The RepRap project is a thriving community that develops an open source 3D printer that fabricates not only arbitrary objects, but also the parts to make more 3D printers. Besides being interesting in itself, the project provides valuable indications of the impact of affordable digital production tools. I will show how a distributed community is enabled to collaboratively develop not only the software but also physical innovations and content, independent of manufacturers. I will also show how a commons of open source 3D content can emerge and how this further lowers the barriers for individuals to innovate and express themselves. It is exciting to see more and more individuals empowered to participate in this expanded scope of open source. Possibly, projects like the RepRap will revolutionize "making" not entirely unlike the PC and Linux have done for computing. In addition to proliferation of digital fabrication tools such as RepRaps, there are important trends that hint at the significance of this emerging trend. Development of open source development toolchains, easy-to-use and/or free CAD software and cheap MaaS (Manufacturing as a Service) are unleashing the creative potential of eventually every person on this planet. I argue for more broad recognition of the positive welfare implication of this open and distributed mode of production. I will speculate that further emergence of the phenomenon may have far reaching implications for the meaning of property when even physical matter can be copied or shared as easily as software.

1. RepRap
and
Free and Open Hardware
@ErikDeBruijn

2. Impact
Freedom to copy software is an
important right because it is easy
now – any computer can do it.
Freedom to copy hardware is not
as important, because copying
hardware is hard to do.
– Richard Stallman on Linux Today,
1999

3. It is important
“Easy, anyone can do it”
1. Any computer can copy software 2. Anyone has a computer
FOR SOFTWARE:

4. It is important
“Easy, anyone can do it”
1. Any fabricator can copy hardware 2. Anyone has a fabricator
FOR HARDWARE:
Driven by:

Low cost

Ease of use

Capabilities

Discovery of applications

Word-of-mouth

Etc.

5. Open source in hardware
● Increasingly important as more people can
have fabrication resources,
● as there are more motives to actually adopt
these resources,
● as collaboration becomes easier
(partly endogenous to the community's
ecosystem)

6. Viability of Open Design
● Motives
● Benefits
● Other incentives
● Means / Opportunity
● Community
● Infrastructure

7. Motives
● Intellectual challenge & achievement
“Technically challenging, fun potentially useful, developing skills.”
● Autonomy
● Benefits
● Relatedness / community
● Meaning
”Hope to change the world by democratizing design and manufacture of material
goods. good for freedom, good for planet.”

8. What would you make?
iPhone Dock? A replacement buckle? A tiny violin?
A whistle?
(with pea inside)
Art, gifts? Caps for
LED-candles?

9. Toys (for all ages)

11.
Do Don't!

12.
Do Don't!
thing://1672

13. MediBrace by juniortan
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3982

14. Spare parts
Threat or opportunity?

15. Making: Replacements or extensions

16. Open Source Fusion
powered by
3D printed parts

17. Benefits and incentives
● Make things that producers aren't inclined to
provide (low demand, low profitability, brand
image, patents, etc.)
● Get things customized, faster
● Innovate independently or in communities
● Repair
● Do It Yourself – Do It Together!

18. http://www.thingiverse.com/Erik

19. Replacement parts
schaakstuk kwijt?
onderdeel stuk?
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3982

20. Fixing your blender

21. Intrinsic motivations
● Intrinsic motivation creates more creative
results
● People requires no monitoring, and informal
governance can be enough
● People like to share!

22. The means to do Open Design
● Money?
● Community
– Access to knowledge, spreading workload, etc.
● Infrastructure
– Fabricators
– Sharing platforms
– A commons of physical designs

23. • Online proposal for an open
source standard construction kit
• Extruded aluminum beam
• Suitable for mass production:
high up-front costs
• Crowdfunded by 132 people
• > 17k in pledges received in
months

24. The means to do Open Design
✔ Money?
● Community
– Access to knowledge, spreading workload, etc.
● Infrastructure
– Fabricators
– Sharing platforms
– A commons of physical designs

25. Community growth
4~5 x Moore's Law

26. 4~5 x
(log scale)
Moore's Law
Community growth

27. Proliferation of OS Fab. Equip.
RepRap & derivatives Industry Giant (Stratasys)
R&D manpower > 1000 people
(145-182 FTE R&D)
100 people
~100 FTE R&D
R&D expenditure $ 384,000 – 478,000 ~ $ 7.5 mln.
Yearly growth
2005-2010:
400–600%
Yearly growth & decline
2006-2009:
-17%–17%

28. The means to do Open Design
✔ Money?
✔ Community
– Access to knowledge, spreading workload, etc.
● Infrastructure
– Fabricators
– Sharing platforms
– A commons of physical designs

29. Infrastructure:
Fabricators
Affordable & open!

30. version 1.0
CC-SA-BY Erik de Bruijn

31. - version 2.0

32. RepRap
version 3.0?
Video

33. Version 4.0: Self-assembly
Download: www.thingiverse.com/thing:978
RepRap
version 4.0?
Video

34. RepRap versie 5.0

35. A commons of components
Robot modules or even complete robots
Micro 'factories' and complete 3D printers
Personal 3D
Printer

36. The means to do Open Design
✔ Money?
✔ Community
– Access to knowledge, spreading workload, etc.
✔ Infrastructure
✔ Fabricators
✔ Sharing platforms
✔ A commons of physical designs

37. Main take away
● You can participate in creating the open source
revolution in physical designs!

38. More info
Main project:
www.RepRap.org
Companies:
www.Makerbot.com
www.Ultimaker.com, etc.
Other projects:
www.makerbeam.com
,
www.Thingiverse.com
Videos:
www.youtube.com/erikdb
Twitter:
@erikdebruijn
My Company:
www.BudgetDedicated.com

39. References
• Discussion
• Further infomation
o My blog: http://erikdebruijn.nl
o p2pfoundation.org
o RepRap project: www.RepRap.org
o RepLab.org - creating open replicable FabLab's
o Democratizing Innovation (By Eric von Hippel) and user
innovation literature
o Thingiverse objects:
 Personal 3D printer (thing:815)
mail-me@ErikDeBruijn.nl
My vCard: