Recitations

Table of Contents

Apart from the weekly lecture, there sometimes were additional lectures as introductions to practicalities needed for the respective assignment.

Pre-Course

Intro (Pablo Nunez)

  • Try to focus on everyone, not just on you.

Tips & Tricks (Adrián Torres)

  • FabLab León
  • Important Links in the Presentation
  • Compress your images and videos. See presentation for commands, how to do it etc.
  • use a notebook (analog). Sometimes, you dont want to use your laptop. you are in the workshop and cutting things_etc._but still you want to document stuff. this is when you need analog documentation.
  • Assessment book is about what you need to write about in your documentation.
  • images
    • adjust image size in your camera app
    • use magick or ffmpeg for video compression
    • use ffmpeg for video compression
  • how to make photos
    • make photos of you doing things
    • horizontal photos
    • good light, good photos
    • good perspective (hero shot)
  • save videos you put on your website in the repository, not on yt or anywhere else

Documentation and Time Management (Rico Kanthatham)

  • general stuff
    • You will learn Time Management and Documentation
    • FA teaches rapid prototyping
      • nothing you will do slowly
      • sleep will become precious
      • seeing loved ones becomes rarity
    • you will run run out of time
      • learn how to plan, work efficiently and recover from frequent problems
    • expect nothing to go smoothly
  • Techniques and smart words
    • Supply side time management
      • available time determines tasks
    • prioritise tasks in order of importance
      • stay aware of passing time. if you notice “time passing by fast”, this is not good.
      • know when to stop & move on
    • spiral development
      • iteratives arbeiten. kennen wir.
    • Done (on time) is better than perfect (and late)
    • Documentation = Graduation
      • Document your process including errors
      • so that someone else can replicate it
      • errors show you are human and you did not chatgptd it
    • make a template for your assignment documentation
      • example:
        • hero shot
        • summary
        • work process detail
        • learning outcome
          • what i really enjoyed, what i discovered
        • digital files
    • content before style
      • you will not be graded on the beauty of your website -> make it user-unfriendly on purpose
    • make good use of photos and videos
      • to reduce the amount of writing you neeed to do

Further Information

  • dont be alone
    • know global open time, be at the fablab.
    • enjoy every moment of your fab academy journey
  • etiqette for meetings
    • deactivate your mic when entering
    • turn on your camera
    • speak slow and clear
    • save the chat
  • memes and emotions
    • take the rest that you need
  • ferdis talk afterwards
    • dont worry, you will not make the best fabacademy
    • at least do one good assignment that you are really proud of. choose one thing you are good at and excel at least there.

3D-Modelling Tips (Silvia Lugo)

  • FabLab CIDI
  • see slides for additional information
  1. Sketch
    • drawing helps ou se your subject
    • what basic shape will the object have?
    • what are the main parts?
  2. choose program. there are multiple ones. you want to experiment with maybe 3 or 4 and then decide. No matter which sw to use there are best practices:
    • work with real measurements and real units. if you dont do that oyu will end up with proportions antd then it will turn out too small/toobig, shitty etc.
    • work with simple shapes and then go ahead..
    • divide your 3d model into sections. then you can figure out the whole thing piece by piece
    • use layers or groups and use proper naming conventions. dont end up with “body 68” and dont know what it means
    • regularly save and version your work.
    • iterate and review. get a model, fabricate, test, improve
  • Regarding practicing:
    • take one object from everyday life
    • model the same object in different workflows (different softwares, etc.)
  • plan final project at the start. take each week to work on your final project.

Electricity for Noobs

  • also check presentation
  • We work with low volat eletctronics
  • if you want you can still do that but ask and consider safety things
  • preparation
    • you need:
      • ohms law
      • power = current * eVoltage
      • kirchhoff’s circuit laws
  • regarding fabac. use:
    • resource page
    • expert network map
  • investigate resources that work for you
    • adafruit
    • ohmify
    • raspberry pi org
    • sparkfun
    • starting electronics
  • dont just watch video, when possible work along with video
  • use online simulators when needed
    • wokwi
    • circuitjs
    • …
  • order we work
    • …
  • chatgpt and electronics
    • ask chatgpt to explain a concept to a 12 year old
    • then ask chatgpt to explain the same concept to an 18 year old
    • finally if needed we ask chatgpt explain it to an electrical engineer
    • awoid asking chatgpt to write all your code or it may becomas a crutch which is quite easy to do
    • rather look at code and someone has written and ask chatgpt to explain it to you.

How to Use AI in Fab Academy

Final Project

Miriam Choi’s Talk

  • different resources
    • fab academy website
    • project development (fa website)
    • assessment book
  • document your final project
  • make good video
  • try to avoid
    • just lesercut press fit box or boards just fixed in a box with gluegun o|
  • instead
    • designyour own encasing with purposeful holes, shape and material, with durability
  • big nono
    • loose wires
    • tape and glue to hold your parts together
    • breadboard
    • copying other people’s work
  • tips
    • plan your final prooject now. time management is key
    • work on your final project each week
    • you can make parts for your final rpoject as your weekly assignment. document as you go
    • research plenty on different components and tools when you have time
      • dont make that the core thing. you have other things to do as well.
    • make the project more personal

Ferdi Adds Something

  • the earlier you know the final project the earlier you can integrate your assignments into doing that
  • but it is okay if you are changing your opinion
  • choose somethign where u say it is too easy. buuild a nice-looking enclosure and present it well.
  • Have a look at other final projects: https://finalprojects.fabacademy.org/#/thumbnails/2024

Video: How to Survive Fab Academy

  • the video
  • good final project is
    • simple
    • has a very precisie purpose
    • beautifully designed
  • bad
    • useless
    • super complicated
    • does not have any meaning
  • you get a bad final project if
    • you add features about features to a project that was initially good
    • you start with an non-existent need
    • if you cannot explain your final project in a sentence, it is bad

What a New Fab Academy Student Would Need to Know

  • What a new fa student would need to know, according to your experience?
    • make the most out of your additional recources
      • mattermost
      • saturday global time
        • you know other people also try their hardest. you are not alone
      • expert network map (most cited documentations)
    • you need to practice all the time. fa is a full-time job
    • document as you go. 50p of work is documentations.
  • Would you like to have learned or known something before starting fa?
    • do not strive for perfection all the time. you only have 1 week for each assignment. sometimes you need to settle for the bare minimum. each week is just an introduction to the topic. dont spend too much time on each week.
    • how to do screen captures, how to compress that.
  • What has been the biggest difficulty for you when finishing the final project
    • time management. hint: if you think something takes time t, assign 3*t
    • keeping it simple for each iteration was the most difficult part.
  • what do you value most about fa after passing?
    • how independent you were. teaches you to be more self-driven. after faba
  • Has the fab academy met your expectations?
    • community-building
    • mindset-building etc.

Programming & Debugging

  • fabacademy microcontroller families
    • attiny: small, very capable for the size they have if you use them properly
    • samd: are more for a fool. they can do 30bit operation, do usb etc.
    • rp2040: raspberry microcontrollers. much more advanced. small computer
    • esp32: if you need wireless
  • attiny
    • low-cost, low-power
    • suitable for simple embedded applications with limited processing and io requirements
    • programming over updi 8 bits - 1MHz - 20Mhz -> 32 MHz overclock
    • versatile io: ianalog, pwm, i2c, uart, spi
    • single pin programming
    • sandbox board: adrianino
  • samd
    • programming: swd/jtag
    • put small program in it and that will let your program it through usb
    • so only putting bootloader on it is the difficult operation
  • rp2040
    • difference raspi / xiao: raspi has more pins
    • good for projects requiring multitasking and connectivity
    • programming using uf2
    • bootloader is already on it. you cannot erase it. you cannot really break it
    • 32bits - 133MHz -> 250MHz overclocking
    • much more capable than attiny
    • uses more power
  • esp32-c3/s3
    • wifi and bluetooth on it
  • others
    • stm32, pic, msp (not used in fabacademy)
  • programming languages
    • here, we focus on rp2040
    • micropython:
      • justified since we have pio (whatever that is)
      • simple
    • c/c++
    • circuitpython
      • use of it is different than micropython but less efficient. rather go with micropython
    • javascript
      • only use that can justify this: if you want js everywhere for your project, you might use it.
    • rust
      • it works, but it is difficult to compile. thats not really an option that is recommended. the fun of it is that since he tested it: now he uses it for his everyday computer programming
    • go
      • rather go with cpp
      • go was made to ease the use of seriel processors
      • rp2040 has 2 cores
    • asm
  • debugging hardware
    • dont panic
    • pin down problem in pieces:
      • power
      • soldering
      • correct components?
      • placed correctly?
    • stay calm and think of a step by step plan
    • document when debugging
    • the pragmatic programmer: good book
    • rubberducking
    • dont panic, you gonna cause more problems
    • narrowing down
      • reproducing the problem. try to do it a secnod time
      • alsways first do visual check. inspect the circuit:
        • traces, soldering, components
      • problem might not be visible.
      • use microscope
      • use multimeter
      • logic analyzer
      • use good microhooks
      • osci
      • sdr

Artificial Intelligence

  • about embedded AI/ML

TinyML Concepts & Applications

  • idea is to do inference of AI on small and cheap hardware to make it more accessible
  • edge AI
  • tinyML (part of Edge ai)
  • use tinyML for
  • def
    • machine learning appl for mircrocnt.
    • ai inference on low-power devices
    • implementation method for edge intelligence
    • … (check slide)
  • toolchain and Platform Introduction
    • tensorfolow lite
    • pytorch mobile
    • edge impulse
    • stm32 cube.ai
    • sensecraft AI

questions

  • What does “Processing” refer to in the previous slide in the edge AI block?
  • Is it correct that Edge AI is an approach that aims to speed up inference by running AI algorithms on or near the device where the data is generated, and TinyML is an approach that focuses on enabling inference using ML models within very constrained machine resources?

LLM Intro

Text to 3D Models

Sustainable Materials

https://fabacademy.org/2025/recitation/materials/index.html

quantum

optics

  • openuc2
  • speaker talking about making optics more accessable, similar to what arduino did for electronics.
  • idea: put everything in a cube.
  • O3Q.de
  • openuc
  • going open source
    • because it benefits the
  • holography setup: https://openuc2.github.io/docs/Toolboxes/DiscoveryInterferometer/InlineHolography
  • open source business models
    • prusa as example
    • you can buy finished machine
    • or download design
    • not based on the product, but on a value.
  • openuc2.com Or in our wiki openuc2.github.io

materiom

Machine Building

  • different machines fab.cba.mit.edu/classes/865.24/people/rahul
  • Jani (oulu): different machines inspired by rahul gitlab.com/fab-lab-oulu/sampo
    • used some funny and simple gcode
    • used mods
  • leo mcelroy
  • jens dyvik
    • 2 years travelling through fab labs
    • 8 years building non profit organization
    • github.com/fellesverkstedet/fabricatable-machines/wiki/modules
    • osb used for machine.
    • github.com/Fabricatable-Machines/Timeline notes on fabricational machines
    • reason for open hardware:
      • greater good, contribute to the pool you drink from.
      • social
  • InMachines
  • jake read
  • quentin bolsee
    • gitlab.cba.mit.edu/neilg/urumbu
    • gitlab.cba.mit.edu/quentinbolsee/urumbubotxy-2.0
  • nadya peek
    • neils student, prof at uni of washington
    • not enoigh to be open source
    • other principles
    • be able to undestrasd the technology
    • be able to extend it
    • we dont build machines, but workflows
    • one machine that they work a lot with is tool changing machinne: jubilee. multitool fabrication.
    • making it easy for people to control machines. extending so that it is possiblle to use them for usages beyond fabrication
    • levitating tool for styropor

Fab Ecosystem

  • Sherri Lassiter: Founder of the Fab Foundation
  • Jean-Michel Molenaar: Deployment manager @ fab foundation
  • some people do more with organization, some with education
  • next to fab academy, there is
    • bioacademy
    • fab learning academy (towards education professionals)
    • fabricademy
    • …
  • they also create labs
  • there are mini fablabs, there are superfablabs (different varieties of fablabs)
  • luciano betoldi
    • fab in abox
    • laser cutter, vinyl cutter, 3d printer
    • …
    • looking at informal learning places: refugee camps, museums
    • budget: 10.000 dollargs
  • norella
  • jan dvoracek
    • fab 25
    • brno & prague
  • network projects
    • fab city
    • 3 pillars: networks
    • collectives
    • foundation
    • projects
      • pence (engaging citizens for climate action and sustainable solutions)
      • greenincities (advanced technologies and methods to enhance co-creation process and maximize urben regeneration impacts)
      • make-a-thek
      • dafne+
  • internet of production
    • internet of production
    • idea is to have a large network of manufacturers.
    • be independent of large global suppliers.
    • they show people how to incubate business models in makerspaces.
    • residency programmes
    • open educational resources and dedicated e-learning environment and training for hubs and makers
    • open catalogue business models
    • recognizing peoples skills.
    • map of machinery: where which machine is
  • distributed design platform
    • support people that design & produce things alternatively to mass production
  • makers assylum goa

Ferdi’s Addendum

  • wenn du mit nem fablab geldmachen möchtest, musst du das eher so betreiebn wie happylab
  • anderer weg: unterrichten.
  • oft leistet man sich ein fablab eher als aushängeschild
  • fab cafe:
    • offizielles statement: eintrittshürde für fabcafe niedriger zu machen
    • wahre grund: die leute die dort coolen scheiß machen kann man sich als angestellte fischen. im hintergrund sitzte ein startup accelerator vom mit der nach leuten fischt.

Fab: All-In

Start-Ups

Regional Review

Notes taken during the regional review between the european FabLabs.

Week 0: Principles & Practices; Project Management

  • yeralan western kasachstan
  • derenik danielyan doing robotics and mechatronics
  • areg industrial something and artist
  • babken can help with freecad
  • ferdi knows cadja und something else and blender
  • ferdi can give a workshop, we can repeat blender
  • will there be a fusion workshop?
  • do we want to separate into 2 groups?
    • if the bottrop people join we are gonna split in 2

Hints From Henk

  • at the end of the week one should have the documentation ready
  • at the regional meeting eveybody presents what they did in the last week

Questions From Jakob

  • when will be the meeting? always 2h before neils lecture or will it be at some fixed time from some specific time zone?
    • “always 2h before neils class”

Week 1: Web Design

  • students
  • the ones from babken
  • derenik
  • mkhtar
  • the one with the nice picture at the about page

Week 2: CCCut

  • jirayr did origami
  • yerlan did a penguin out of paper pieces

Week 5: 3d Scan & Print

…

Week 6: Electrical Design

  • mkhitar
    • mkhitar used freeroute plugin for adding traces
    • default trace with is 0.4mm
    • high-voltage signals are traced with 0.8mm
    • voltage regulator: he got some hint from somewhere about adding capacitors to the etc.
      • it is not necessary to put a voltage regulator on the board since there is already one on the esp32
  • derenik does some analog audio project
    • he used opamp amplifier circuits
  • dylan
  • jumper cables on backside vs 0ohm resistors
    • isnt it better to use 0ohm resistors bc of best practice?
    • yes, you could use
  • forrest added pin sockets onto the footprint of the esp.

Week 8: Electronics Production

  • dylan made nice pcb art where he combined traces somehow with an image.

Week 9: Input Devices

  • Dylan
    • worked with the tof sensor. soldered the sensor to a board. took schematiscs from online.
  • mkhitar
    • looked at load cell

Week 10: Output Devices

Week 11: Networking & Communications