3D Robotics & the Maker Movement

  RobotShop recently partnered with 3D Robotics / DIY Drones a manufacturer of open-source UAVs, founded in 2009 by Chris Anderson and Jordi Munoz. 3D robotics is popular for three main reasons:

1. Their UAV flight controllers and software have been developed with the community and have evolved to the point where they are incredibly popular, easy to use / incorporate.
2. They have a large, active user community which helps members troubleshoot, design and improve products. The information available via their site is almost critical if you are looking to build a UAV.
3. Their products are open source - meaning anyone can reproduce the products themselves so long as they don't reuse the name and stay within the parameters of "open source licensing".

The range of products they currently offer include almost everything you need to get started; from basic frames and wiring to motors, autopilots and sensors. Although the current focus of 3D Robotics is autonomous aircraft, it is easy to see that the technology used can be adapted to land and water-based robots. Creating a custom quad or multi-rotor UAV even using these electronics is still not child's play, but by providing all the information used to create the necessary tools and hardware, 3D Robotics has significantly lowered the barrier to entry, and interest in UAVs has soared in recent years. Maker Movement One of Chris Anderson's biggest realizations is in regards to developing new products has been the "maker movement", and the drive for people to have the tools and information necessary to create their own products (either a prototype, small production or even scaling up to mass production). This drive for people to have the ability to create and collaborate, from having access to information or tools, will soon become one of major economic driving forces in North America and other parts of the world. Arduino was one of the first major forces to push the concept of "open source" which has allowed dozens of companies and millions of people to get started in electronics and robotics. Similarly, open-source 3D printers (as well as the software) have allowed people to very easily create durable physical products. As Chris indicates in his latest book, "Makers: The New Industrial Revolution", the general approach to product creation is rapidly changing from the "old days" where only large companies could develop new products to individuals having the opportunity to design, develop, create and sell their creations worldwide.The tools necessary for developing a product are becoming increasingly affordable and user-friendly, to the point it is conceivable to have a full micro-manufacturing facility in your basement or garage capable of producing almost any product. One of the most important contributing factors to this has been the ease of access to information and the drive to "share" and improve;

Today, inventors increasingly share their innovations publicly without any patent at all [...] because the creators believe they get back more in return than they give away: free help in developing their inventions.

- Excerpt from Makers: The New Industrial Revolution by Chris Anderson

Before developing its own software for its 3D printers, much of the user community used open-source programs such as ReplicatorG, which is still very popular and is compatible with a wide variety of 3D printers. Many of the 3D printer designs were also open-source, encouraging the community to try and improve upon the designs. Software such as LinuxCNC has allowed Sherline to more easily create tabletop CNC machines. Software such as "Arduino" has not only made Arduino microcontrollers popular, but has allowed others to create hardware without the need to invest in developing their own programs. This is still just the beginning. This approach of "sharing information" is at the core of companies like Arduino (electronics), MakerBot (3D Printers and parts) and DIY Drones  (UAVs) which have all been major forces in improving and furthering their respective fields. Don't be surprised to see fewer "big players" and more "small players" catering to (and often advancing) harder to access markets Have you noticed this trend? What are your thoughts on open-source software and open-source hardware? Would you share the experience you gained creating a new product openly with others, and do you appreciate when a manufacturer makes its designs openly available? We welcome your comments below.