MAKERY
TEAM: Christina Griggs, Kaitlynn Long – USA – University of Virginia
A personal factory for the crowd-sharing age
In a century where films can be shot on your iPhone and albums recorded on your laptop, why should we remain beholden to industrial factories for our physical products? Makery is a vision of this future — an extension of the internet’s democratizing force to the realm of production and design.
Each Makery consists of a CNC Router, Lasercutter, two 3D Printers, and a mechanical arm to negotiate materials between the four. This universal production kiosk allows for the complete creation of a wide range of products, all in one place. A user-friendly touchscreen allows individuals to produce designs created on a Makery app on their smartphones, tablets, and computers.
Crucially, users are not limited to their own designs; rather, Makery utilizes the crowd-sharing principle behind platforms like GrabCad and DeviantArt, allowing users to upload and download designs from the Makery cloud servers. Imagine a world where a shoe design can be uploaded by an artist in China, and hours later go viral, being printed by Makery users around the globe.
These units would be installed in public parks, private offices, as well as residential communities; giving everyone the opportunity to join this new culture of making.