Open Hardware�A community Perspective: Physical and digital tools for enabling Innovation.

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Stephane Fadanka

04-12-2024

Open Hardware?

• "Open hardware," or "open source hardware," refers to the design specifications of a physical object which are licensed in such a way that said object can be studied, modified, created, and distributed by anyone.

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• Open source products grant users four fundamental freedoms: the freedom to use, study, share, and modify the product.(Stallman 2002).

Photo by William Warby on Unsplash

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• How is open hardware different from other hardware?

Open hardware projects often provide complete documentation, including design files and source code. The license governing the reproduction of open hardware allow modification and distribution of those design files in a way that allows others to easily obtain and use them

Opensource.com, What is open hardware?

Opensource.com, What is open hardware?

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• OSH sets the scene for new, ‘open’ product development practices: participative, democratic, community-based, and open to the participation of any interested person, regardless of background.

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• OSH development projects can be characterised by their degree of openness, which has three factors (Balka, et al. 2014):

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• Transparency: any person can have unrestricted access to product information.

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• Accessibility: any person can take part in the product development process.

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• Replicability: any person can physically reproduce the product if following the design guidelines.

Open source hardware is all about collaborative innovation “networking, knowledge sharing, collaboration, co-creation and decentralisation” (Moritz et al. 2018).

Open Hardware?

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OSH DESIGN PRINCIPLES:

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1. Use only free and open source software toolchains (e.g., open source CAD packages such as OpenSCAD, FreeCAD, or Blender) and open hardware for device fabrication.

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• Attempt to minimize the number and type of parts and the complexity of the tools.

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• Maximize the use of components that can be distributed or digitally manufactured by using widespread and accessible tools.

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• All components that are not easily and economically fabricated with existing open hardware equipment in a distributed fashion should be chosen from off-the-shelf parts that are readily available throughout the world.

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5. Meticulously document the design, manufacture, assembly, calibration, and operation of the device. This should include the raw source of the design, not just the files used for production.

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6. Share online and specify a license. This gives users information on what constitutes fair use of the design.

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7. Share! For OSH to proliferate, designs must be shared widely, frequently, and noticeably to raise awareness of their existence.

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Open Hardware: Examples

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Arduino

Photo by Sahand Babali on Unsplash

Open Hardware: Examples

Over the years, Arduino products have been the brains behind thousands of projects, from everyday objects to complex scientific instruments.

A worldwide community, comprising students, hobbyists, artists, programmers, and professionals, has gathered around this open-source platform, their contributions adding up to an incredible amount of accessible knowledge.

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Prusa

Open Hardware: Examples

One of the most well-known names in the 3D printing industry, Czech-based Prusa Research has built a solid reputation bolstered by the excellent quality of their 3D printers. The open-source model adopted by manufacturer Josef Prusa has helped make the development of these printers a work done by the community.

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Prusa

We wouldn’t exist without open-source……….. Everything we do, everything we sell, is open-source. ………….All source codes, printed parts, blueprints, circuit board designs… everything is freely available to anyone via GitHub. ……………

Open Hardware: Examples

About us | Original Prusa 3D printers directly from Josef Prusa

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Open Hardware: Examples

The OpenFlexure Project: The OpenFlexure project

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The OpenFlexure project makes high precision mechanical positioning available to anyone with a 3D printer - for use in microscopes, micromanipulators, and more.

Images taken using OpenFlexure devices (https://openflexure.org/)

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Open Hardware: Examples

The OpenFlexure Project

OpenFlexure Forum - A place to discuss the OpenFlexure project

OpenFlexureCon

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Physical and digital tools for enabling research & Innovation

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Physical and digital tools for enabling research & Innovation

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https://gitlab.com/open-bioeconomy-lab/shaking-incubator

MboaLab Shaking Incubator; Funded by Open Bioeconomy Lab and Shuttleworth Foundation.

https://github.com/FOSH-following-demand/Incubator

Open-source incubator for microbiology. Developped at Mboalab under the BFOSH

project supported by the Mozilla Foundation

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Physical and digital tools for enabling research & Innovation

The AI4Health Project was launched to revolutionize disease diagnosis through the integration of AI technology, reshaping infectious disease screening, overcoming barriers of accessibility and accuracy. As part of this effort we are happy to present the following projects.

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• The Mboathoscope: open-source wireless Digital Stethoscope.

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• CNN model

The CNN model was implemented using TensorFlow and Keras

- Used the tflite_flutter library to connect the model to the Flutter app, providing a seamless interface for integrating TensorFlow Lite models into Flutter applications.

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- Used TensorDPS for audio conversion

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Step 3: Model training integration considerations

Step 4: Integrating the ML model into the flutter app

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Artificial Intelligence (AI) Applied to Health- AI4H

Beyond the Codes and Circuit Boards: �The Social Dimension of Open Hardware

Communities serve as powerful catalysts for innovation, fostering the development of new ideas, Open hardware designs, and sustainable practices and thriving ecosystems.

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Fabrice Teiffouet Feudjo, an Open Hardware enthusiast from Cameroon founded Africa Robot that has since grown into an award-winning engineering startup in his Cameroon.

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Africa Robot is an award-winning startup that specializes in locally manufacturing machines and robotic solutions, with a focus on custom laser cutting and engraving machines.

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Thank you

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