1.
RepRap
and
Free and Open Hardware
@ErikDeBruijn

2.
Impact
Freedom to copy software is an
important right because it is easy
now – any computer can do it.
Freedom to copy hardware is not
as important, because copying
hardware is hard to do.
– Richard Stallman on Linux Today,
1999

3.
It is important
“Easy, anyone can do it”
1. Any computer can copy software 2. Anyone has a computer
FOR SOFTWARE:

4.
It is important
“Easy, anyone can do it”
1. Any fabricator can copy hardware 2. Anyone has a fabricator
FOR HARDWARE:
Driven by:

Low cost

Ease of use

Capabilities

Discovery of applications

Word-of-mouth

Etc.

5.
Open source in hardware
● Increasingly important as more people can
have fabrication resources,
● as there are more motives to actually adopt
these resources,
● as collaboration becomes easier
(partly endogenous to the community's
ecosystem)

6.
Viability of Open Design
● Motives
● Benefits
● Other incentives
● Means / Opportunity
● Community
● Infrastructure

7.
Motives
● Intellectual challenge & achievement
“Technically challenging, fun potentially useful, developing skills.”
● Autonomy
● Benefits
● Relatedness / community
● Meaning
”Hope to change the world by democratizing design and manufacture of material
goods. good for freedom, good for planet.”

8.
What would you make?
iPhone Dock? A replacement buckle? A tiny violin?
A whistle?
(with pea inside)
Art, gifts? Caps for
LED-candles?

9.
Toys (for all ages)

10.
Do Don't!

11.
Do Don't!
thing://1672

12.
MediBrace by juniortan
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3982

13.
Spare parts
Threat or opportunity?

14.
Making: Replacements or extensions

15.
Open Source Fusion
powered by
3D printed parts

16.
Benefits and incentives
● Make things that producers aren't inclined to
provide (low demand, low profitability, brand
image, patents, etc.)
● Get things customized, faster
● Innovate independently or in communities
● Repair
● Do It Yourself – Do It Together!

17.
http://www.thingiverse.com/Erik

18.
Replacement parts
schaakstuk kwijt?
onderdeel stuk?
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3982

19.
Fixing your blender

20.
Intrinsic motivations
● Intrinsic motivation creates more creative
results
● People requires no monitoring, and informal
governance can be enough
● People like to share!

21.
The means to do Open Design
● Money?
● Community
– Access to knowledge, spreading workload, etc.
● Infrastructure
– Fabricators
– Sharing platforms
– A commons of physical designs

22.
• Online proposal for an open
source standard construction kit
• Extruded aluminum beam
• Suitable for mass production:
high up-front costs
• Crowdfunded by 132 people
• > 17k in pledges received in
months

23.
The means to do Open Design
✔ Money?
● Community
– Access to knowledge, spreading workload, etc.
● Infrastructure
– Fabricators
– Sharing platforms
– A commons of physical designs

24.
Community growth
4~5 x Moore's Law

25.
4~5 x
(log scale)
Moore's Law
Community growth

26.
Proliferation of OS Fab. Equip.
RepRap & derivatives Industry Giant (Stratasys)
R&D manpower > 1000 people
(145-182 FTE R&D)
100 people
~100 FTE R&D
R&D expenditure $ 384,000 – 478,000 ~ $ 7.5 mln.
Yearly growth
2005-2010:
400–600%
Yearly growth & decline
2006-2009:
-17%–17%

27.
The means to do Open Design
✔ Money?
✔ Community
– Access to knowledge, spreading workload, etc.
● Infrastructure
– Fabricators
– Sharing platforms
– A commons of physical designs

28.
Infrastructure:
Fabricators
Affordable & open!

29.
version 1.0
CC-SA-BY Erik de Bruijn

30.
- version 2.0

31.
RepRap
version 3.0?
Video

32.
Version 4.0: Self-assembly
Download: www.thingiverse.com/thing:978
RepRap
version 4.0?
Video

33.
RepRap versie 5.0

34.
A commons of components
Robot modules or even complete robots
Micro 'factories' and complete 3D printers
Personal 3D
Printer

35.
The means to do Open Design
✔ Money?
✔ Community
– Access to knowledge, spreading workload, etc.
✔ Infrastructure
✔ Fabricators
✔ Sharing platforms
✔ A commons of physical designs

36.
Main take away
● You can participate in creating the open source
revolution in physical designs!

37.
More info
Main project:
www.RepRap.org
Companies:
www.Makerbot.com
www.Ultimaker.com, etc.
Other projects:
www.makerbeam.com
,
www.Thingiverse.com
Videos:
www.youtube.com/erikdb
Twitter:
@erikdebruijn
My Company:
www.BudgetDedicated.com

38.
References
• Discussion
• Further infomation
o My blog: http://erikdebruijn.nl
o p2pfoundation.org
o RepRap project: www.RepRap.org
o RepLab.org - creating open replicable FabLab's
o Democratizing Innovation (By Eric von Hippel) and user
innovation literature
o Thingiverse objects:
 Personal 3D printer (thing:815)
mail-me@ErikDeBruijn.nl
My vCard: