Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
often inaccurate by the time the design is finished, due to design
changes made along the way. As we start to use more digital fabrication
tools, such as 3D printers, CNC routers, and laser cutters, we're finding
that open sourcing our mechanical designs is easier, but we often can't
afford to spend the time to detail assembly and finishing procedures. Of
course, that's where the open source hardware community can come in!
Summary
When you are selecting a model for an open source hardware business, you have a variety
of options to choose from. Concentrate on making the advantages of open source hardware
work for you, and combine them with means to generate income. Figure out the best mix
and strategy for your individual case. Keep an eye on other projects, and learn about the
business models followed by other open source hardware companies. Open source hard-
ware and open design are still in their early stages, so there is a lot of room for improve-
ment and a lot of things worth trying.
Many of the points made in this chapter are easily said, but not easy to do. Building a
hardware business—open or not—is hard. All of the open source hardware companies in-
terviewed for this chapter reported that their problems were overwhelmingly business
problems, not open source problems. While making your hardware open source will give
you some possible advantages, it will also add some challenges to your workload. Creat-
ing and providing useful information, maintaining up-to-date design files, and managing a
community take a lot of time and skill. Nevertheless, this is where the collaborative ad-
vantages of the open source world come into play. Currently, a lot of the tools used to col-
laborate on complex hardware projects are lacking or are not as effective as software col-
laboration tools, but you can help make those better. The more people start working on
open source hardware, the more development will gain speed and get more powerful,
modular, and distributed. The better the tools, the better the open source hardware, the
easier it will be to build a business on top of it, and the more important it will become for
our economy.
