The Open Knowledge Conference in Berlin went really well. 400 people came for it from around the world. Topics discussed were Open Data, Open Science, Open Education, Open Hardware and others. I will report here the most important aspects around the Open Hardware part of it and some other interesting things.
Richard Stallman shared one of the many reasons against proprietary software which I saw before but didn’t quite went into deeply. Proprietary software puts us in a moral dilemma. We are not allowed to redistribute copies of proprietary software and when a friend of ours asks us to give him the software then we are faced with a moral dilemma – should I give the software to my friend? This is very interesting! A proprietary software limits the moral development and moral actions of the people using it. He spoke also about free software not as a software that can be downloaded for free or that is open sourced, but about the software as a tool for enabling four freedoms to the people. The freedom to run it for any purpose (1), the freedom to study and change the source code (2), the freedom to redistribute copies of it (3) and the freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions of it (4).
One interesting discussion was a private standard for Open Hardware. It will not be like a normal standard, but more like labeling which products are Open Hardware. And there isn’t supposed to be some central authority which will decide what will be labeled or what not, but somehow the Open Hardware Community should be involved in that decision. There are still a lot of open questions on the proposal that has to be cleared out. Few goals of the proposal were identified: to ensure openness, to protect common knowledge and to be a simple, generic and universal standard. The values of the standard are: sharing, accessibility, enablement of reproduction, collective ownership. OHANDA will continue with the further development.
Michel Bauwens shared if we need Open Knowledge, then we need to create Open Infrastructures. He suggested creating mission-oriented entities that will help creating the infrastructures on which common knowledge can thrive. You can watch his talk “No Open Society without Open Knowledge, no Open Knowledge without Open Infrastructures“.
Open source hardware and Milkymist
Sebastien Bourdeauducq presented the Milkymist, a comprehensive open source solution for the live synthesis of interactive visual effects for VJs (video performance artists). Its custom embedded processor has Verilog HDL design files that are entirely free and open source.
Open Source Ecology – the foundation of modern civilization
Nikolay Georgiev presented Open Source Ecology and the Global Village Construction Set (GVCS), a modular, DIY, low-cost, high-performance platform that allows for the easy fabrication of the 50 Industrial Machines that it takes to build a small, sustainable civilization with modern comforts. He shared the qualities of the project and how open collaboration and documentation is done. Distributive Economics in the project is implemented by open access to a global repository of economically significant products, plus the creation of flexible fabrication facilities and open business models. Current work is on production run of tractors and CEB Presses and remote collaboration on the steam engine and industrial robot arm. OSE Europe is being developed.
Beyond DiY: Open Hardware and Renewable Energy
Javier Ruiz presented Onawi, a non-profit organization developing open source designs for medium size wind turbines. The designs are developed by open collaboration among all stakeholders. Very interesting work combining open design and industry!
Developing open & distributed tools for Fablab project documentation
Anu Määttä from the Utrecht FabLab shared how they are helping people in the FabLab to document their work. On entry in the FabLab everyone register quickly themselves and on exit they document what they have done. The documentation then is converted into an RSS XML feed which is displayed visually by an ongoing prototype website. They also printed a QR Code to a product developed in the FabLab which you could scan and find various information about it, e.g. its documentation and where is the nearest FabLab where you can produce it.
Repairable machines: lessons learned developing open hardware
Lieven Standaert compared the 3D printers RepRap and MakerBot in very important way – replicability. If you want to replicate or build a RepRap it would take you about a month, but for the MakerBot few days! To build a 3D printer curtain qualities of the construction are needed which in the case of RepRap the user himself has to take care of them, but in the case of MakerBot these qualities are embedded in the printer parts because they are laser-cut with high precision. He presented afterwards the miniCNC milling machine which can be built by a novice builder for 14 hours!
Final Words
The Open Knowledge Conference was great! All people were engaged in opening important information. Open Hardware is gathering speed since few years and now it gets more and more attention!