FABCART PROPOSAL

OBJECTIVE:
The FABCART is a FABLAB on Wheels. We define FABCART’s function as: increasing
knowledge accessibility and STEM literacy for empowering people in their community
with 21st century skills.
A mobile FABLAB which can be housed in a bus, truck, on a cart or towed with a bike
will help in promoting the message of “Tour. Educate. Create.” The FABCART will tour
various schools, colleges, institutes in different cities/ areas of Pakistan. Hence, with
accessibility to fabrication equipment and workshops, community members will be able
to realize their ideas and concepts into working prototypes.
FABCART can be built in all sizes, costing from far over $100k to under $5k. It can be
sized anywhere from 16 meter long to 76cm long. We will be working on the idea of labs
making labs. So we will also look at them from a maker’s DIY perspective.

WHERE AND WHO?

FABCART will allow utilization of national innovation budget in a much economical way.
People from all walks of life will be sharing the FABLAB infrastructure and the
intellectual investment. From engineering students and robotics enthusiasts, to
handcraft makers and workshop owners, visitors will be able to access the technology
and fabrication machines to innovate and create.

WHY?
The FABCART is designed for locations where there will be no fixed FABLAB, but
where people want to be able to 'make'.
The traditional $100k FABLAB is expensive and has a limited reach because of its fixed
location; mobile labs can extend that reach. The essence of mobile is that you don't
come to the lab; the lab comes to you; for awareness, education or just plain making.
For that role we set out to develop a generic FABCART that:

 Would pass through a standard door

 Could be taken to locations by existing transport
 Could be tailored to suit the needs of various groups
 Could be adapted for various machines
 Is parametric
 Would be replicable for any institute or school worldwide

HOW?
A team of inventers and engineers will accompany the FABCART. FABCART team will
be training the local community on advanced fabrication skills and making technologies
and its different uses. Initially the focus will be to work with young makers to develop
their skill-set at an early age; reach out to existing and new school systems in Pakistan;
and enable technology and skill diffusion.
Thus:
1. Developing the working class and building local capacities;
2. Enabling young entrepreneurs to participate in startup programs offered by various
NGOs and to reach out to seed funding;
3. Providing the know-how required to grow and expand the beneficiaries’ technical,
entrepreneurial and business knowledge;
4. Helping in the emergence of a strong Pakistani Maker Community by increasing the
number of skillful makers across Pakistan; and bringing groups of makers, inventors
and entrepreneurs together;
5. Giving the community access to the equipment required to innovate and create
things and products that can offer real solutions to business needs and addressing
challenges within the local communities;
6. Developing an entrepreneurial culture as an educational maker space that can
empower small start-ups.

WHAT?
As a proof of concept first FABCART will be built small enough to be towed by a bike
and that passes through any door of 78 cm or more. The FABCART will only be 70 cm
wide and 112 cm long.
The FABCART will house a hybrid of following machines:
 Lasercutter with air filter
 3d-printer
 Vinylcutter/plotter
 Electronic tools’ kit
 Hand tools’ kit
 Some of the power tools
 Drawers for microcontroller based sensors and kits
 Drawers for material like wood, vinyl, cardboard, paper etc
 Air filter: As the cart is aimed for indoor use, there is space for an air filter. The
prototype will carry the air filter underneath the shelf carrying machines.
 On both sides a panel can be flipped down for the laptop to control the laser
cutter etc. The cart can be closed by a standard 1 meter roll-up banner.
 The cassette is 101 cm long, which makes the total length of the cart 117 cm.
The cart is 128 cm. high and 72 cm wide, so passes through doors.
 Any school/ team of enthusiast can conveniently personalize the cart as the roll-
up banner can be printed with any design they choose.

TIME FRAME FOR PROTOTYPE DEVELOPMENT:

The first prototype will be ready in less than 3 months (a major chunk of time will be
consumed in importing the components for the hybrid machines.) After the prototype is
introduced in the market the FABCART production will become more scalable, faster
and cheaper.
COST FOR PROTOTYPE DEVELOPMENT:
Table 1

Sr. ITEM COST($)

1 Cart with cover 5,000
2 Laser cutter 3,800
3 3D printer 2,000
4 Vinyl Plotter 2,000
5 Electronic tool kit 20
6 Mechanical tool kit 15
8 Power tools 800
9 Engineering cost 500
10 Training cost 5,000
11 Shipping and delivery 4,800
12 Overheads and cost of operations 1,080
Total 25,335
// 35, 34,865 PKR