Feb.9, 2014

The WoeLab of Lomé, Togo in West Africa has launched a new campaign on the European crowd-funding site ululue.com to help them bring their W.Afate 3D printers to the 3D Print Show in New York next week... before sending their 3D printers all the way to Mars.

WoeLab is the first hackerpace in West Africa. The name of the W.Afate 3D printer is a composition of the "W" from WoeLab, and "Afate" the name of the inventor. The W.Afate 3D printer is built using parts from recycled electronic waste, like old computers, printers and scanners. Afate wants his project to be part of action to clean up the e-waste that is choking entire neighborhoods in some parts of West Africa while also bringing better technology within the reach of ordinary people. This video below shows the W.Afate in action.

The WoeLab has already received international recognition for their e-waste-built 3D printers. At the end of April, the team collaborated with FacLab in France on a project that was chosen from over 700 submissions to win the Best Mission Concept at the NASA Space App Challenge 2013 in Paris. This animated video explains the project which aims to send W.Afate 3D printers to Mars.

The W.Afate to Mars project presents a system to relocate some of our planet's electronic garbage by converting it into a new generation of autonomous machines that could operate in outer space. With the W.Afate 3D printers WoeLab aims to bring more attention to this digital technology in Africa.

The project has reached 66% of its €3,000 fundraising goal, with still 2 days to go. For more information on the W.Afate 3D printer or to help them take their printer to a world-wide – or perhaps even galaxy-wide – check out their campaign on ulule.


 

Posted in 3D Printers

 

 

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