Personal Fabrication

Personal Fabrication is what Neil Gershenfield sees as the next evoution for Digital Technology. By merging the desktop pc or notebook with automation tools such as laser printers that can etch circuits onto paper, the lone inventor can create his or her own personal objects. In his book titled FAB: The Coming Revolution On Your Desktop from Personal Computers to Personal Fabrication, Neil explains the techniques and tools needed for invididuals to fabricate their own personal artifiacts. The tools and automation described in his book are very expensive at a cost of $20,000. Based on his dollar value to adequately source a small Fabrication Lab, I decided to list the tools I feel a Tech Entrepreneur can used for his or her own small Personal Fabrication venture.

1. Digital Multimeter - An electronic test instrument for troubleshooting electrical-electronic circuits.
2. Solderless Breadboard - A small patch board for building prototype electronic circuits rapidly.
3. DC Power Supply- A good regulated voltage source for testing electronic circuits.
4. Electronic components - A good junk box supplied with transistors, LEDs, integrated circuits (ICs), electrical switches, and wire. Components will be wired on a solderless breadboard for circuit testing and Proof of Concept (PoC) validation.
5. An Oscilloscope - An electronic test instrument used for checking signals generated by prototype circuits.
6. Miscellaneous Material - Tools used in the assembly or build of a Prototype consisting of but not limited to

             a. Dremel Tool - Small power hand tool  for  cutting various materials

               b. Hand Tools - Wire cutters, pliers, screw drivers, and wire strippers

               c. Soldering Iron - An electrical hand instrument used to attached electrical-electronics  components together.

               d. Solid and strand wire (22AWG) - Use to make electrical connects between electronic devices.

               e. Small dc electric motors and switches

               f. Small sheets of plywood

              g. Assortment of screws and fastners

The cost of these items are quite low compared to the $20,0000 and can be purchased at your local Radio Shack or Home Depot store. In my new book title: PROTOTYPE: Ideas and Concepts for SCi-Tech Projects and Robo-Gadgets I've compile all of my blogs along with web resources & hands-on projects into one source for Personal Fabricators. The book is convergence between Make Magazine and Neil Gershenfeld's FAB book. The blog entries written provide methods and techniques I use daily in developing wireless embedded appliances for industry as well as educational vehicles for discussions with children, educators, and hobbyist. The book can be obtained through my website at www.family-science.net/store.htm