Open-source hardware is an extension of open-source software that breaks from the traditional model of designing and constructing tangible objects. Open-source hardware is a bit more complicated than open-source software; it can be described as a class of physical products, machines, systems, and equipment whose design information is publicly available and can be copied to be made into an object, by anyone for any purpose. The designs are usually in the form of diagrams, plans, or coded scripts and are released under an open license scheme to enable changes to be made.
Similar to the software development concept of open-source, open-source hardware is a hobby to a group of creatives, and inventors who embrace a culture of sharing. In this article, we will describe the selected 20 examples of open-source hardware projects considered the most remarkable in the field. These projects are as diverse as the educational tools that they are based on. These complex industrial machines result from the physical implementation of open-source hardware, and how it is affecting and enriching different industries and the lives of individuals all over the world.
Top 20 Open Source Hardware Projects
1. Arduino
Arduino is undoubtedly today’s most famous open-source hardware platform. It is a functional and straightforward microcontroller platform for creating engaging projects. From basic blinking of LEDs to complicated Robotics, Arduino has been the most versatile and used electronics platform for beginners as well as professionals. This is due to the software being open-source therefore compatible first-part hardware boards, shields, and software libraries among others can be built by anyone.
2. Raspberry Pi
The Raspberry Pi can be described as a credit card-sized computer that has gained a lot of popularity around the world, especially in the education sector and do-it-yourself projects. While not wholly open-source itself, the Raspberry Pi community has led to and contributed to the creation of several other open-source projects and software tools to enhance computational learning affordably. It is applied to home automation, media center, and even as a small-scale server.
3. Open Compute Project (OCP)
The Open Compute Project can be described as a movement started by Facebook to rethink the infrastructure design of computers to be much more efficient, adaptive, and modular. The project provides designs of their data center infrastructure: servers, storage systems, and networks which are open for access to the public. These designs are employed in the construction of some of the world’s most efficient and high-performance data centers, making them valuable assets that companies seeking to improve their facility setup cannot afford to overlook.
4. BeagleBone
BeagleBone is an open-source, affordable single-board computer designed for developers and makers. Boards such as the BeagleBone Black, which is currently among the most popular ones, offer more computational power than an Arduino while still offering the capability to run Linux. Launched 4 years ago, It’s a preferred option for developers seeking an advanced open-source framework for developing complex applications or software.
5. OpenBCI
OpenBCI is an open-source platform for BCI systems, where users and developers can submit applications and hacked devices. It consists of equipment such as EEG headsets through which the users can track activity in their brain. Students, scientists, engineers, and hobbyists use OpenBCI for teaching and learning purposes and to discover neuroscience and potential cross-platform applications in technology, from health and medicine to entertainment and virtual reality.
6. RepRap
RepRap is the pioneer of Open-Source 3D printers, which have initiated the idea of self-replicating machines. The aim of the project was to build a 3D printer that is capable of building another 3D printer from scratch, just like how our body reproduces itself. This vision resulted in the development of cheap, open-source 3D printers and the structural parts of those printers can easily be changed. With its innovation and continuous progression, the RepRap project is responsible for triggering the maker movement and the consecutive introduction of 3D printing into society.
7. Open Hardware Monitor
Open Hardware Monitor is a computer software which is not only free but also an open-source application for monitoring the computer's hardware. It provides the current temperature, fan speed, voltage, load, and clamping speed and provides them as real-time data. This tool is especially useful for professionals who work with their computers full time and those who overclock their computers in particular.
8. LibreCores
LibreCores is an open-source platform for digital designs called “cores.” Cores are employed in the creation of SoC solutions for the development of specific processors, memory interfaces, and peripherals. It does this by offering development tools, reference designs, and forums where the development community can share and collaboratively create new digital designs for open hardware systems.
9. FarmBot
FarmBot is an open-source CNC farming machine for small-scale precision agriculture designed by Michael Wang’s design firm, Thingstudio. It integrates robotic, automated, and open source systems to enable users to farm with less effort towards food production. Another advantage of FarmBot is that it is adaptable and expandable and can be customized for use by farmers in sustainable farming.
10. Adafruit Feather
The Adafruit Feather is a series of microcontroller-based development boards designed to support numerous electronic applications. Feather boards of various types are created to perform particular operations; these include wireless communication and robotics control. The Feather ecosystem is very organic and development friendly and that has made it highly preferred for use among makers and development when prototyping.
11. LulzBot 3D printers
LulzBot is another notable popular 3D printer with high reliability and the non-proprietary nature of the respective company. The entire system that is the printer hardware and its controlling software is all free, open-forge which means users can customize the printers to their liking. This is where LulzBot has maintained the company’s ethical stance of openness and the higher quality of its products which has seen it gain the trust of the 3D printing community.
12. Open Source Ecology
Open Source Ecology is a company comprising farmers, engineers, and supporters to develop the GVCS. This set comprises 50 industrial machines that are open source and can be constructed at an extremely cheaper price than the market prices of commercial industrial machines. All these designs are directed towards ensuring that the communities are able to stand on their own and develop in a sustainable manner.
Also Read: 1000 projects with Source Code and Documentation
13. Mycroft AI
Another interesting AI-based creation is Mycroft, which is an open-source voice assistant for users across the globe. It works on anything from a Raspberry Pi to a normal desktop computer, making it a private replacement for commercial products like Alexa and Google Assistant. It is important to note that Mycroft is an open-source platform that can be easily adapted and enhanced by developers, which makes it highly proficient for voice-based applications.
14. PiTop
PiTop is an open-source laptop that the user can assemble themselves like LEGO with the assistance of a Raspberry Pi. It is intended to be an educational machine which learners and enthusiasts particularly students in computing Electronics and programming will learn from. PiTop is a platform that is versatile enough to allow users to experiment with different styles of learning and is popular in schools and maker spaces.
15. Open Source Beehives
Specifically, Open Source Beehives is a mission dedicated to encouraging sound beekeeping by using open-source designs and data collection tools. It produces entirely free blueprints for constructing these beehives and installing sensors to observe hive conditions and contribute to the preservation of bees.
16. KiCad
KiCad is an open-source suite of tools for creating electronic circuits or, in other words, software that is used in electronics design automation. It is particularly useful in schematic capture, as well as in the determination of printed circuit board layouts, making it a valuable tool for electronics design. KiCad is an open-source tool that is actively developed and updated by the collective users and developers online, making KiCad one of the most widely used EDA software.
17. The OpenFlexure Microscope
The OpenFlexure Microscope is a 3D printable microscope that is fully automatic with an open-source design that is intended for use in research and education. Being an open-source, it is cheaper than most commercial microscopes hence providing an opportunity for the researchers and educators to practice microscopy at ridiculously cheap costs. This has to do with the fact that Hamid’s project is open-source, which means that is not only open for use but also for repurposing and tweaking.
18. OpenMV
OpenMV is an open-source microcontroller that begs the question of how difficult machine vision should be. It’s mostly used in Robotics, automation, and AI projects where there is a need for real-time image processing. The OpenMV platform is relatively easy to use and can be easily incorporated with other open-source tools to create powerful new applications, which is why it has become popular among developers in the field of vision-based systems.
19. H-Prize
The H-Prize is an initiative which is funded by the government to establish efficient, clean hydrogen production technologies. The project is made completely public, which fosters creativity and development by different researchers and companies stemming in the quest for a more sustainable energy source. H-Prize competition has yielded a proportional positive result when it comes to Hydrogen technology and every other sector.
20. OpenROV
OpenROV is an open-source project whose focus is on creating low-cost underwater robots, or Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) for exploration, education, and research. These are submersibles that enable people to observe the deeper parts of seas, rivers, and lakes for research, monitoring, and other uses in marine biology and protection. It was made fully open source for people to engage in and it has led to the evolution and diversification of the functions to which OpenROV is put.
Final Thoughts
These Open Source Hardware projects have captured different interests and fields ranging from agriculture, computing, the environment, energy, and robotics among others. Even each project is a result of hard work and unity of the groups who are creating new possibilities in the framework of open-source.
Thus, these projects allow enlightening and supporting individuals and communities in their process of creating, learning, and developing designs and knowledge they could not have access to or develop otherwise. So if you are a maker, a developer or simply an interested end user, there is some open-source hardware project for you out there to delve into.
FAQs
Examples of open-source hardware include Arduino, Raspberry Pi, 3D printer, and their sub-categories RepRap, BeagleBone, OpenBCI, FarmBot, and OpenROV. These projects provided designs that are free for use by anyone who can take, change, and implement the designs.
The term hardware projects means the planning, prototyping, and manufacturing of hardware items, gears, machines, or organizations. Such projects can be as basic as home improvement electronic circuits, and as advanced as industrial tools. Examples of Hardware Projects included Microcontroller Projects, 3D Printing, Robotics, Wearable Tech, DIY computing, Drones and UAVs, Agricultural Tech, Environmental Monitoring, and Open source Medical Devices.
An open-source hardware platform is a system or a framework that applies the same freedoms to the physical artifacts where the physical design specifications, schematics, and the materials used in creating the specified hardware are made public domain and may be implemented, copied, modified, investigated, redistributed, and even sold. It works on similar principles to open-source software but, instead of applying to purely digital products, it addresses physical devices and systems.
Yes, there are open-source CPUs in the market, and these are basically implementations of processors that are licensed under open-source protocols. OpenRISC is an effort to design and distribute a series of open-sourced central processing units (CPUs) with recognized reduced instruction set computer (RISC) models. In particular, this scope includes an instruction set architecture that uses open-source licensing.
