BUG Community

Hi ,

I’m studying engeneering at the
university of Kassel (Germany).For a few weeks i’m writing a
dissertation about „Open Source Hardware“.Because of that, i try to analyze open
source hardware projects like BugLabs.After i have red some articles about
BugLabs and explored the internet page, i’m not sure if BugLabs is
realy open source hardware.

Is everyone allowed to produce Buglabs
and to sell them ? Are users involved in the planning process ? Does
BugLabs upload the schematics, Designs and so on for free ?Do you have to pay BugLabs for
producing or selling your own Device ?

Thanks for reading this. I hope you can
help me.

Best regards

Erpel

Hi Erpel -

We certainly are Open Source Hardware! A good example is our BugBase (Y.T.) all the schematics, board layouts, gerber files are available on its hardware information page http://wiki.buglabs.net/index.php/Hardware:BUG_… ,  and as you’ll see the same holds true on the other hardware module pages. Everyone is allowed to produce hardware based on these designs or exactly following them.  The only thing you can’t do is call it a bug, or pretend you are or represent Bug Labs (if you want to do something like that, call us!)

You ask if “users are involved in the planning process”, they are, but you are mixing community questions with Open Source Hardware questions. You can have Open Source Hardware, without a community, you can have a community around a closed / proprietary product, when you have both together, it is indeed magical. Arduino and Beagleboard are two awesome examples. But our community does not look like theirs. Our community consists of more corporate sponsored groups than rugged individuals. Does each set have its own advantages? Sure. Does that mean one set is better, nope. Just different. And both styles of community reap the advantages of an Open Source Hardware product.

I ‘ll assume you’ve read the OSHW Definition (for those following along at home it’s at http://freedomdefined.org/OSHW), so please continue to peruse the hardware section of our wiki http://wiki.buglabs.net/index.php/Hardware and feel free to ask any questions here.

Mike

Hey thansk for your help !

I got some new questions about the project.

1. The first Buglab was developed by just a few people, who “open” their product after beeing already finished ? I am right , am i not ?

2. Which license do you use ?

3. How do you or they get the project known ? How do they promote the Bugs ?

Thanks for reading and helping !

Erpel

I can’t see how this answer my questions , sorry. Maybe i don’t get the point . Ok the Community is able to develop apps, but weren’t they allowed to participate in developing a new bug or something like this ?

in my opinio the tasks of the bug labs community is to support other users and develop apps. Are there any other tasks ?