Welcome to FabLab Aachen – RWTH Aachen University’s Open Digital Fabrication Lab

The FabLab Aachen, hosted by the Media Computing Group at RWTH Aachen University, is an open digital fabrication workshop and research laboratory. Every week, students, university researchers, and external visitors utilize our state-of-the-art tools—from 3D printers and laser cutters to PCB mills and electronics workbenches—to bring innovative DIY ideas, academic projects, and prototypes to life.

Major Equipment, Tools & Infrastructure

Our lab provides access to a comprehensive suite of digital fabrication and rapid prototyping equipment:

Tool Category Equipment & Technical Capabilities 3D Printing & Scanning Various FDM 3D printers, Artec Eva 3D Scanner, FabScan, and smartphone scanning via RealityScan-App CNC & Cutting Systems High-precision CNC milling machines, CO2 laser cutter, and vinyl plotter Electronics Workstation PCB mill, manual pick & place, reflow oven, hand soldering stations, Mantis inspection microscope, oscilloscopes, Arduino boards & microcontrollers Specialized & Workshop Tools EggBot spherical plotter, circular saw, industrial vacuum cleaner, and air compressor Lab Materials LiPo batteries, casting silicone, electronic components, and standard hand tools

Featured Maker Projects & Research Highlights

Our community regularly builds creative and functional projects. Explore some of our featured community and research endeavors:

• FabScan: An open-source 3D laser scanner platform developed in-house.
• Lasercut Origami: Complex geometric structures crafted via precise laser scoring.
• Pinhole Camera (Lochbildkamera): Custom-designed analog cameras combining digital fabrication with traditional photography.
• Dragon Box & Connect Four: Custom laser-cut games and functional wooden enclosures.
• Analog Console (Helle Köpfe): Customized physical computing interfaces and interactive controls.
• Pokemon.zip & Custom Lighting: Creative student builds, including handmade lampshades shaped with heat guns and acrylics.

Academic Teaching & Courses

FabLab Aachen is integral to the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) curriculum at RWTH Aachen University. Key courses hosted in the lab include:

• Winter Semester: Designing Interactive Systems, iOS Application Development, Media Computing Project (M.Sc. Lab), Post-Desktop User Interfaces
• Summer Semester: Designing Interactive Systems II, Current Topics in HCI, Multimodal Media Madness, Human-Computer Interaction, Interactive Surfaces and Spaces

Visit Us & Get Involved

Whether you need to prototype a thesis project, experiment with microcontrollers, or learn 3D printing, FabLab Aachen offers the tools and community support to help you succeed.

• Location: Media Computing Group, Im Süsterfeld 9, 52072 Aachen, Germany
• Support & Inventory Assistance: Report broken or missing tools to [email protected].