MakeDo is a deceptively simple system for quickly and easily assembling pieces of cardboard, paper, fabric or plastic into … anything! The system includes basic connectors, as well as two different types of hinges. Also included is a special tool for cutting and poking the necessary holes in your materials. With only the tools and parts you find in the box, you can assemble structures, creatures, costumes or anything else you can dream up.

MakeDo is clearly marketed toward children, but having spent my share of time in both product design and exhibit design firms building mockups and prototypes, I can say these little snaps and hinges would be a welcome addition to the gaffers tape, hot glue, foamcore and exacto-knives of a professional model or prototype shop. Check out this quick video for a sense of what’s possible.

GEM achieves this time-savings with the help of an easy-to-use editing tool that allows designers to select from a library of shapes, physics attributes, and other elements from a simple drop-down Windows menu. They can also type in specifics to match real-world measurements and actions. [...] Workers training with GEM software navigate just as they would a PC game, using commands and keys that correspond with on-screen movement

There is one detail in the article that stood out for me that I felt that Jana touched on but didn’t give the attention I thought it deserved: While simulation systems are in wide use in the automotive and aerospace industries, where tolerances and safety concerns demand it and budgets allow it, with this project what Siemens is really doing is developing a simulation technology for the masses. This ‘democratization of simulation’ will open up new markets in mid- and small-scale factory operations that might otherwise not have been able to afford Siemens’ services. Much of what I wrtie about on this site is ephemeral or pie-in-the-sky, but if this project bears out, it will be a great example of ‘sketching’ technology enabling people to create real value on an industry-wide scale.

BusinessWeek.com : Siemens’ New Game Strategy