This document discusses decentralized design and production enabled by new technologies like 3D printers and laser cutters. OpenMoko, an open source mobile computing project, demonstrated how an online community can collaboratively design hardware. Now, services exist for rapid prototyping and small-run manufacturing. Free and open-source design software also allows more decentralized innovation. While mass production is still important, these techniques lower barriers and allow individuals and small groups to design, produce, modify and repair physical products themselves.

1. Changing Things 2: Fab Labs,
decentralized design, and production
of material products
Michael Shiloh
Teach me to make
michael@teachmetomake.com

2. Overview
I Introduction and Openmoko background
II Decentralized design
III What methods and equipment are available
IV Limitations
V Ethics and psychology
VI Education

3. Background
Hardware
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
Introduce myself
Background (engineering, wind river, openmoko,
teach me to make)
Art
Building things all my life
What I do for Openmoko
Teach Me To Make

4. 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?
Openmoko: completely open cell phone project
Community: participate in discussions and involved
in design decisions. Open to anyone

5. What came out of Openmoko
Oxford Archeology
Sureda
Bike?
Openmocast
Robotic helicoptor?
Projects
- track field notes, photographs, and GPS data
- CAD files for OpenMoko plastic components so
others can modify
- Bike computer

6. 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
FIC has stopped funding OpenMoko, so Sean
turned over entire project to the community

7. Overview
I Introduction and Openmoko background
II Decentralized design
III What methods and equipment are available
IV Limitations
V Ethics and psychology
VI Education
What did we learn from OpenMoko about
decentralized design and working with an online
community?

8. 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 to
allow for collaborative open source hardware
development.
- Steve Mosher, Openmoko VP Marketing, 6/10/09

9. 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

10. Overview
I Introduction and Openmoko background
II Decentralized design
III What methods and equipment are available
IV Limitations
V Ethics and psychology
VI Education
OpenMoko preceeded many manufacturing
techniques that are just now starting to become
viable

11. 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.)

12. 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)
Smaller companies, and in some cases individuals,
can afford machines that once only large
companies could afford.

13. 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”
Explosion of FOSS options

14. 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
And a renewed interest in DIY

15. Overview
I Introduction and Openmoko background
II Decentralized design
III What methods and equipment are available
IV Limitations
V Ethics and psychology
VI Education

16. 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

17. Overview
I Introduction and Openmoko background
II Decentralized design
III What methods and equipment are available
IV Limitations
V Ethics and psychology
VI Education

18. 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
Mass production no longer absolute requirement
Easier to recycle if we can know what's in a product
Make what we need, instead of buying something
that does much more than we need

19. 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
Parents keep objects their children have made
Gifts are more valued when handmade than store
bought
Clearly being part of creative items is important to
us

20. Overview
I Introduction and Openmoko background
II Decentralized design
III What methods and equipment are available
IV Limitations
V Ethics and psychology
VI Education
Open designs can be studied by students
FOSS brings access to the necessary tools (for
software at least) to anyone

21. 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
If we are part of building something, we are less
afraid to take it apart to repair or explore