EAGER: Fabrication and Brokering through Information Technology (FABBIT)

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This EArly-cConcept Grant for Exploratory Research (EAGER) award is to investigate the creation of a web-based, 3D physical manufacturing service, analogous to the print, photo, and a wide range of other digital media services that are available on teh Internet. This will be based upon a combination of low-cost additive manufacturing (AM) prototyping techniques (e.g. fused deposition modeling) and the ability for users to scale up to small volume productions using either AM methods (which are expanding in scope almost monthly) or traditional manufacturing processes. The deliverables will be an initial service framework and file-format for a web-based national parts-on-demand prototyping and manufacturing service that will be built on a web-based platform that enables both novices and professionals to collaborate on the design of 3D models - this involves sharing, reviewing, and revising designs for mechanical and electronic manufacturability. The investigators will leverage modern web development frameworks e.g., Ruby on Rails or Django, to prototype this web platform for "communal" design and manufacturing. These deliverables will be developed with the specific objectives of providing universal accessibility and ease of use.The societal goal of this web-based manufacturing service is to unleash the creativity of students, hobbyists, and inventors with the consequent launch of new start-ups in a wide variety of consumer sectors. The economic goal is to create virtual marketplace for both experienced designers and a new generation and community of 3D-artists and inventors thus making a contribution to the new national Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (AMP) initiative. The resultant development of this web-based manufacturing service would provide a collaborative engineering environment suited to both educational and professional usage and requirements. A universally accessible design environment could be implemented as a digital classroom, providing a collaborative web-based educational tool to educators in engineering, robotics, medical, energy, and a wide range of consumer products and services.