Personal Fabrication has long been a geek fantasy. The idea of “printing” household goods like we print photos has been up there with teleportation, light sabers, and other unbelievable developments from the back page of Wired magazine. However the mainstreaming of personal fabrication has already started and the people responsible for it are not who you would expect.
The average “hockey mom” is more likely to have a piece of customization equipment in their home than an MIT graduate student. Some of the coolest technology in the world is being used to create scrapbooks and monogrammed pillowcases.
The manufacturers of these devices understood their market. First, crafter aren’t typically known for fawning over technology for the sake of technology. Second, a major reason people craft is the psychic benefit of having “made” something. Understanding those those realities they designed their devices to minimize technological complexity and maximize the feeling of accomplishment. As manufacturing moves from factories to family rooms, the approach to tools and processes are going to have to change and the following tools are instructive examples:
CriCut – $399
Paper Cutters: Scrapbooking is a $2.5B industry and a large portion of that money goes to buy tools to cut paper (punches, scissors, etc.) A class of CNC paper cutters have emerged and are now widely available at craft stores. The CriCut is the most popular of these machines and one of the biggest selling points for this product is the fact that no computers are needed to operate it. The CriCut has a built-in keypad and a cartridge based system for images (e.g. you can buy a cartridge of Christmas clipart). The use of cartridges limits what you can make, but it also eliminates all the issues around connecting a computer, learning complex software, and a myriad of other issues.
This simplicity makes it more portable and these devices are often brought to scrapbooking events making their owners the center of attention and providing status.
CNC Embroiderers: These machines look and work a lot like standard sewing machines, but give the operator the ability to do complex embroidery. This enables simple customization like monogrammed towels or more advanced projects like detailed quilting . There is no dominant model in this market, but there are some elements similar to those in the CriCut that make it easy to use while
Touch screen – These machine combine ultimate sewing power with Star Trek control panels. You can hook this up to a PC, but also drive it via the much simpler touch screen display.
Built-in content – all models allow you to import designs via your computer, but some also have a portfolio of Disney patterns that can be embroidered without attaching a computer.
