With so much happening at FabLab each week, we share some of the latest news and projects we are working on..
INTRODUCING THE FabCar//
Move over Tesla, for Fab10Barcelona, we are building an open source vehicle: The FabCar!
In collaboration with HP, OpenSource Vehicle and 5 other FabLabs around the world (Garagem FabLab (SP. Brasil), FabLab San Diego, FabCafe Tokyo, FaLab Manchester and Vigyan Ashram in India) Fab Lab Barcelona has designed a concept car based on the needs and desires of the Fab Lab and Maker communities.
The vehicle is based on OSV’s open source chassis, the Tabby. Around this, we are designing and producing the entire body of the FabCar at Fab Lab Barcelona and we will present the vehicle at the Fab10 conference on July 2nd at Barcelona’s Design Museum, DHUB.
The FabCar concept revolves around giving Fab Labs the ability to modify, customise and adapt a vehicle to their specific needs at any given time. We surveyed 32 Fab Lab stakeholders from around the world and found that, for the most part, labs do not own vehicles except in some rural areas where highly functional vehicles such as jeeps or SUVs are used.
Fab Lab survey respondents want to see a vehicle that has minimal ecological impact, is fuel efficient in urban traffic, and can carry a wide diversity of products across a city. Fab Labs aren’t as interested in speed or comfort for their urban vehicles: they are looking for an easily maintainable transport that meets a diversity of needs.
Our FabCar design has been built with these specifications top of mind. In the main, the vehicle comprises of an open chassis, with the possibility of adding interchangeable ‘pods’ depending on the need. For example, pods could provide functionalities, such as a portable bike rack, a food truck, or a mobile interactive exhibition space.
FabCar will be all electric and feature drive-by-wire technology. It is designed for the short trips commonly taken in urban environments. Our goal is to get the maximum carrying capacity from a small vehicle.
A GLIMPSE INTO OUR Fab10 PREPARATIONS//
The preparations for the global Fab10 Conference are now entering the final stage, with an inspiring symposium schedule planned, a community-led Fab Festival of activities organised, and now, our Fab10 Welcome Pack!
Our welcome pack is a fashion accessory must-have in lightweight denim and with our Fab10 logo. The pack includes everything you will need to navigate the many symposium and Festival activities, and even comes with a special, Fab Lab Barcelona-created gift: DIY wooden sunglasses!
Fab TEXTILES SHOWCASE//
We will also be showcasing the work of Fab Textiles at Fab10. Fab Textiles is an entrepreneurial project of FabLab aimed at integrating the latest technological capacities into the textile industries.
Our showcase at Fab10 focuses on two journeys: fabricating smart textiles, and intertwining the worlds of digital art and creation with textile design.
For our smart textiles journey, we will be presenting examples of new sensor-driven textiles and discussing use cases that demonstrate where the world of smart textiles is headed.
For our digital art and creation, we are taking visitors on a journey that reimagines textile fabrication. Nothing is taken for granted in how we envision a new world of textile creation. So we have done away with the idea of the mannequin and have instead started with a 3D modeling process to reimagine the physical form onto which textiles will be applied. We have created a full 3D design body and from that have built molds. We will overlay these molds with some of the textile experiments and groundbreaking designs the Fab Textiles team have invented.
For more information: