Fab labs are shared workshops, open to the public and equipped with modern as well as traditional tools and machines. A typical setup may consist of an electronics laboratory, 3D printers, laser cutters, and other computer-controlled machines, as well as classic hand tools and machines for wood-, textile, and metalworking – in line with the motto make (almost) everything. The term fab lab was coined by Neil Gershenfeld, meaning a “lab for fabrication or simply a fabulous laboratory”.
Chapter in: Thorsten Philipp, Tobias Schmohl (eds.) Handbook Transdisciplinary Learning. Higher Education: University Teaching & ResearchVolume 6