The amazing part is how commonplace these rapid prototyping tools are now compared to even 5 years ago. With TechShop's and HackerSpaces in almost every major metro area, these tools are more accessible than ever!
(I taught one of the PCB design lectures for a similar class at Georgia Tech being taught by Thad Starner.)
True. A few years ago we still needed to build our own laser cutter[1]. Few places provided laser time and turn-key systems were super expensive. We eventually published the design and more than 200 hacker spaces and universities had the same problem and built the system as well. These days lots of people can find a hacker space with good tools very close to them.
Indeed! It never ceases to amaze me how easy we have it now. Ten years ago or so, when I first wanted to teach myself how to make PCBs, it took me weeks just to get what I needed to make them at home. There was no way I could afford to make a couple of boards at a professional shop, and there were barely any in my area anyway.
(I taught one of the PCB design lectures for a similar class at Georgia Tech being taught by Thad Starner.)