Marvelous Onwukamike of TUHH, Hamburg University of Technology, is conducting a survey on the organization of open design projects. We felt that many Fabbaloo readers might be appropriate respondents to this exercise. The 36-question survey is available for interested parties, and takes approximately 8-10 minutes to complete. The survey may be found right here. Why the survey? According to Kerstin Balka:
Extensive research has been done to analyze the phenomenon of open source software development from various perspectives. By contrast very little is known about open source development of tangible objects, so-called open design, so far. Until recently, limitations to the availability of successful empirical examples of this `new innovation model’ outside software may have been a key reason for this gap. My goal is to explore the landscape of open source development in the world of atoms, to analyze project characteristics, structures, and success, and to investigate similarities and dissimilarities to open source software development.
We’re wondering about this too. The parallels between open software and open manufacturing are often very similar – but also very different at times. We’re glad someone’s investigating this in detail.
