Fab lab

[1][2] A fab lab is typically equipped with an array of flexible computer-controlled tools that cover several different length scales and various materials, with the aim to make "almost anything".

The fab lab program was initiated to broadly explore how the content of information relates to its physical representation and how an under-served community can be powered by technology at the grassroots level.

[4] The program began as a collaboration between the Grassroots Invention Group and the Center for Bits and Atoms at the MIT Media Lab in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF, Washington, D.C.) in 2001.

The first city-scale FabFi network, set up in Afghanistan, has remained in place and active for three years under community supervision and with no special maintenance.

[7] Students convene at Fab Lab "Supernodes" for the 19 week course to earn a diploma and build a portfolio.

[15] For example, they promote distributed recycling, where locals recycled their plastic waste turning locally sourced shredded plastic into items of value with fused particle fabrication/ fused granular fabrication (FPF/FGF) 3D printing, which not only is a good economic but also a good environmental option.