Fabbing Foundation
Discussion
Proposal by Jarkko Moilanen for an organisation that would serve the emerging Fabbing Industry:
"Acts as liaison between ecosystem partners, takes actively part in ecosystem service and community maintenance and development, enforces partners’ rights and is an umbrella for the joint efforts. In brief protects and supports Fabbing related development. Foundation staff are not supposed to take anyone’s side or stand. They are neutral party and if needed act as ‘peacemaker’ between rivaling parties. Foundation is also a neutral spokesperson for Fabbing industry.
Goals & benefits
Working together in the spirit of Open Source towards shared goals in this area would benefit all participants. Keep in mind that using Open Source as driving force does not equal revealing or opening everything.
Here’s some key benefits that can easily be identified:
1. Shared code base for printer management – job and spooling
2. Shared drivers for different devices – can be developed by some but will be shared for all to use (bundled to printer management software).
3. More testing force for components – given enough eyeballs all bugs are shallow
4. 3D modelling applications could the integrated to 3D printers, CNC machines, laser cutters and other ’3D output devices’ more easily and thus make development more efficient.
5. Partners can if they will define at least de facto stardards to be used in this industry
6. Define public and unified APIs for integrating hardware and software to other systems such as production.
7. Ecosystems partners can form strategic partnerships more easily when working together networks different participants.
8. Enable adaptation to future component development and production methods." (http://blog.ossoil.com/2012/02/01/fabbing-industry-laying-the-foundation/)
More Information
- Fabbing ; Fabbing Industry
- See for more extensive treatment: Personal Fabricators