Open source hardware includes devices like Arduino and modular systems like BUGS, developed by designers, electricians, and engineers who share their work under a license that waives patent protection. This community thrives on sharing ideas and solving problems together.
There are actually several types of open source hardware, usually based on specific open source applications and projects, or work that others are willing to share. One of the most common types of hardware that has been developed as open source is a system for creating electronic devices and hardware known as an “Arduino”. There is also a platform of open source hardware devices and modules that can be used together and modified, called “BUGS”. Some open source devices and hardware were also created by amateur and professional electricians and engineers and shared under an open source license.
Open source hardware, just like open source software, is developed in a way that is open for others to use and understand. This hardware is typically created with a license that waives patent protection for such devices, and others can use it or create similar devices using publicly available blueprints and plans. The open source hardware community developed as a way for designers, electricians, and engineers to create new devices and share their work together for others to contribute and enjoy.
One of the most popular types of open source hardware is an electrical engineering platform called “Arduino”. The Arduino product series includes pre-built circuit boards as well as individual components and schematics that can be used to assemble circuit boards. These devices all come with a minimal charge so that others can use them to create more elaborate and complicated electrical devices. While these aren’t free, like much open source software, they do provide a way for people to work on electrical systems by sharing ideas and seeing how others have solved certain problems.
There are also more modularly designed open source hardware systems; one system in particular is referred to as a “BUG”. BUGS were developed by Bug Labs and include a number of different devices that can be programmed and used together. These BUGS can interface with each other and include a primary module which can then be connected to other devices such as touch screens and cameras. Users can create programming for these modules to build a variety of devices and hardware types.
Some open source hardware is simply any type of device or electronics created by people willing to share their work with others. Rather than protect their inventions with patents, such devices are shared visually through patterns and images that allow others to recreate them. This allows an open source hardware community to thrive as different developers and inventors share their work and help each other overcome obstacles or problems together.
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