Open collaborative design/Intro

From AdCiv
Jump to: navigation, search
Open design two notebooks.jpg
Open collaborative design involves applying the highly successful free and open-source software methodology to the design of machines and systems in the physical world, and will be no less than a revolution in the way things are created.

Open collaborative design uses a principle called 'copyleft' Copyleft.png that employs normal copyright powers to apply terms to the works stating that they will be freely available for anyone else to make use of, customise, or build upon, and additionally any derivations will also inherit this same copyright license. This means that 'copylefted' works, whether they are designs, text, artwork or computer code, are gifted to humanity permanently.

This principle completely changes the way people think about contributing their time, creativity and efforts to projects because they know that others will benefit, and that others are contributing similarly on different useful projects. These new collaborative principles are leaking out from the domain of open source software developement into the physical world. New generations of free and open-source CAD programs will allow people to easily construct their own designs and be able to choose from vast libraries of previously created components, assemblies or complete artefacts to customise for their own use.

These design principles can apply to the simplest things that can be made by individuals, all the way up to large-scale and complex systems of national or global infrastructure. Because the designs are not closed and proprietary, people will be encouraged to contribute knowing their involvement not only benefits themselves but anyone else who chooses to use the results of their efforts.

Creating the designs physically will be fast and easy due to emerging high-speed, flexible manufacturing techniques. As a result the open design ecosystem will effectively become an internet for physical objects — and its impact is likely to be as great as the web has been for information.

Refresh Open collaborative design with updated text