Product Hacking

For news updates on product hacking, see the list maintained by Stephen Vermeulen at http://vermeulen.ca/product-hacking.html

The Open Innovations Project has a well organized, and updated directory of projects which is the best place to gauge the maturity of the various projects. While it as at present not as comprehensive as this list, it has a lot more details per project, and is organized as a real database.

Oriented to hardware machines, this Thingiverse directory of open designs appears the most sophisticated at present.

Here below is our own Free Design Directory.

Concepts

1. Free Hardware Design, Open Development, Open Customization ; Open Design, Open Hardware, Open Innovation, Open Source, Open Source Product Design, Open Source Hardware
2. Citizen Product Design; Co-Creation; Co-Design ; Desktop Manufacturing ; Peer Production Entrepreneurs ; Self-organized Design Communities
3. Typology by degree of openness: Closed Hardware; Open Interface, Open Design, Open Implementation
4. It is increasingly easy and popular to share and swap physical goods, i.e. Freecycling‎, using Free Stores‎ and FreeSharing Network‎s. See also: Regifting and Regiving
5. "Light Green Ecology" points to the necessity to conceptualise material streams in a bio-logical way: Spontaneus abundance and upcycling as principles. Free Resources, Cooperative Cycles

More:

1. Citizen Product Design
2. Community Supported Manufacturing
3. Co-Creation
4. Co-Design
5. Crowdsourced Advertising
6. Crowdsourced Design
7. Open Customization
8. Open Design
9. Open Source Architecture
10. Open Source Hardware
11. Open Source Permaculture
12. Open Hardware
13. Open P2P Communities
14. Open Peer to Peer Design
15. Open Source Hardware
16. Open Source Physical Objects
17. Open Source Product Design
18. Open innovation
19. Peer Production Entrepreneurs
20. Personal Fabricators
21. RepRap
22. Self-organized Design Communities

Tools

Development Toolkits

1. Alliance, free CAD tools and portable libraries for VLSI design
2. Arduino, an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software.
3. Bluespec, a software tool developed at MIT for designing and testing circuits, making life easier for open-source-hardware engineers
4. LEOX, Complete, free, open source, set of hardware and software components usable to build an embedded computer with its operating system that can be incorporated easily into a FPGA or into an ASIC...
5. LiberLab, a DIY digital lab at a very low price
6. Open CASCADE - software development platform freely available in open source.

Companies

1. Adafruit Industries, sells kits and parts for original, open source hardware electronics projects

Organizations

1. Open Hardware Foundation [1]
2. Shared Design Alliance

Reference Sites:

1. Appropedia
2. DesignBreak
3. InventGeek
4. Instructables
5. Open Circuits, a wiki for sharing open source electronics knowledge, schematics, board layouts, ports and parts libraries
6. Open Cores, a loose collection of people who are interested in developing hardware, with a similar ethos to the free software movement"
7. Open Sustainability Network and its Standarrd blog
8. SPI, founded to help organizations develop and distribute open hardware and software.
9. TaskForge

Other Resources

1. Open Hardware License [2]
2. OpenShorts Podcast: a record of hackable products

Open Products Directory: Electronics

notation

• s = software open source / developer community
• h = hardware open for manufacturing

Open CPU

• E-Risc: a scaleable RISC microprocessor for embedded applications
• Gumstix: the world's smallest full function, open source computers.
• Open SPARC [3] is a project with an already created UltraSPARC T1 multicore chip by Sun Microsystems. As of August 2007 a T2 chip is also in the pipeline Sun's OpenSPARC
• OpenRISC is a group of developers working to produce a very high performance open source RISC CPU.
• LEON is an open source 32-bit SPARC-like CPU created by the ESA. It's the standard CPU for the European Space Industry.
• Coreboot [4], aimed at replacing the proprietary BIOS (firmware)
• F-CPU, Freedom CPU project initiated in mid-1998.

Designs that Include a CPU

• Arduino is an open-source physical computing platform based on a simple I/O board and a development environment that implements the open source Processing / Wiring language.

1. Arduino Nano is a small 16MHz embedded micro controller

• SquidBee - Open Mote based in Arduino for developing sensor networks. "Open Hardware and Source wireless sensor device. The goal of SquidBee is getting an "open mote" to create Sensor Networks"
• OpenBook - tablet design, positioning between $100 laptop and consumer Tablet PC´s price, which wants allow tablet usage to masses by high volume production.
• BalloonBoard.org produces open arm-based development boards, aimed at OEMs and further education.
• PLAICE - an open source hardware and software project developing a powerful in-circuit development tool that combines in one device the features of a FLASH Programmer, Memory Emulator, and High Speed Multi-Channel Logic Analyzer. It runs uClinux.
• OpenPCD - Open RFID reader/writer project, using AT91SAM7S128 microcontroller.
• ASoC (ALSA System on Chip).

Graphics cards

• Open Graphics Project [5] [6] aims to design an open architecture and standard for graphics cards.
• Project VGA

Other Electronic Parts and Components

1. Ethernut, Open Source Hardware and Software Project for building tiny Embedded Ethernet Devices
2. Etherrape: Microcontroller with ethernet
3. ExpressPCB, manufactures self-designed motherboards
4. Free IO
5. Manticore, an open source hardware design for a 3D graphics accelerator
6. Octopus USB: different Interfaces from the world of microcontroller over an easy USB interface

Open Computers

1. Bug Labs, a programmable hardware device, The Bug, run on open source software Bugbase s
2. ECB AT91 - Single-board computer based on the Atmel AT91RM9200 ARM9 processor (180 MHz).
3. ECB ATmega32/644 - Single-board computer based on the Atmel ATmega32/644 (20 MHz) with webserver-capability and less than 100mA power consumption
4. OLPC XO-1, One Laptop Per Child project
5. Open OEM - Project to build the first open source computer,
6. Simputer - handheld computer aimed at developing countries
7. Via OpenBook: only the case design is open

Open Telephones

1. Free Telephony Project, Astfin provides free reference designs for embedded telephony. s,h
2. IP04 Four Port IP-PBX: Open Hardware Four Port IP-PBX
3. IP08 Eight Port IP-PBX: Similar to IP04 with 8 ports. Will be produced by Atcom.
4. Maemo: Open source software development kit for mobile internet devices. Founded and maintained by Nokia for there N770, N800, N810 internet tablets.
5. Open Handset Alliance
6. Opencellphone.org - an RFID-enabled Open Cellphone project, also called 'TuxPhone'
7. Open Moko - open phone framework (first use case: FIC neo1973, expected in Q4, 2007), see Open Mobile Telephony
8. Ucasterisk, free hardware designs for telephone systems. Both the hardware and software are open.

Open Wireless Hardware

1. Gray-Hoverman Antenna: For UHF Television Reception
2. Open Pattern [7], embedded electronics for wireless
3. Open Router, i.e. Netgear Open Router WGR614L [8]
4. Sun SPOT is an open source hardware and software platform for sensor networks and battery powered, wireless, embedded development

Other devices primarily based on Electronic Components

Gaming

1. Arduino GamePack[9], an Open Source Game Player
2. Open Pandora: Linux based gaming console
3. GP2X an open-source, Linux-based handheld video game console and media player created and sold by GamePark Holdings of South Korea.

Lights

1. Fnordlicht:Intelligent Moodlight
2. LED Throwies - non-destructive graffiti and light displays
3. Monome 40h - A reconfigurable grid of sixty-four backlit buttons, used via USB. A limited batch of 500 monome 40h has been produced. All the design process, design specifications, firmware and PCB schematics are available online
4. Night Brights, the entire making process of the lights is open source and shared publicly
5. Semitone Open Dimmer Project: he development of comfortable standalone digital light dimmers for home use
6. Strobit Triggr Project:

Music

1. Aurora: music mixer for DJ's
2. AVR Butterfly MP3: Open design for a portable MP3 player, in both hardware and software
3. AX84 Firefly: The Cooperative Tube Guitar Amp Project
4. Daisy MP3 Player s,h
5. SpiffChorder: a platform for building your own USB-based chording keyboard
6. Traxmod: a small digital audio player using the Microchip PIC32 high speed microcontroller chip
7. Universal Software Radio Peripheral
8. x0xb0x, "Roland" MIDI synthesizer

Robotics

1. iRobot Create: preassembled mobile robot platform
2. OpenServo - creating a low cost digital servo for use with RC and robotics projects.
3. Roomba, hackable Vacuuming Robots
4. Willow Project [10], Open Source Robotics

Sensors

1. AVR Butterfly Logger: uses the Atmel AVR Butterfly hardware and open source tools to create a cost effective stand alone datalogger for logging light, temperature, voltage or any general sensor value
2. Muio, a modular system for sensing and controlling the Real World s,h

Others

1. Chumby, a powerful little device with Wi-Fi, a 3.5-inch screen and an interface that you can customize s
2. Elphel, cameras and imaging solutionss,h
3. gEDA - full GPL'd suite of Electronic Design Automation tools.
4. iLiad: electronic handheld device which can be used for document reading and editing.
5. Jaldi Battery Charger s,h
6. Neuros Technology and its OSD Open Source Device
7. Open Beacon: a free design for an active RFID device
8. Open Bios, Open Firmware implementations
9. Open FM
10. Open GPS Tracker
11. Open Micromanufacturing and Nanomanufacturing Equipment
12. Open PCD: a free hardware design for Proximity Coupling Devices or Open RFID Reader
13. Open-rTMS - creating a low cost rTMS device and free software to go with it.
14. OKVM Project, open source console and KVM management software / open source KVM hardware.
15. Roku Netflix Player [11]
16. Ronja by Twibright Labs, optical point-to-point data link device
17. Ybox, an internet connected set-top box

Open Products Directory: Other

Agriculture, Development, Energy, Environment, and Sustainability

1. AKVO, open source water and sanitation
2. Build-It-Solar - Plans and tools nd nformation to do renewable energy and conservation projects.
3. Canuckle: designed to be the LEGO of alternative energy. The first project is a highly accurate solar tracker
4. Concentrated Solar Power Open Source Initiative
5. OSCirrus, expandable, open source software weather station built on inexpensive hardware and weather sensors.
6. SHPEGS Open Energy Project
7. SolaRoof, open design of solar energy for households
8. WxMonitor, Open Source Weather Monitoring

Building and Housing, Furniture

1. Contraptor: aiming to create an open-design construction set,
2. Grid Beam Building System, reuseable parts for building
3. Hexayurt, an open source disaster relief shelter
4. Ikea Hacker Do it yourself blog on the base of corporate products
5. Movisi Open Design Furniture
6. Open Architecture Network
7. Open Remote, an Open Domotics community

Entertainment, Fashion, Leisure and Learning

1. Aibo Hack: for Sony's Aibo and some other pet robots, see http://www.aibohack.com/pleo/yapt.htm
2. Natron und Soda: German language sewing community
3. Niketalk: open sneaker community
4. The Open Source Embroidery project
5. Open Source Sewing Patterns such as Burdastyle
6. Pamoyo, open source green fashion label
7. PlaymoBeach: Customizing of Playmobil
8. Lego Factory, design your own kits, in the corporate framework
9. LugNet, design your own Lego kits, outside the corporate framework
10. Pleo: a toy dinosaur baby robot which is able to behave. The behavior is of course just software... The company producing Pleo is actively supporting community by making the product open for software. See also: http://www.aibohack.com/pleo/yapt.htm
11. [Pret a Printer], TShirt Designs by Taskforge
12. Ravelry: a knit and crochet community
13. Zero Prestige, has captured much of the kiteboarding market through a website for sharing the plans of kites

Food, Drinks

1. CandyFab Project, do it yourself sugar printer
2. Open Cola
3. Wine Hacking

Health

1. BioBricks: refer to a specific "brand" of open source genetic parts as defined via an open technical standards setting process that is led by the BioBricks Foundation
2. Open EEG
3. Open Source Pharma (speculation)
4. Open Source Drug Discovery (OSDD)
5. OpenStim: The Open Noninvasive Brain Stimulator (see also)
6. Open Prosthetics Project
7. Whirlwind Wheelchair International

Mobility: Vehicles

1. C,mm,n [12], Dutch Open Source Car project
2. DIY Drones, amateur Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
3. EVProduction club ([13]) is an organization with a wiki to design and produce open source electric vehicles and complements
4. Microkopter: German 'quadrokopter' miniature helicopter community
5. LifeTrac, tractor, also called OSTrac
6. Open Source Battery Project for Electric Vehicles
7. Open Bicycle Computer: to show and log data that are important when you are on the road with your bicycle
8. Open Source Green Vehicle, an attempt to design an environmental friendly SUV using open source principles.
9. Open Source Scooter, a project to make a Segway-type vehicle
10. Open Source Velomobile Development Project
11. OSCar
12. OSCav : open source compressed air vehicle.
13. OSMC - An open source Motor Control project, meant primarily for robotics but applicable to low-power electric vehicles and other uses
14. River Simple: a platform for fuel-efficient cars
15. Sahkoautot, Electric Cars Now!, Finnish project
16. Transportable Infrastructures for Development and Emergency Support: 7 critical infrastructures
17. Vehicle Design Summit 2.0: aims to create a 4-passenger, 200 MPGe, high-performance industry-standard car with minimal life cycle costs
18. Worldbike

Production

1. Callooh, A free hardware CNC router project
2. Fab@Home: a project dedicated to making and using fabbers - machines that can make almost anything, right on your desktop
3. Multimachine, all-purpose machine tool, an example of Multiple-Purpose Production Technology
4. Ronen Kadushin Open Design - a practical repository of physical shape algorithms

For an alternative topic organization, see the Appropedia Topic Tree

todo

• Makezine: open source hardware 2008
  • "this is a good list! could you add MAKE in there? as well as spokepov, minipov, fuzebox (open source hardware game console), and others on my list that aren't on this list? there are a few..."
• Makezine