For anyone interested in the topic, we will be streaming videos of presentations and providing opportunities for online participant chats:


A Research in Materials and Manufacturing for Extreme Affordability (RIMMEA) Workshop is scheduled for 18-19 March 2011 at Ball State University. This event will focus on addressing the needs of the Base of the Pyramid population of the world–which consists of over 2.5 billion people–through integrated and system approaches to explore scientific, technological and design aspects of materials and manufacturing for extreme affordability.

The organizers of the Workshop welcome submissions for a simultaneous Design Exhibition, displayed at the Workshop venue. Submitted work should address the relevant role that Design and Emerging Technologies can play as transformative or connective catalytic agents to address the Base of the Pyramid markets of four billion people who live on $4 or less a day. Projects developed by interdisciplinary teams and utilizing various media that can be scaled, manufactured and distributed to the most remote parts of the world (i.e., speculative design projects, physical prototypes, data visualizations, networking tools, etc) are encouraged.

Submissions will be considered for inclusion in the Exhibition until 18 February 2011. The online Exhibition submission form can be found by clicking “EXHIBITION” at the top of the Workshop website: http://www.i-m-a-d-e.org/rimmea/

This invitation-only workshop is supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), in collaboration with Ball State University, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), and the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). For more information visit http://i-m-a-d-e.org/rimmea or you can email questions about the Workshop and Exhibition to [email protected]

And a quick look at the participant list thus far (its growing):
Shaima Al Arayedh, Architect and Researcher
Bernard Amadei, Engineers Without Borders, University of Colorado
Lawrence Bank, Associate Provost for Research
Larry Barrow, Architect, Entrepreneur and Fabhaus
Chris Bull, Brown University, School of Engineering
Shekhar Chandrasekhar, American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Michael Goldsby, Ball State University, Center for Entrepreneurship
Noha El-Ghobashy, Engineering for Change and American Society of Mechanical Engineers
George Elvin, Blogger, Greenlab and Ball State University, CAP
Maria Gonzalez, Architect, Founder, Juligon Foundation
Anil Gupta, Indian Institute of Management and Honey Bee Network
Wesley Janz, One Small Project and Ball State University, CAP
Matthew Jelacic, University of Colorado, College of Architecture and Planning
Stephen Kieran, Architect, Kieran Timberlake Associates, LLP
Elizabeth Kisenwether, Pennsylvania State, School of Engineering Design
Kevin Klinger, Ball State University, CAP and Institute for Digital Fabrication
Vijay Modi, Columbia University, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Karthik Ramani, Purdue University, School of Mechanical Engineering
Lawrence Sass, MIT, Department of Architecture
Samuel Sia, Columbia University, Department of Biomedical Engineering
Kathleen Sienko, University of Michigan, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Amy Smith, MIT, D-Lab
Amos Winter, MIT, D-Lab