Open source bulldozer

[viking60]

We have had open source software for some time. Now the PhD in fusion energy Marcin Jakubowski, has come up with the idea to make Open Source hardware.
After having discovered that his education was useless he started farming to learn something valuable. During this he got tired of tractors getting broke and spending all his money on fixing them only for them to brake down again - and finally he was broke too.
This is when he realized that he needed low cost tools to run a sustainable farm.

"We know that open source has succeeded with tools for managing knowledge and creativity. And the same is starting to happen with hardware too. We're focussing on hardware because it is hardware that can change people's lives in such tangible, material ways. If we can lower the barriers to farming, building, manufacturing then we can unleash just massive amounts of human potential," Jakubowski said in his talk.

The GVCS designs range from a bread oven, bulldozer, a press for creating bricks from compressed earth, to a 3D printer and CNC precision multimachine for computer controlled cutting and drilling.

He is taking the open source idea beyond computing and wants to create tools that do not brake down and for that he has made a "civilisation starter kit" in the shape of a Wiki.

This was the genesis of the Open Source Ecology project and its sole project so far: The design and prototyping 'Global Village Construction Set' (GVCS). The GVCS, Georgiev explains, is a "modular, DIY, low-cost, high-performance platform" that enables the creation of 50 different industrial machines "that it takes to build a small, sustainable civilization with modern comforts".

Jakubowski published his 3D designs, schematics and how-to videos and budgets for the construction of the GVCS tools using an online wiki. "Then contributors from all over the world began showing up prototyping new machines... so far we have prototyped eight of the 50 machines and now the project is beginning to grow on its own."

Well it is creative, but I wonder how the improved quality is coming along.....
I seriously doubt that the people producing tractors are without experience ... in producing tractors.
Time will tell - the idea is creative and interesting. But I doubt if it can be for free, cause raw material has a price - unlike ideas,

[rolf]

The video http://vimeo.com/16106427 at their website http://opensourceecology.org/ shows some pretty cool machines. If as represented, I can see the designs and how-to being practical for individuals and collectives that are funds-limited. It could enable productivity for a great many people who cannot afford the effectively but expensively produced machines of civilization, perhaps. I can only imagine the open source nature might help to keep the designs out of the hands of patent troll types, ensure the costs are kept low.
So,

[R_Head]

I think the idea is based on a collective.
A community can have a pool of knowledge and skills; all they need is some scavenging skills.

I see more things popping around of DIY type stuff.

Perhaps is some bound to happen and we need to at least be ready to do whatever to survive.

My feel to the whole thing is that some drastic is bound to happen in the USA; we might see a division of the states with the Federal Gov in the same way a collapse of the EU.

We need to remember the EU is the latest copy of the United States; should be called the United States of Europe.
The difference is that we are seen it the end and the beginning at the same time.
One of my favorite politicians is Nigel Frage
He is very ruthless

[rolf]

Nigel doesn't mince words, does he?

[R_Head]

We should start another thread...

But as last words, he is brutally honest and speaks his mind very loud and clear.
I like his attitude.