ShopBot was Here
ShopBot’s CNC Village at Bay Area Maker Faire
There was a lot of buzz inside our huge tent at Maker Faire in San Mateo, May 15 -17. About 130,000 people attended, and ShopBot was excited to use our space to shed light on creative makers from the Bay Area, as well as to introduce new developments from ShopBot. The Handibot team shared Handibot 2.0 and its new features (read about that in Handibot developer Brian Owen's post).

We also demonstrated FabMo, the new wireless, universal motion control software we're developing via open source, and previewed our newest tool, Desktop Max, the much-anticipated larger version of our popular Desktop CNC tool. Read ShopBot's Jeanne Taylor's post about the three-day extravaganza!
Camp ShopBot in New Jersey
ShopBot's Matt Schmitz and Randy Johnson were guest speakers at a Camp ShopBot for about 30 participants in Mays Landing, NJ, this past month. Matt writes, "The morning started with Randy sharing his considerable knowledge of feeds and speeds, maintenance, tips, and tricks. I gave a presentation on the ShopBot Indexer, a ShopBot accessory that works like a controlled lathe and allows machining of full-3D parts." The afternoon brought “show and tell” and more shared tips and tricks. Read Matt's blog post here.
ShopBot "Internationale"
In early May, ShopBot's Sallye Coyle attended Maker Faire Paris. In addition to visiting with LeFabShop, which hosted a ShopBot Desktop and two Handibots at their booth, she spent time with TechShop Paris folk. TechShop is partnering with one of France’s biggest DIY hardware companies, Leroy Merlon, to open a series of TechShops around France.
Sallye also visited the digital fab lab, FabMake, at AirBus’s composites research center near Nantes, France. In addition to a 48” Buddy, the lab houses a laser cutter, a 3D printer farm, embroidery sewing machines and an electronics area. Since the research center works with materials other than wood, part of the conversation during the day was how to machine plastics and soft metals such as aluminum.
Sallye visited FabLabs in Jerusalem and Holon, Israel, each associated with Graduate Schools of Design. The Fablab in Holon is located in the poorest neighborhood in Tel Aviv. One of its missions is to help the local residents succeed in school and learn skills, including digital fabrication, to become gainfully employed to break the cycle of poverty.
|