In the winter semester of 2025, FME introduced a new course inspired by the well-known How to Make (Almost) Anything course developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), one of the world’s most prestigious private research universities.

The course challenged students to use the facilities of the university’s open workshop, strojLAB, to conceive, physically create, and present their own projects. The specific focus of each project was entirely up to the individual participant. “The aim of the course is to foster creativity and develop the practical skills needed for designing and manufacturing prototypes in a multidisciplinary environment,” explained the course guarantor, Daniel Koutný from the Institute of Machine and Industrial Design.

The final project presentations featured a remarkably diverse range of devices. “Students presented, for example, a filament recycling machine, an automated indoor plant irrigation system, a liquid disinfectant dispenser, an expedition-style mini weather station, a multi-axis guitar pedal, and an indoor waste bin,” said strojLAB guarantor David Škaroupka.

In addition to BUT academics, the evaluation panel also included industry representatives, such as Tomáš Mejzlík, founder of FabLab Brno and director of the VIDA! Science Center; Tanguy Prevot from PIP Safety; and Miroslav Molínek from Honeywell. The establishment of this highly practice-oriented course at the Institute of Machine and Industrial Design was supported by BUT Rector Ladislav Janíček.

The course was developed as part of the international DiSTT project, which focuses on enhancing the digital skills of students and staff.