mit innovation lab march 2010
DESCRIPTION
A talk at the Sloan School of Management, MIT on RepRap and the democratization of Fabrication Technology and emergence of open hardware communities. Innovation Lab meeting organized by Professor von Hippel.TRANSCRIPT
OutlineOutline
•Introducing RepRap (short)•Incentives for participation in open communities•Is open hardware fundamentally different?•Constraints to open hardware•The distributed production edge•What does the community look like? How does it compare to institutional production?•How is it an enabler to more open hardware
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Short introduction: RepRapShort introduction: RepRap
Technology / machine•Replicating•Rapid Prototyper (flexible production)
Community / project ,
IncentivesIncentives
“It's NOT all about the money!”
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RepRap TechnologyRepRap Technology
Reprap Darwin - version 1.0
Reprap Mendel - version 2.0
RepRap version 3.0?
Video
Self AssemblySelf AssemblyParts for self assembling systems that can be 3D printed
Evolving mechanicsEvolving mechanics
Print yourself: 50 cents vs. 88 euros commercially
ModularUseful for experimentation and custom setups
IntegratedTurn-key solution
Evolutie: electronicaEvolutie: electronica
Parametric design(OpenSCAD)
Evolving softwareEvolving software
Parametric design(OpenSCAD)
Evolving softwareEvolving software
thingiverse.com/thing:591
Evolving output qualityEvolving output quality
RepRap CommunityRepRap Community
Who is doing it?
Why are they doing it?
How do they collaborate?
Distributed problem solving process
In numbersIn numbers
• Growth• 2008, ca. 100+ (20% very active)• 2009, ca. 1000+• 2010, ca. 3000+
• Diverse group• Diverse knowledge• Diverse motives
Community growthCommunity growth• Adoption shows an exponential curve• Why is this so important?
Bron: von Hippel E. Innovation Communities. In: Democratizing Innovation. Cambridge: MIT Press; 2007:93.
User innovationUser innovation
ArtistsArtists
Printing in ceramics:
ArtistsArtists
• Printing XXL (e.g. a chair, a kayak?)
F
Linus' Law in hardwareLinus' Law in hardware
• Problem: Leaking extruder• Incentive: Problem was worse for me. (varying
constraints)• Fix: Obvious to some. Probably was suggested
before.• Implemented: • Bonus points: fixed weak spots in material (thin
walls, weakest link determines the stength of the chain). Perhaps even more important as this cannot be fixed afterwards, causes mechanical failure.
Linus' Law in hardwareLinus' Law in hardware
Distributed Mfg. and supply chainsDistributed Mfg. and supply chains
Producer to user, or more?Reverse supply chain exampleOutsource an engineering problem: mouse
Outsourced: Outsourced: Mouse problem challengeMouse problem challenge
• Thingiverse.com
Ecosystem entitiesEcosystem entities
• Fabrication innovation communities• Commercial 3D printer vendors• Maker networks• FabLabs & Hackerspaces• Universities (RepRap as PhD)
Ecosystem entitiesEcosystem entities
RepRap.org - Makerbot.com -
← research ← modular← open← good for collaboration
BitsFromBytes.com - Stratasys Inc.
productized → integrated →
closed →good for commercialization →
Open Hardware FundingOpen Hardware Funding
SW = time
HW = time + money
How is it funded?
FundingFunding
• “It's all about the money”?• Hardware costs money. Do we need
organizations for Open Source R&D into hardware?
Open Source Fusionpowered by
3D printed parts
• Online proposal for an open source standard construction kit
• Extruded aluminium beam• Suitable for mass production:
high up-front costs
• Suitable for mass production:high up-front costs
• Crowdfunded by 132 people• > 17k in pledges received in
months• Manufactured and distributed!
Open Source EcologyOpen Source Ecology
Crowdfunded experiment
www.openfarmtech.org
Torch table - $1500 (average donation $ 100-150)
Workshop building - $4000
Individual donations - such as $5000 commitment to induction furnace.
$ 700 monthly from 'true fan' subscriptions.
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Open Source EcologyCommitted to developing and sharing designs and
techniques.
Energy systems
→ generators, solar concentrators, DIY biodiesel
Housing
→ brick press
Flexible fabrication
→ open source backhoe, RepRap, CNC plasma cutter
Permaculture (sustainable farming)
→ open source tractor
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MakerbotMakerbot
Apple Acquires MakerbotApple Acquires Makerbot
Introducing the:
iMake
User innovationUser innovationin open source, commercial productsin open source, commercial products
•Their 'customers' are modifying and improving 'their' product, •adding extensions, •making software tools, •generating printable content,•testing materials,•trying out innovative applications
Fabrication networksFabrication networks
Skills to prototype complex products
CloudFab
Commercialization or other diffusionCommercialization or other diffusion
When the scaling characteristics of domestic fabrication are favourable, diffusion other than commercial diffusion becomes possible.
Raison d'etrecommercial vendor benefits:scaling characteristics of mfg. and distributionbrand (solving the issues, support, someone who's responsible)Not: innovative capability If the distribution characteristic change informal distribution
proliferates.
time
# of usersperceivingneed
Crowd manufacturingCrowd manufacturing
•Customers can earnback their machines.
•Customers benefitfrom more Makerbotusers who generallyimprove the product,make content or other-wise generate value.
User innovation pathways
time
# of usersperceivingneed
Users starting to innovate here
Manufacturers can produce more cheaply here
Free sharing or user manufacturing
Users in communities can innovate more cheaply here
Users and user communities bridge periods of technical and market risk in which manufacturers would not start investing!
Thingiverse.comThingiverse.com
• Sustainable source of innovative, user generated products
• Challenge...
Thingiverse.comThingiverse.com
Thingiverse
Evolving infrastructureEvolving infrastructure
ThingiverseThingiverse
A PRODUCT, IN ONE DAY?
DESIGN+
MARKET+
MANUFACTURE+
DISTRUBUTEto at least 3 continents
New distribution modelsNew distribution models
DiscussionDiscussion
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More infoMore info
Main project:
www.RepRap.org
Companies:
www.Makerbot.com
www.BitsFromBytes.com
Other projects:
www.makerbeam.com
,
www.Thingiverse.com
Videos:
www.youtube.com/erikdb
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/ErikDeBruijn
My Company:
www.BudgetDedicated.com
Thank you!Thank you!
www.erikdebruijn.nl
http://www.RepRap.org