Providence Program Dates:

January 4, 2012 through June 30, 2012.

The Providence branch of the Fab Academy will begin two weeks earlier than the scheduled MIT Center for Bits and Atoms lectures and end a month after the lecture cycle is complete. We begin early in order to acquaint students with the labs digital fabrication tools and introduce some basic concepts needed for the successful completion of the course. We will also continue to have class and open lab time for a month after lectures finish to allow students time to freely experiment with the skills they have learned throughout the course of the program.

If you are a student and would like to take the Fab Academy program as an independent study, we would be happy to work with your school. Contact us to learn more.

Costs

Fab Academy Providence tuition is $5,000.00 for the 6 month program. Weekly, monthly and yearly payment plans are available. Sign up for our mailing list to stay informed of program changes, updates or scholarships that may become available.

• Included in the costs:
  • All basic course materials.
  • 12 hours a week of hands-on Fab Lab access and personal instruction.
  • A 1 year AS220 Cottage Industries membership (a $40 value).
    • A Cottage Industries membership gives you basic access to the AS220 Fab Lab, Printshop, and the Paul Krot Darkroom and Digital Photo Program.

2012 Fab Academy Schedule (updated 11.15.2011)

Intro to Digital Fabrication Tools and Concepts (Jan 4-18)

• learn the basics of how the digital fabrication tools work
• intro to programing and electronics concepts used in the course (tailored to the skill level of the participants).
  

Digital Fabrication Principles and Practices(Jan 18)

• 1st MIT lecture
• learn about Fab Labs, the Fab Network and the Fab Charter
• begin planning and documenting your final project.
• class page
  

Collaborative Technical Development, Documentation, and Project Management (Jan 25)

• intro to our version control system (Mecurial)
• begin building a personal website / portfolio in your lab's section of the class archive describing you and your final project
  
• class page

Computer-Aided Design, Manufacturing, and Modeling (Feb 1)

• intro to 2D and 3D design software
• model (draw, render, animate, simulate, ...) a possible final project, and post it on your class page.
• class page

Computer-Controlled Cutting (Feb 8)

• design and create a project on the laser cutter and / or vinyl cutter.
• class page

Electronics Production (Feb 15)

• each student will assemble their own fabbable in-system programmer (Fab ISP) for use in the class.
• learn to mill boards on the milling machine
• practice surface mount soldering techniques
• program AVR microcontrollers
• class page

Computer-Controlled Machining (Feb 22)

• learn to make something big out of wood on the Shopbot 4' x 8' CNC router
• class page

Electronics Design (Feb 29)

• learn to modify one of our existing electronics "hello world" examples or create your own project.
• class page

Molding, Casting and Composites (Mar 7)

• learn how to create detailed molds from machinable wax and make casts from them.
• create composite parts or structures
• class page

Embedded Programming (Mar 14)

• learn more about AVR micorcontroller programming
• class page

3D Scanning and Printing (Mar 21)

• learn how to turn a physical object into code
• then learn how to take that code and print it as a physical object
• class page

Input Devices (Mar 28)

• learn to make a circuit board with a input sensor (light, switches, temperature or ultrasonic, etc.)
• class page

Interface and Application Programming (Apr 4)

• learn to visualize the output of a sensor board (that you build in the previous input devices unit).
• class page

Output Devices (Apr 11)

• learn to control a output device (LED's, speaker, video or motors)
• class page

Mechanical Design (Apr 18)

• Assemble a the mechanical structure of a machine designed by a MIT graduate student.
• last year we made the MTM Snap-Lock milling machine.
• class page

Embedded Networking and Communications (Apr 25)

• learn to make devices that talk to each other. (serial bus, radio or infrared)
• class page

Machine Design (May 2)

• Assemble a the electronics and program a machine designed by a MIT graduate student.
• last year we made the MTM Snap-Lock milling machine.
• class page

Digital Fabrication Applications and Implications (May 9)

• learn about the broader applications of digital fabrication and what Neil Gershenfeld and his graduate students at MIT are working on.
• guest lectures from MIT grad students and other industry professionals.
• class page
  

Digital Fabrication Project Development (May 16)

• Using the skills you have learned, plan and document a final project that integrates at least two of the topics covered in the course.
• students work on their final projects
• class page
  

Invention, Intellectual Property, and Business Models (May 23)

• Guest lectures from experts in the field.
• students work on their final projects
• class page

Final Project Presentations (May 30)

• Labs around the world meet to present their final projects.
  

Additional Lab Time (May 31- June 30)

• Catch up on any unfinished work or for further experimentation with your own ideas.