Changing Things 2: Fab Labs, decentralized design, and production

of material products

Michael ShilohTeach me to make

michael@teachmetomake.com

Overview

I Introduction and Openmoko background

II Decentralized design

III What methods and equipment are available

IV Limitations

V Ethics and psychology

VI Education

BackgroundHardware

Embedded computers and embedded software (Wind River Systems)

Various professional and kinetic art projects (SRL, etc.)

Openmoko: Community manager and advocate, communications(public speaking, wiki, FAQ, etc.)

Teach me to make: Teaching art and technology via hands-on tinkering workshops

Openmoko

● OPen source MObile Computing platform● More than a phone● “Killer Application” is that community will

determine what it is● All open: software, hardware, and mechanical● Ubiquitous computing device?

What came out of Openmoko

Oxford ArcheologySuredaBike?OpenmocastRobotic helicoptor?

Where is Openmoko now

"… we've decided … to turn the future of the Freerunner over to the community."… [community has] started redesigning the Freerunner hardware ... using only Free Software tools.“all the design information will be handed over to the community along with openmoko.org (Wiki, GIT, Trac, Planet, …)"Openmoko Inc. will ... continue to fund ... server infrastructure … components to build prototypes

- Sean Moss-Pultz, Openmoko CEO, 6/2/2009

Overview

I Introduction and Openmoko background

II Decentralized design

III What methods and equipment are available

IV Limitations

V Ethics and psychology

VI Education

Decentralized design tools

“... the design effort can be shared collaboratively“... currently controlled at several points by closed proprietary systems.“... the mission is opening the design process toallow for collaborative open source hardware development.

- Steve Mosher, Openmoko VP Marketing, 6/10/09

Decentralized design goals

“The key breakthrough Openmoko achieved in my mind was to kickstart a collaborative way to develop consumer electronics.

- Wolfgang Spraul, VP Openmoko engineering, 6/9/09

Overview

I Introduction and Openmoko background

II Decentralized design

III What methods and equipment are available

IV Limitations

V Ethics and psychology

VI Education

Methods and equipment:Services

●Protomold: “From 3D CAD to injection molded plastic parts as fast as the next day”

●Firstcut: “CNC machined plastic parts at least as fast as additive rapid prototypes”

●Low volume printed circuit board services with free CAD software (PCBExpress, etc.)

Methods and equipment:Tools for small factories

and workshops

●Lower priced industrial machines accessible to smaller workshops●3D printers (Z-corp, Dimension, etc.) ($20K, $30K)●Laser cutters (Laser-pro, Epilog, etc.)●Omax 55100 waterjet, work area about 1.4 m x 2.5 m, water pressure about 50K PSI, about $240K (video)

Software

●Low volume printed circuit board services with free CAD software

●Inexpensive or free versions of commercial CAD software although (e.g. Eagle)

●Free Open-Source Software (FOSS) CAD (both mechanical and electronic) “on the verge of being very good”

DIY

●RepRap: Open Source plans for 3D printer that makes copies of itself (video at 1:00)

●CandyFab: “The revolution will be caramelized”

●Makerbot: 3D printer kit for $750

●Thingiverse: Open source library of ready-to-make CAD files (somewhat like free clip art)●Favorite: Theo Jansen inspired robot

Overview

I Introduction and Openmoko background

II Decentralized design

III What methods and equipment are available

IV Limitations

V Ethics and psychology

VI Education

Limitations

● Software is free to reproduce, physical objects are not

● Software programs are based on text; no similar language for schematics and other CAD (yet)

● Consumer electronics is based on mass production: Will small volume production be able to compete?

● Parts not available in small quaitities● But e.g. Surface Mount Technology: developed for

mass production and robotic pick-and-place systems, but hackers are doing SMT in toaster ovens

Overview

I Introduction and Openmoko background

II Decentralized design

III What methods and equipment are available

IV Limitations

V Ethics and psychology

VI Education

Ethics

●We can choose what to make: consumerism no longer an issue if high volume not issue●Environmental responsibility: mixing plastics, toxicity of components●Designed to be repairable ●Designed to be hacked: when main function has expired, or never to be used as intended even right from the start●Ownership of design, copyright, attribution, respect

Psychology

●Our relationship to devices we have modified, designed, and/or created

●Ownership of design, copyright, attribution, respect

●Line between art and industrial design gets blurred

Overview

I Introduction and Openmoko background

II Decentralized design

III What methods and equipment are available

IV Limitations

V Ethics and psychology

VI Education

Education

● How do we further this?● What values do we pass on to children?● The way people think about objects (“I didn't know

you could make that, I thought you had to buy it”)● Tinkering; taking things apart; repurposing