Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
which individuals are able to create, modify, and control the technologies they use
in their lives.
Will peer production of open source hardware improve?
Although there are excep-
tions, open source hardware currently seems less likely than other domains (e.g.,
open source software) to involve collaboration between many individuals on a
centralized design or repository, in which small contributions are combined togeth-
er into a complex whole. Although there are many reasons for this pattern, if open
source hardware is to thrive, it seems crucial to facilitate better collaboration
between large numbers of distributed and diverse individuals. This will require im-
proved tools, more efficient processes, and, perhaps most importantly, a focus on
fostering communities that have a shared interest in the development of open
source hardware.
Will the culture of open source hardware expand to include new people and ap-
plications?
Although digital fabrication and embedded computation allow for a
wide variety of activities and outputs, it's easy to get caught up in the technologies
themselves as opposed to their many contexts and applications. For early adopters,
an interest in the technology itself can be helpful, as its uses may not be immedi-
ately clear or accessible. Even so, this emphasis on technology for technology's
sake will not appeal to everyone. Thus, as we think about the future of open source
hardware, we should remember to not just play with the technology, but also find
ways to make it relevant and useful to new people and situations. In part, this evol-
ution may happen naturally as technologies mature and we come to take them for
granted, but it also relies on those of us with early access to and expertise in tech-
nology to think about how to make it relevant and useful to others.
Depending on the answers to these questions, the future of open source hardware and
personal manufacturing may look very different. My hope is that we will find ways to
make them increasingly relevant and valuable, by expanding the technologies they can
make use of, the collaborations that can produce them, and the applications and contexts
to which they can be applied. If our practices can keep pace with the growth of techno-
logy, open source hardware should offer a powerful alternative to mass production for the
technology in our lives.
