that this women was using an old Blockbuster Quick Drop as an oven with flaming wood on the bottom. This image was taken in Libiria in a very poor place in Africa where ovens are not affordable.

Xavier explained to us about what our purpose in the Fab Lab was. We call ourselves “Designers for Humanity” and the basic idea of this group is to fabricate and design objects that will eventually contribute to our community or even people around the world. Xavier assigned a project that connected with the photograph that we had discussed about and split up in two groups. In my group I have Miriam and Zaira and the other group is Melia and Junior. We researched different inventions that people have come up with that have significantly helped people in poverty. We ended up choosing houses that were made out of either plastic or glass bottles with sand in them and cement to make it more stable.