The FabLab concept (CC BY-SA 3.0)

The FabLab concept was created by Neil Gershenfeld, a professor at MIT, in the late 1990s and launched at the university's Media Lab, in collaboration with the Grassroots Invention Group and the Center for Bits and Atoms (CBA), also at MIT.

He began by exploring how the content of information relates to its physical representation, and how a community can be made more creative and productive if it has access to technology at the local level.

While the Grassroots Invention Group is no longer part of the Media Lab, the Center for Bits and Atoms consortium is still actively involved in pursuing research in areas related to description and fabrication, but it does not operate or maintain any of the fab labs around the world, except for the mobile fab lab.

The Fab Lab concept also stems from two very popular courses at MIT: MAS.863, entitled "How To Make (Almost) Anything," and MAS.S62, entitled "How To Make Something That Makes (Almost) Anything." These highly sought-after courses are still open to students during the fall semester.

In France, the first initiatives were launched in 2009: Artilect FabLab Toulouse in 2009, then Ping, Nybi.cc, and Net-iki in 2011, the FabLab at the University of Cergy-Pontoise, the LabFabs in Rennes5, Lannion, and Montpellier in 2012, and so on.

The FabLabs Charter

> Image credit CC-BY license
> The original charter in English

Equipment

The Clunisois FabLab has many manufacturing resources similar to those found in other FabLabs. We have 3D printers using three different technologies: wire deposition, resin polymerization, and polymer powder bed fusion. We are also able to cut most materials except metals using our laser cutter. Machining is also available at the FabLab with two CNC milling machines, a CNC lathe, and a drill press. We also have workshop tools, sewing equipment, and electronic equipment.

To discover them, click here

Our partners

• The Arts et Métiers Foundation

• Cluny Town Hall

• The Clunisois Community of Municipalities

• The Evolutive Learning Factory at ENSAM

Our schedule

Find the Clunisois FabLab calendar via Google Calendar

Our contacts and address

Campus Arts et Métiers Cluny
13 rue Porte de Paris CS 80002
71250 CLUNY CEDEX
Facebook page
fablabclunisois@gmail.com

The FabLab team

Founder: Laurent Laboureau (2016–2017)

Those responsible:

• Fabien VIPREY (2017-2024);

• Jean-Baptiste GUYON (2024-...);

FabLab support:

• Richard BRUN;

• Patrick GHIDOSSI;

• Certified members, in their second year of study at the Arts et Métiers campus Arts et Métiers Cluny

Getting to the Clunisois FabLab

Discover the accessibility of our establishment: pictoaccess