by Alf Caro Pacana
The FAB LAB Asia Network is the gathering of all registered fabrication laboratories in Asia under the Fab Foundation of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Center for Bits and Atoms. T
he 4th FAB LAB Asia Network Conference (FAN4) which was hosted by FAB LAB Saigon concluded last May 1-6, 2018 with the theme “Co-Create a better world” held at Dreamplex 195, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. From India, Taiwan, the Philippines, Korea, Japan, and Jordan, nearly 100 engineers, amateur inventors, educators, and makers meet to jointly create innovative and useful products for the economy and the environment. The Conference’s theme which was anchored under the United Nations Sustainable Development goals emphasizes on giving international participants the opportunity to design and co-create solutions with local makers and organizations that seek to make an impact.
Among the presenters were FAB LAB Mindanao Manager, Assoc. Prof. Lemuel Clark P. Velasco who delivered a talk to the Asian FAB LABs on suggested management models for makerspaces so FAB LABs can create high level impact through innovation and invention. FAB LAB Mindanao Staff, John Carl Marlo Andrade also presented a review of how MSU-IIT has been managing the operations of FAB LAB Mindanao while BS Civil Engineering Student Gideon Emmanuel Chiu conducted a talk on how to develop a culture of volunteerism for Asian FAB LABs.
SCS student Ernest John P. Escanilla along with makers from FAB LAB Bohol and FAB LAB UP Cebu also won the FAN4 Maker Challenge by developing a prototype concept of a spooler for a 3D printer filament recycling machine under the Precious Plastic Project. A total of seven delegates from the Institute’s FAB LAB Mindanao collaborated with International and local participants by teaming up and working together over a period of 6 days to brainstorm and prototype hands-on solutions that will address a challenge in the local context and improve upon an existing solution to co-create a better world.