What is the “Source” of Open Source Hardware?

Abstract

What "open source" means once applied to tangible products has been so far mostly addressed through the light of licensing. While this approach is suitable for software, it appears to be over-simplistic for complex hardware products.

Assessing the Openness and Conviviality of Open Source Technology: The Case of the WikiHouse

“…Echoing Balka et al [3] and von Hippel [31], openness pertains to (i) transparency (freedom to study); (ii) accessibility (freedom to edit/modify); (iii) replicability (freedom to make); and (iv) commercial usability (freedom to distribute) of information required for a product's sustainable development. These four criteria are respectively met when: (i) Computer-aided design files and schematics are published; (ii) all published information is editable, therefore enabling others to participate in the design process; (iii) the bill of materials and assembly instructions are published; and (iv) the commercial usage and free redistribution of the published information are permitted via relevant licenses [10].…”

“…Notwithstanding the positive dynamics of the DGML approach in the production of tangible artifacts, concerns have been raised with respect to: (i) the existence of a comprehensive shared documentation that renders a hardware product "open" [10]; and (ii) the level of autonomy the user has while developing and maintaining that product. To explore such issues, we looked at the construction sector.…”

Obsessed with Time? White Rabbit At CERN

“…OSH is considered a relatively young phenomenon, emerging in the past decade (Balka et al 2010;Bonvoisin et al 2017), yet it has already produced concrete commercial implementations (Bonvoisin et al 2017;Howard et al 2012;Raasch and Herstatt 2011). Commercial examples of OSH include projects such as the electronic chip-card Arduino (arduino.cc); Local Motors (localmotors.com), a car that has been entirely registered under a Creative Commons license; RepRap (reprap.org), a self-replicable 3D printer; open source ecology (opensource-ecology.org); and a project developing forty machines for supporting a local community, among other examples (Boujut 2015).…”

Open Source Hardware and EDA Tools for Analog/Mixed-Signal Design and Prototyping

“…It is commonly accepted that the benefits from OSHW would be greater if it is supported by publicly available documentation regarding the EDA tools that were employed to develop the OSHW [15]. OSEDA is a key factor to reach this goal.…”