As fabrication technologies permeate our offices and homes their use becomes as ubiquitous as paper scanning and printing technologies did before them. Laser cutters, 3D printers, and other makerspace technologies are now available to for home repairs, creative endeavors, and self driven experimentation at decreasing price points. Furthermore, as they are becoming a common part of the educational landscape, they are no longer the exclusive domain of STEM but are emerging at all levels of education.
SPICE students have access to these technologies through the SICE Fabrication Lab currently housed in Informatics East lower level room 010. Overseen by Senior Hardware Specialist & Lab Safety Officer Caleb Hess, the lab is open to all SICE students during scheduled hours (except when reserved by a class). Inside the lab is a full complement of fabrication equipment, including several generations of 3D printers as well as a Rayjet Laser cutter. The 3D printers are a mixture of home and professional models capable of printing objects large and small, while the laser is able to cut a wide range of materials from teak to tissue, to acrylics and leather.
The lab is used by a wide variety of students and presents an opportunity for SPICE students to become fully familiar with a technology whose presence in the home and office makes it a safety concern akin to any other Internet of Things (IoT) device. While many units act merely as USB devices, others can be directly accessed via an ethernet port on a network. This means someone could remotely control your printer; an attacker could send print jobs that deplete expensive materials, create expensive, improper, unwanted, or even threatening or illegal objects. Furthermore, because the devices work with heat, there is the additional concern of an attempt to create a thermal risk leveraging the laser or printer. Security & Privacy in Informatics, Computing, and Engineering instructs students so that they understand the multi-disciplinary threat environment. SICE’s Fabrication Lab offers them a superb opportunity.
In addition to SPICE students, the lab is part of the REU “Discover IU” visits. Our summer REU students have opportunities to visit the lab and experience it in operation. Those who are interested in additional time in the lab have the opportunity to join SPICE project manager, Joshua Streiff, on additional projects.
Indiana University’s Bloomington campus has a wide variety of fabrication labs and “makerspaces” with a presence in schools from Computer Science to Education. IU additionally has community outreach with schools and groups throughout Bloomington in its IU Makes program.
This spring, the lab will begin its move from the lower level of Informatics East to the main level and increase its offerings with a range of new material and new technologies. Anticipated equipment includes new FDM printers and a machine designed exclusively for cutting flexible materials. Renovations are expected to begin over the next few weeks. Additionally, as Luddy Hall nears completion, SICE will have a total of 5 fabrication labs. These additions will give more opportunities for SPICE students and affiliates, including our summer REU students to learn, examine, and master.