- Fabric8Labs patented a high-resolution electroplating/3D-printing process that uses an individually addressable electrode array to deposit metal voxel-by-voxel; participants explored how to replicate or circumvent the patent with open-source hardware.  
- The group debated practical ways to build an open-source electrode array: exposed PCB pads, hacked TFT LCD backplanes, ink-jet-printed MOSFETs, and even repurposed CRT electron guns were considered, but all were hampered by high current densities (0.1–400 A dm⁻²) and driver complexity.  
- They dug into the patent literature and located earlier segmented-anode electroplating patents (US4828654, US6497801) that could serve as prior art, yet concluded the Fabric8 claims are broad enough to pose real infringement risk for any commercial or even open-source replication.  
- Discussion highlighted the mismatch between 20-year patent terms and the pace of open-source innovation; participants cited the narrow U.S. “research exemption” post-Madey v. Duke and the broader Indian §47(3) safe-harbor as examples of how legal doctrine constrains garage-level experimentation.  
- Links and resources shared include Fabric8 patents (US10465307B2, WO2017087884A1), electrowetting microfluidics papers, perovskite solar-cell chemistry, and the “Accelerated Expertise” blog post on rapid skill acquisition.