Aalto Fablab | Aalto, Finland

Aalto Fablab invites many kinds of users and doers. However the students of Aalto University do occupy the machines, tools and spaces mostly, more and more users are coming outside the university. Aalto Fablab is a unique place where students, artists, designers, entrepreneurs and hobbyists are meeting, exchanging ideas and creating the future in between working with their prototypes, innovations and art works. Aalto Fablab includes all the tools of a fully equipped fablab and if the users have more traditional needs, the neighbouring workshops are also in use. In the wood and metal workshops you can machine and build big and small projects and the sewing workshop offers all kinds of machines for prototyping items from fabrics and other soft materials.

Aalto Fablab is a unit of Aalto Studios that is the media centre of the future in Aalto University. Its unique state-of the-art digital media facilities weave together the players of the creative economy: designers, filmmakers, game developers, architects, youtubers, artists, engineers, programmers, educators & researchers, angel investors, public-sector operators in Finland, Scandinavia, Europe and beyond. Aalto Studios facilitates education, research, artistic activities and product development in film and TV, games and animation, VR/AR, product- and user experience testing, sensor data-analysis, web- and social media, digitalization of teaching and fast prototyping. Aalto Fablab is the digital fabrication laboratory of Aalto University. It is based on the classic MIT Fab Lab concept, has all the machines listed in the 100K Fablab Specification, has open days and hosts Fab Academy thus being an active node in the Global Fab Lab Network.

It is not just the machines, but the knowledge around them. From idea to CAD and CAM design to fabrication with one or all the machines, electronics, programming and system integration – that is what you should try to get out of it.

The Fablab is generally open to the students of the Aalto University, but provides space and machine time to everyone else during open days. Membership options are also available. Students, members and staff can book the machines via Aalto Takeout system. The membership can also be broadened to include also the neighbouring metal, wood and sewing  workshops.

It is a place where to make (almost) anything. You can learn and use each machine or fabrication method individually; combine your ideas with CAD/CAM skills and use different machines for every part of your project that requires it. Learn all the skills individually or via joining the Fab Academy – the choice is yours.

Fab Academy is a fast paced, hands-on learning experience where students learn rapid-prototyping by planning and executing a new project each week, resulting in a personal portfolio of technical accomplishments. Starting from year 2020 Aalto University students can join the 6-month long course and earn academic credits.