Drumbeat NYC—Open Hardware

Open Hardware Community Site

• Etsy for Open Hardware of all kinds
• finding ways to engage people without necessarily changing their perspective
• market place where designs are hosted
• people who want instances built
• people who are looking for $ to build
• people can connect to create, modify, build
• designers, design experts, manufacturers, consumers -- connecting people with different skills and desires

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We discussed the hurdles of opening the hardware market:

First:  designers consider physical property to be more "real" and thus more prone to copying than intellectual property.

Second:  Without the requisite skills, you cannot build or implement an open hardware design without outright buying it.

Third:  There is no real unified marketplace for open hardware.

Our Solution:

Create, Modify, Build (www.ponoko.com has implemented this very well)

• An "Etsy" for hardware
• Helps bring designers and builders closer together
• Allows consumers to choose an Open option

Create:

• Designers post their designs
• Manufacturers post their wares based on designs bought/licensed from designers

Modify:

• Enthusiasts ask for modified versions of designs to build themselves.
• Manufacturers license designs from designers, modify or incorporate into their own products.
• Consumers post requests for desired item to be designed

Build:

• Consumers request a design to be built
• Enthusiasts license designs and post built designs