Month three of Fab Academy 2025 has proven to be one of the most ambitious and inspiring yet. As students progressed past the midpoint of the program, they were challenged to collaboratively design, build, and document machines in just one week—and they delivered with over 55 functioning machines built in Fab Labs around the world.

From CNC wire benders and robotic arms to rotocasting machines and Zen garden plotters, this global machine-building sprint has showcased the full power of the Fab ecosystem: distributed collaboration, open-source ingenuity, and hands-on learning and a tangible move towards the 2.0 era, characterized by increasingly sophisticated tools, specialized applications, and the ability to tackle more complex challenges across diverse fields.

🛠️ Machine Week: A Global Engineering Feat

The annual Machine Building Assignment ignited a powerful display of Fab Academy students' collaborative talent and inventive drive. Spanning continents, their efforts culminated in the successful fabrication of more than 55 machines in labs around the globe. Within a single week, teams navigated the complexities of mechanical design, electronics integration, motion control, and user interface development. The resulting creations, ranging from imaginative concepts to practical tools, underscored their technical mastery and thoughtful design process.

🌍 Machine Week Highlights:

Here are just a few of the machines that came to life:
🔹 “Plan B” Onigiri Maker – Kamakura
(opens new window)🔹 Automated Radio Telescope Mount – DGI
(opens new window)🔹 XY Plotter – ESAN
(opens new window)🔹 Rotocasting Machine – “Ice Cream Sandwich” – Creative Spark
(opens new window)🔹 Ball Catchers – Aalto + Hisar
(opens new window)🔹 ScanLab X1 – Bahrain
(opens new window)🔹 Spider Robot – Wheaton
(opens new window)🔹 Coin Sorter – Singapore
(opens new window)🔹 Five-Axis Robot Arm – Rwanda
(opens new window)🔹 Zen Garden Plotter – Kannai (opens new window)

Each project was accompanied by a detailed video demo and full documentation—capturing not just the end result but the process, challenges, and learning along the way.

🔧 Deep Dive into Machine Design

Leading up to Machine Week, Fab Academy students delved into foundational concepts encompassing mechanisms and motion, structural design principles utilizing elements like aluminum extrusions and self-aligning joints, actuation and control systems involving stepper motors and PID control, and automation and interfaces achieved through software integration with Python, JavaScript, and MQTT. Organized into collaborative teams, students strategically divided tasks across the critical domains of mechanics, electronics, firmware, and UI/UX, providing them with a comprehensive full-stack perspective on the intricate process of building functional hardware systems.

🧪 Molding and Casting: Manufacturing with Form and Function

In parallel with their machine-building endeavors, Fab Academy students immersed themselves in the essential manufacturing technique of molding and casting. This exploration involved mastering the creation of both rigid and flexible molds, working with a diverse range of materials including resins, silicones, and even metals, with a strong emphasis placed on achieving high-quality surface finishes and adhering to rigorous safety protocols. Key aspects of the learning included understanding precise mixing ratios and curing times, implementing techniques to avoid air bubbles and ensure smooth casts, and utilizing both 3D-printed and CNC-milled molds as versatile fabrication methods.

✨ Featured Molding Projects:

• Injection Molding – Mkhitar Evoyan (Armenia) (opens new window)

• ZAMAK Casting – Ofelia Sevilla (Ulima) (opens new window)

• Nice Keycaps – Namita Aravind (Kochi) (opens new window)

• SLA vs CNC Mold Making – David Fernandez (León) (opens new window)

💻 Interface & Application Programming

In the concluding phase of the month, Fab Academy students focused on bridging the physical and digital realms by exploring the creation of software interfaces for their hardware projects. This involved delving into a range of programming languages such as C, Python, and JavaScript, alongside visual programming tools like Node-RED, and mastering web development technologies including HTML5, Canvas, SVG, WebGL, and Three.js to build diverse user interfaces like terminals, web forms, and dashboards. Furthermore, they gained experience in data visualization using tools like matplotlib, Jupyter, and D3.js, and critically examined the capabilities and limitations of integrating AI tools within their code, ultimately empowering them to transform their machines into intelligent and interactive systems.

🌀 Beyond the Lab: Fab Ecosystem & Community

A special recitation covered the broader Fab Ecosystem, including the Fab Foundation, Fab City initiatives, and the upcoming Fab25 global event in Prague. This gave students a vision of how their projects contribute to a global movement of distributed innovation. Check it out HERE (opens new window)

🌟 What’s Next?

With Machine Week and interface programming behind them, students now enter the final stretch of Fab Academy 2025. The focus shifts toward developing their final projects—where all the skills they’ve built over the past months come together.

This is where prototypes evolve into fully functional, meaningful innovations—and students take ownership of projects that represent their personal goals, passions, and creativity.

🔗 Got inspired and want to join the Fab Academy journey? Pre-Register here (opens new window)

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