VOA标准英语2014--'Fab Lab' Igniting Revolution in Kenya

 

'Fab Lab' Igniting Revolution in Kenya

NAIROBI, KENYA —

The University of Nairobi’s Science and Technology Park is banking¹ on 3-D prototyping to spark a manufacturing revolution in the country.

This is the 3D MakerBot printer in action. The machine is a scanner that prints three-dimensional objects of almost any shape from electronic data -- using plastic as its raw material. This drastically reduces costs.

Twenty-one year old Alois Mbutura is a first-year electrical engineering student at the University of Nairobi.

In March, he came up with the idea of a ‘vein³ finder’ -- a device that will help doctors administer intravenous needles to tiny infants. Today he is perfecting his design, which currently is in the prototype phase.

3D printing

This 3D printer can produce 100 such devices in a day.

"The vein finder was actually a solution that the School of Health and School of Engineering partnered to reduce the inability of health care people to find veins⁴ in babies and also for it to be economical and suited to Kenya," said Mbutura.

Affordable⁵ production is the hallmark of this Fabrication Laboratory.

“FabLab” as it’s called, is a small-scale workshop offering digital fabrication at the University of Nairobi.  It is part of the international FabLab network which started at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Dr. Kamau Gachigi heads the FabLab here. Established five years ago, its initial aim was to make ‘almost anything.’ But new innovations and expertise⁶ have changed that aim to make 'machines that make almost anything.’

There are some 400 FabLabs worldwide and two in Kenya. Gachigi believes they will promote the creation of an atmosphere and culture of innovation.

"The maker² movement will generate a new kind of producer so to speak and a lot of young people are extremely interested. Young people have a knack⁷ for technology," said Gachigi.

Innovative⁸ production

And this maker movement is gradually beginning to take shape.

Two years ago, Peter Mburi won the People’s Choice award at the NASA Space Applications Challenge for his ‘Bit Harvester’ invention, made possible by 3D technology.

"The bit harvester is an electronic device designed to monitor remotely -- using SMS -- wind turbines and solar installations. So you can see if they are operating okay or not operating okay and you can take the necessary measures to see how to correct the problem," said Mburi.

In a few months, a third Kenyan FabLab is scheduled to open on the outskirts⁹ of Nairobi. It is expected to focus on medical and energy-based equipment, taking this manufacturing revolution to another level.

1 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

2 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

3 vein   

n.血管，静脉；叶脉，纹理；情绪；vt.使成脉络

参考例句：

• The girl is not in the vein for singing today.那女孩今天没有心情唱歌。
• The doctor injects glucose into the patient's vein.医生把葡萄糖注射入病人的静脉。

4 veins   

n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理

参考例句：

• The blood flows from the capillaries back into the veins. 血从毛细血管流回静脉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I felt a pleasant glow in all my veins from the wine. 喝过酒后我浑身的血都热烘烘的，感到很舒服。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

6 expertise   

n.专门知识(或技能等)，专长

参考例句：

• We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
• You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。

7 knack   

n.诀窍，做事情的灵巧的，便利的方法

参考例句：

• He has a knack of teaching arithmetic.他教算术有诀窍。
• Making omelettes isn't difficult,but there's a knack to it.做煎蛋饼并不难，但有窍门。

8 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

9 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。