From sewing to 3D printing: Taylor Caputo and the Engineering Studios at Penn’s Venture Lab
The lecturer in mechanical engineering and applied mechanics and director of the Engineering Studios @ Venture Lab helps students bring student visions for new products to life through laser cutters, 3D printers, and even sewing machines.
2 min. read
Since Tangen Hall’s 2020 opening, Taylor Caputo, lecturer in mechanical engineering and applied mechanics (MEAM), has directed the Engineering Studios @ Venture Lab, introducing hundreds of students to the entrepreneurial possibilities of manufacturing your own ideas.
Taylor Caputo is a lecturer in mechanical engineering and applied mechanics and director of the Engineering Studios @ Venture Lab.
(Image: Courtesy of Penn Engineering Today)
The primary instructor for the popular elective How to Make Things, which she co-created with Dustyn Roberts, practice associate professor in MEAM, Caputo is also a practicing artist, working at the intersection of traditional craft, product design, and technology.
Drawing inspiration from local sources as varied as Pennsylvania Dutch folk art, the work of pop artist (and Pennsylvania native) Andy Warhol, and the richness of Philadelphia’s cultural heritage, Caputo connects people and places across time as both a teacher and artist.
The Engineering Studios make design and prototyping resources available to the entire Penn community, not just engineers.
“Our facilities are equipped with state-of-the-art tools, including six Stratasys F120 fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printers, two Formlabs stereolithography (SLA) printers, three 60W CO2 Epilog laser cutters, and a 48” x 48” computer numerical control (CNC) router. We also provide access to sewing machines, a woodshop and hundreds of hand tools—the possibilities across these digital and analog fabrication tools is truly endless,” Caputo says.
“The Studios are more than just a makerspace. They provide an ecosystem of equipment and tools, knowledge sharing from our Studio Technician team, and a culture of collaboration, empowering students to transform ideas into tangible, testable products. This hands-on experience serves as a foundation for their entrepreneurial journeys, working in tandem with programs like VIP-X, which offers mentorship, funding and guidance to aspiring founders.”
“My course How to Make Things also offers a microcosm of the entire product development experience,” she says. “Within just eight weeks, students move from an idea to a prototype to a small-scale production run of 24 products. The course culminates in an end-of-semester pop-up sale, one of our most popular Studio events, which generates thousands of dollars in revenue for the student teams. There aren’t many classes at Penn where students get to walk away with a few hundred dollars in their pocket. You don’t get much more of a visceral entrepreneurial experience than that!”
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