Overcoming technical constraints for obtaining sustainable development with open source appropriate technology

Abstract

Abstract-Open source appropriate technology (OSAT) refers to technologies that provide for sustainable development while being designed in the same fashion as free and opensource software. Facilitated by advances in information technology software and hardware, new ways to disseminate information such as wikis and Internetenabled mobile phones, the global development of OSAT has emerged as a reality. This paper shows the sharing of design processes, appropriate tools, and technical information is enables more effective and rapid development of appropriate technologies for both industrialized and nonindustrialized regions. This sharing will require the appropriate technology community to adopt open standards/licenses, document knowledge, and build on previous work. This paper offers solutions in the form of both business models and tools to overcome technical constraints of OSAT development in the forms of the platforms necessary on which to share and build knowledge about appropriate technologies. These solutions are open, easily accessible for those in need, have a low barrier to entry for both users and information creators, and must be vetted in order to utilized as a trustworthy source on critical information needs. Current progress towards implementing these solutions will be reviewed and recommendations will be made to further increase the rate of OSAT development.

Barriers to Appropriate Technology Growth in Sustainable Development

“…The AT criteria incorporates small scale, sustainable technical innovations, including the theoretical 'know-how' or the software components of design and function, as well as traditional knowledge and biomimicry. A growing number of authors claim that the field of AT can be of significant assistance in sustainable development: namely provide food and water security, health, education, and also provide dignified work for world's millions (Schumacher, 1973;Jequier, 1976;Chambers, 1983;Carr, 1985;Hazeltine & Bull, 1999;Smillie, 2000;Sawhney et al, 2002;Pearce & Mushtaq, 2009;Buitenhuis et al, 2010). However, a number of barriers stand in the way of AT reaching more of a critical mass engagement and use.…”

“…In fact, open source innovation, crowd-sourcing and collaborative work are growing in application worldwide (Benkler, 2006;Chesbrough, 2003;Watson, 2009) and the same principles can also be instrumental to development efforts. Further advances in information and communication technology software and hardware have allowed for new ways disseminate information via wikis, Internet and mobile phones, making the plausibility of OSAT a reality (Sawhney, 2002;Pearce & Mushtaq, 2009;Buitenhuis et al, 2010). Early studies and examples of this topic shows that the collaborative design processes, appropriate tools, and access to technical information enables more effective and rapid development of AT for both industrialized and non-industrialized regions (Sawhney, 2002;Buitenhuis et al, 2010).…”

Self-sufficiency of 3-D printers: utilizing stand-alone solar photovoltaic power systems

“…These cost declines permit rapid distributed manufacturing of high-value products in underprivileged areas of the world where industrialization is economically challenging (Canessa et al 2013;Pearce et al 2010;Hurst and Kane 2013;Lotz et al 2013;De Maria et al 2014;Gwamuri and Pearce 2017;Savonen et al 2018). Simultaneous development and wide adoption of information technologies have enabled a commons-based open design or open source method to accelerate development of appropriate technology (AT) (Buitenhuis and Pearce 2012;Pearce and Mushtaq 2009;Pearce 2012a, b). Such open source appropriate technology (OSAT) follows the free and open source (FOSS) model that allows technology users to be developers and share the open source code of their physical AT designs (Pearce 2009;Korukonda 2011;Louie 2011) and to use this ability as a science and engineering education aide (Kentzer et al 2011;Pearce 2007Pearce , 2012bPearce , 2013.…”

Mobile Open-Source Solar-Powered 3-D Printers for Distributed Manufacturing in Off-Grid Communities

“…To meet these requirements the diffusion of information technologies (e.g. cell phones and the Internet) has enabled a commons-based open design or 'open source' method to accelerate development of AT [10][11][12]. In parallel to the open source movement in software, open source appropriate technology (OSAT) is gaining momentum as it allows technology users to be developers simultaneously and share the open "source code" of their physical AT designs, and to use this ability as a science and engineering education aid [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20].…”