A Fab Lab (fabrication laboratory) : is a small workshop offering personal digital fabrication. Thus, fab labs are equipped with an array of computer controlled machines that help you to get a prototypes of your ideas because you can make almost anything by using the fab lab facilities.
PreFab Academy is a 4 weeks training aims to help you to get a hands on experience in all the fab lab machines as well as it will introduce you to electronic circuit production and low level programming.
We were started off our prefab academy by Mr. Fransisco introducing himself to us and briefing about prefab academy and fab academy. Also, he talked about the importance of fab labs and how it helps people to make their own prototypes and tools in the lowest effort and cost. Then all the participants introduced themselves.
I found Mr. Fransisco a very nice down to earth guy. He told us that he is not came to teach us everything about fab labs but to change our minds.
After that Mr. Fransisco started talking about the importance of the open source softwares as well as the importance of the documentation process and he gave us a very useful instructions to follow during the documentation process, summarized as follow:
Then Mr. Fransisco asked us what we think we can achieve after completing the prefab academy. My answer was that I think that I will be able to assemble and install all the fab lab machines as well as having a good knowledge about electronics and programing and have a systemic way for troubleshooting.
In this prefab academy we will theoretically learn 2D-design, 3D-design and electronic design as well as programming in C, as for the hands on side we will be able to run the 3D-printers, the vinyle cutter, the miller cutter, the shopbot and the laser cutter.
I have to download all the following softwares and be familiarized with them in order to successfully pass the prefab academy course.