WHAT IS THE PROTOLAB?
The Protolab is a solar powered mobile makerspace equipped with CNC laser cutters, 3D printers, and everything needed for ideas to be brought to life. Aside from providing equipment, Protolab serves as a portable classroom, a place where people, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, location, or background, can come together and let their imaginations run wild. Being one of only a few of its kind (for now), Protolab serves as a sustainability model that can be adapted and emulated all around the world. It's a change in culture.
This is a CAD image of what the protolab was designed to look like. To this day, it still looks very similar, with the exception of new equipment.
IMAGINEWORKS
We aren't doing this alone. We work in a close partnership with ImagineWorks, our nonprofit Kalani Robotics alumni association that helps us with the retrofitting of Protolab while our existing team members take charge of running and teaching Protolab's workshops. ImagineWorks is a way for us to stay involved, even after graduating, creating sustainability for the present and future of our team. Learn more at imagineworks.org
PROTOLAB GOALS
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Model project for supporting the entire worldwide FIRST community
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Share facilities, equipment, resources and professionals
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Provide rookie teams with custom starter robots
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Provide teams with design, prototyping, and alteration support
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Assist in securing funding for registration costs
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Start the Protolab in other communities
AROUND THE ISLAND,
Hawaii is one of the world's most isolated places, surrounded by thousands of miles of Pacific Ocean in all directions. But that doesn't stop us from spreading our impact far and wide. We collaborate with other FIRST teams across the globe with emulating Protolabs in their communities, providing sustainability and outreach opportunities for their own teams, and truly making FIRST accessible to the whole world. If we are to make a difference, we can't do it alone. We need to collaborate internationally, expand the network, and this is how we do it. In fact, in collaboration with a FIRST team from Sydney, we're laying out the plans getting a Protolab started in Australia. It's already happening.