The Great Invention Kit

The Great Invention Kit (or GIK) is a construction kit very much like Lego with the only difference that it's using a different type of assembly principle :

Two dimension parts are assembled by press snap-fitting them together after turning one of them by 90 degrees. Numerous three dimension constructions can be assembled out of two dimension parts. The advantage of snap-fit is, that it can be broken down and re-assembled.

The advantages of the GIK are :

1. Scalability. It's very easy to scale down or up GIK parts using the appropriate cutting machine and the appropriate material.

2. Material diversity. GIK parts can be made out of various materials :

a. Conductive or insulating materials, useful in electronics.

b. Various refractive coefficient materials, useful in optics.

c. Soft or hard materials, useful as joints.

d.Doped or un-doped materials, useful in active Electronics.

3. Reversibility : GIK assemblies can be constructed and deconstructed, with therefore no trash, and taking full advantage of recycling.

3D printing

GIK parts can be used as elementary parts for 3D printing. Imagine a machine able to build object by assembling together smaller-than-visible-with-naked-eye parts . Assume these parts can be different materials. We will be able to print a variety of objects , very much like in Science Fiction movies or as imagined by Nanoscience Scientists : Universal assembler. The advantages of GIK over other techniques are it's proven feasibility, the vast material set that can be used and the reversibility of the construction.

Millimeter size parts

Millimeter size parts were fabricated out of paper or standard printer transparencies using a CO₂ laser printer.

Smallest parts developed so far

Micrometer size parts were fabricated out of Kapton using an Excimer laser.

Biggest parts developed so far

The GIK was first developed by Grace and Neil Gershenfeld at the MIT Media Lab.

See also

• Neil Gershenfeld