Este término, democratize innovation , une a un concepto, una revolucionaria tecmología.

El concepto:

“….is a term coined by Neil Gershenfeld which alludes to the idea that ordinary people - if given the right tools and resources - can innovate technologically to a degree that rivals many corporate-generated technologies. As demonstrated by some of the FabLab projects, democratization of the innovation process can have profound socioeconomic impact. Moreover, it creates a longer term thirst for scientific and technological education. “

La tecnología:

La imagen es la de una Fab@Home printer, una maravilla tecnológica que funciona como una impresora … pero que te permite fabricar objetos tridimensionales depositando los materiales capa a capa.

Desde pasteles de chocolate a botellas, desde tazas de cafe a músculos artificiales, las posibilidades son infinitas, no solo tecnológicas, si no revolucionario desde el punto de vista de cambiar el concepto de manufacturación:

“… Ubiquitous automated manufacturing can thus open the door to a new class of independent designers, a marketplace of printable blueprints, and a new economy of custom products. Just like the Internet and MP3’s have freed musical talent from control of big labels, so can widespread RP divorce technological innovation from the control of big corporations.

Despite the formidable potential of rapid prototyping technology, its acceptance over the last two decades has remained disappointingly slow [4]. At present SFF systems remain very expensive and complex, focused on production of mechanical parts, and used primarily by corporate engineers, designers, and architects for prototyping and visualization. These factors are linked in a vicious cycle which slows the development of the technology: Niche applications imply a small demand for machines, while small demand for machines keeps the machines costly and complex, limiting them to niche applications. Alternatively, if one could provide either a large market for SFF machines and products or a simple and cheap SFF machine with which end users could invent products and applications, then this same feedback coupling could instead drive a rapid expansion in SFF technology and applications. “

¿Ha algo mas revolucionario que el que uno mismo se pueda fabricar sus objetos?. Este pequeña máquina, de 2.300 $ de coste, abre una nueva perspectiva, la que David de Ugarte bautizó como: La épica del Bricoleur, ya que no solo se rompe la cedena producto barato-fabricacion en serie, si no que puedes fabricar tus objetos dando rienda suelta a tu imaginacion.

Eso se ve claramente en la respuesta que da Hod Lipson, el creador de la Fab@Home printer en la entrevista que le ha hecho Popular Sciencia. :

Q: Noy Schaal, a high-schooler in Kentucky, won first prize at a science fair for using a fabber to build a chocolate map of the Bluegrass State. Is she the kind of everyday user you have in mind?
A: Noy is an excellent example of how you can explore the fabber without much training. I’m really hoping this will pass the geek barrier. I want the technology to reach people who want to make cool stuff out of exotic materials but have no way of doing it. For example, you can put cheese in the fabber but not in a conventional manufacturing machine because you’ll void its warranty.The fabber is more about allowing designers to experiment with ideas than making anything in particular.

“Experimentar con ideas”, ahí es donde esta la semilla, el potencial de esta maravilla. Imaginaros todo lo que se puede hacer, y lo que se hara.

Ahora, que cada uno eche a volar su imaginación.