Open Hardware Research Articles

Wood- and Cable-Based Variable Tilt Stilt-Mounted Solar Photovoltaic Racking System

The prohibitive costs of small-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) racks decrease PV adoption velocity. To overcome these costs challenges, an open hardware design method is used to develop two novel variable tilt racking designs. These are the first stilt-mounted racking designs that allow for the manual change of the tilt angle from zero to 90 degrees by varying the length of cables. The racks are designed using the calculated dead, wind, and snow loads for Canada as a conservative design for most of the rest of the world. Structural capacities of the wooden members are then ascertained and the resisting bending moment, shear force, tensile force, and compressive force is calculated for them. A structural and truss analysis is performed to ensure that the racking design withstands the applicable forces. Moreover, the implications of changing the tilt angle on the wooden members/cables used to build the system are also determined. The systems offer significant economic savings ranging from one third to two thirds of the capital expenses of the commercially available alternatives. In addition, the racking designs are easy-to-build and require minimal manufacturing operations, which increases their accessibility. The stilt-mounted designs can be employed for agrivoltaic settings while allowing farm workers shaded, ergonomic access to perform planting, weeding, and harvesting.

Exploring pathways toward open-hardware ecosystems to safeguard genetic resources for biomedical research communities using aquatic model species.

Development of reliable germplasm repositories is critical for preservation of genetic resources of aquatic species, which are widely utilized to support biomedical innovation by providing a foundational source for naturally occurring variation and development of new variants through genetic manipulations. A significant barrier in repository development is the lack of cryopreservation capability and reproducibility across the research community, posing great risks of losing advances developed from billions of dollars of research investment. The emergence of open scientific hardware has fueled a new movement across biomedical research communities. With the increasing accessibility of consumer-level fabrication technologies, such asthree-dimensional printers, open hardware devices can be custom designed, and design files distributed to community members for enhancing rigor, reproducibility, and standardization. The overall goal of this review is to explore pathways to create open-hardware ecosystems among the communities using aquatic model resources for biomedical research. To gain feedback and insights from community members, an interactive workshop focusing on open-hardware applications in germplasm repository development was held at the 2022 Aquatic Models for Human Disease Conference, Woods Hole, Massachusetts. This work integrates conceptual strategies with practical insights derived from workshop interactions using examples of germplasm repository development. These insights can be generalized for establishment of open-hardware ecosystems for a broad biomedical research community. The specific objectives were to: (1) introduce an open-hardware ecosystem concept to support biomedical research; (2) explore pathways toward open-hardware ecosystems through four major areas, and (3) identify opportunities and future directions.

Open Hardware - Evaluation Criteria Concerning the Quality and Sufficiency of Technical Documentation

The multiple crises of our time bring new goals, such as circulating capability, longevity, and individuality, to the fore. Producing more locally at the point of need to approach the overarching goal of a circular economy is worthwhile. However, every physical materialization of an artifact precedes today, commonly a digital design process. The open design paradigm aims to make all product development information and documentation freely available. The result is Open (Source) Hardware, which can be distributed, developed, and used by anyone. The number of Open (Source) Hardware designs is constantly increasing; platforms bundle thousands of designs accessible to anyone interested. Public interest in using these designs is rising; unlike makers, they cannot compensate for missing details in the technical documentation with their skills. One solution is the production by multi-identitarian production networks close to the point of need. Even more complex value-adding tasks could be solved locally through cross-company production by various well-equipped small and medium-sized enterprises. However, inadequate technical documentation in such companies quickly increases costs and prevents economic materialization. The following approach aims to clarify whether Open (Source) Hardware is suitable for production in small and medium-sized enterprises. Criteria must first be derived to recognise systematic failures or gaps in the Open (Source) Hardware documentation. The evaluation criteria, based on international standards for technical documentation, were applied to assess 49 designs. This assessment was conducted by a group of experts, followed by a statistical analysis.

A case study on the use of open source hardware in mechanical engineering

Open Source Hardware (OSH) enables innovative developments and business models. The OSH approach creates new forms of cross-company product development and community-based innovation processes. Open source has been state of the art in software industry for years. When it comes to OSH projects, however, the focus is primarily on the consumer sector. The use of OSH for industrial products, especially in mechanical engineering, is still in its early stages. The paper presents a case study on the development of an application module based on OSH components in a R&D testbed. The developed module is intended to enable electronic functional testing. For this purpose, the development process involved, among other things, creating solutions for a tool changing system. Using the case study, we analyse the advantages and disadvantages of the open source licenses used and derive implications for the R&D process. Building on this, various concepts for the use, adaptation and expansion of OSH components and the resulting implications for development processes and business models are presented. The case study is used to analyse which established open source software concepts can be transferred to material assets, but also which additional requirements arise from OSH components, e.g. in the area of safety.

Open Design Communities: A bibliometric analysis of community-based management

Online collaboration growing significantly in the development of open-source hardware and software has led to a surge of research interest. However, no comprehensive bibliometric review has investigated the management of digital communities in these ecosystems. In this study, academic contributions to the field of online community management in open-source hardware and software were mapped, highlighting influential research streams and trends. A bibliometric review was conducted based on a keyword search analysis of research databases (IEEExplore, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Web of Science), with a sample comprising an overall 399 papers. The study identifies the most impactful articles in the field, maps the diverse streams of research on online collaboration and community management, visualizes focus areas and trends, and pinpoints areas for further investigation. These findings will support future research within this rapidly evolving domain.

A blockchain-based copyright management scheme for open-source software and hardware designs

A blockchain-based copyright management scheme for open-source software and hardware designs

Characterizing Circular and Open Business Models in a profit-driven environment through Business Model Patterns

In recent years, multiple crises have shown the fragility of global supply chains. In particular, climate change sheds light on the never-ending waste of resources caused by the linear economic model. In response, circular economy emerges as a promising alternative. Companies must rethink and innovate their business models, product life cycles, and underlying mindsets for a systemic transition. Cross-sectoral collaboration in networks is necessary to redesign, reuse, recycle, and remanufacture products and close the loop of material flows. First, projects and research on the concepts of open source hardware, open innovation, and open design show that openness can be a game-changer for the circular economy and circular business models. Although there has been growing interest, there is still a lack of comprehensive research examining possible synergies of openness and circularity, as well as identifying patterns for integrating these concepts into business models. This paper explores possible ways, prerequisites, and obstacles of open source concepts enabling circular value creation in industry. We combine explorative data from a literature review and more than 10 interviews with open source and circular economy experts. Furthermore, a total of 38 case studies of circular or open or open & circular business models were identified and selected for analysis. The empirical results were triangulated with existing business model patterns from the literature. The study presents a framework to describe open and circular business models and four prototypical patterns. In an exploratory approach, we identify necessary lines of future research in order to facilitate open source movements toward a circular economy. The paper provides insights for academics and practitioners from production and supply chain management. It combines interdisciplinary perspectives to unlock the potential of open source concepts and collaboration for enabling a circular economy.

Linux Programming Curriculum Reform in the Era of Open Source Hardware and Software

Linux Programming Curriculum Reform in the Era of Open Source Hardware and Software

Inclusive Production Capacity Building for MSMEs: Designing Open Source Machine Tools and the OLSK approach

By creating opportunities for formal employment and absorbing significant portions of the global workforce, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) can be potent catalysts for sustainable and inclusive economic growth while making supply chains more resilient. However, acquiring the digital fabrication machine tools necessary for manufacturing, primarily produced in a few industrialized nations, presents a significant financial challenge for many MSMEs in developing countries. Open source machine tools, where designers freely share machine designs online, challenge traditional intellectual property models, but they suffer from scattered and poorly documented designs. This paper introduces the Open Lab Starter Kit (OLSK) approach, aiming to design, develop, and document crucial open source machine tools (OSMT) commonly needed to establish fab labs. The OLSK follows open source principles, reducing costs and barriers by enabling local replication using local resources. This strategy aims to democratize access to OSMT, foster innovation in resource-constrained regions and contribute to the broader landscape of open source hardware and its transformative potential. The benefits of the OLSK for MSMEs are discussed, challenges are highlighted. Based on this, some solutions for the application of the OLSK approach to digital fabrication in MSMEs are derived which aim to increase its accessibility and sustainability.

New digital low-level RF controls based on the Red Pitaya STEMlab for the TLS Linac system

The Linac system at Taiwan Light Source (TLS) has been in operation for almost a quarter of a century and requires upgrades to improve its reliability. To achieve this, some components of the control system have been replaced with new digital low-level RF control units that use emerging technologies. A new unit is based on the open-source hardware platform which is named “Red Pitaya STEMlab” and offers a compact size and low power consumption. The unit features DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter) blocks for downloading arbitrary waveforms with external trigger play and ADC (Analog-to-Digital Converter) blocks for waveform acquisition, enabling the development of real-time diagnostic toolkits. The new low-level RF control interface has been fully integrated into the existing EPICS software framework for system integration. The new digital low-level RF control system supports I/Q (in-phase/quadra-ture-phase) data with online amplitude and phase set-tings, and a waveform digitizer for inspecting low-level RF signals from the klystron modulator. Specific graphical applications have been designed and integrated into the existing operation interfaces. The system has been successfully achieved during routine operations. This paper describes the details of these efforts.

PhageBox: An Open Source Digital Microfluidic Extension With Applications for Phage Discovery.

Recent advancements demonstrate the significant role of digital microfluidics in automating laboratory work with DNA and on-site viral testing. However, since commercially available instruments are limited to droplet manipulation, our work addresses the need for accelerated integration of other components, such as temperature control, that can expand the application domain. We developed PhageBox-an accessible device that can be used as a biochip extension. At hardware level, PhageBox integrates temperature and electromagnetic control modules. At software level, PhageBox is controlled by embedded software containing a unique model for bio-protocol programming, and a graphical user interface for visual device feedback and operation. To evaluate PhageBox's efficacy for biomedical applications, we performed functional testing. Similarly, we validated the temperature control using thermography, obtaining a range of ±0.2[Formula: see text]. The electromagnets produced a magnetic force of 15 milliTesla, demonstrating precise immobilization of magnetic beads. We show the potential of PhageBox for bacteriophage research through three initial protocols: a universal framework for PCR, T7 bacteriophage restriction enzyme digestion, and concentrating ϕX174 RF genomic DNA. Our work presents an open-source hardware and software extension for digital microfluidics devices. This extension integrates temperature and electromagnetic modules, demonstrating efficacy in biomedical applications and potential for bacteriophage research. We developed PhageBox to be accessible: the components are off-the-shelf at a low cost ( ≤ $200), and the hardware designs and software code are open-source. With the long aim of ensuring reproducibility and accelerating collaboration, we also provide a DIY-build document.

Pellet dispensomixer and pellet distributor: open hardware for nanocomposite space exploration via automated material compounding

We present do-it-yourself instruments that can be both adopted and adapted to fit your self-driving lab.

THE MAKING OF AN AUTOMATIC DOG FEEDING DEVICE WITH THE USE OF ARDUINO UNO AND SERVO MOTOR

As individuals continue to live busy lifestyles, neglect remains prevalent among dog owners. Therefore, malnutrition among dogs, caused by improper feeding habits, remains a rampant issue worldwide. The main objective of this study is to create an automatic dog feeding device out of Arduino Uno and Servo Motor. For the purpose of dog food dispensing, the Arduino Uno, an open-source electronics platform based on simple hardware and software, was used in the servo motor operations. Thus, the device utilized two main components Methodology: The researchers utilized the experimental design of research as well as the quantitative method. The results of the study show the dispensing capabilities of the automatic dog feeding device under increasing loads. Additionally, the servo motor’s dispensing precision was proved with slight deviations from the expected weight to the actual weight averages. Moreover, the Arduino Uno’s dispensing accuracy and its reliability was tested wherein the device dispensed on cue with minimal deviations in time. The results demonstrated that the automatic dog feeding device can effectively dispense dog food meeting the various criteria tested. The discussion states the significant contribution of this study toward pet care technology and the field of engineering. Asserting that the findings of this study allow for better understanding of the role of technology in the pet industry. Lastly, in accordance with the limitations of the study, it is recommended that the design and functionality of the device may be enhanced and improved by later researchers.

Oblique, forward, and lateral directions reach test distances in young adults, and concurrent validity of these tests with the center of pressure excursion in assessing the limits of stability

BackgroundLimits of stability is required to perform functional activities and other advanced tasks of life without losing balance, and assessment of limits of stability is essential in clinical practice. Forward, Lateral, and Oblique direction reach tests are clinical balance tests that assess limits of stability, and these reach distances in various directions may be symmetrical or asymmetrical. The aim was to establish the symmetry between various reach distances on three reach tests and to establish the concurrent validity of oblique, forward, and lateral direction reach test distances with limits of stability measured by the Iso Free machine of TecnoBody company. Methods: The measurements of oblique, forward, and lateral reach tests and limits of stability excursions of center of pressure were taken in eight directions on Iso Free machine of Techno Body in fifty typical college-going young adults who were recruited through convenience sampling. Pearson correlation test was used to find the relationship between forward, lateral, and oblique direction reaches and limits of stability in forward, lateral, and oblique directions. Regression analysis was used to find the factors influencing the forward, lateral, and oblique reach tests. Results: The reach distances were symmetrical, and out of the three tests, the lateral and oblique direction reach tests have a moderate positive correlation with limits of stability test in lateral and oblique directions with an r-value of 0.569 (p < 0.001) and 0.50 (p < 0.001) respectively. A Significant standardized beta value of 0.49 (p < 0.05) for the oblique direction reach test with total stability limits. Conclusions: The oblique and lateral direction reach tests are correlated with their respective center of pressure excursion. However, the oblique direction reach test moderately correlated with the total limits of stability scores. Forward reach distances were more in number followed by oblique and lateral reach distances among young Saudi adults.

Meteorological parameters monitoring system using free hardware and software with data storage and display on Nextion screen

A portable station was designed and built to measure weather conditions using open-source hardware and software, aiming for versatility and low cost. Data acquisition and storage from climate variable measurements are carried out, allowing for interaction through a graphical interface built on an open-source software display. Additionally, there is access and control of the data using an Internet of Things platform that, like the HMI itself, enables real-time monitoring of variable measurements and s torage of the monitored data. The designed station, being portable and having internet access, can serve as a support tool for monitoring weather conditions in a photovoltaic systems station, for example. This is highly useful because such conditions interfere with system performance, impacting the energy conversion process. This data collection and storage, for instance, allows for generating forecasts to determine the suitable energy generation type based on the installation location's conditions and foreseeing the potential impact of weather conditions.

Video game performance analysis on selected operating systems

The video game industry is currently one of the most dominant in IT. Unfortunately, developers rarely focus on maintaining older games, which often leads to the inability to launch them on newer systems. The aim of the paper is the video game performance analysis on selected operating systems. The analysis was performed on the first three installments of The Sims series, published in the first decade of the 21st century, on a computer with Windows XP as the operating system and another with Windows 10 as the operating system. For the performance analysis three hardware monitoring programs were used: Open Hardware Monitor, MSI Afterburner and Windows Performance Monitor. In addition, all tested games were compared visually in order to determine whether their appearance and available graphic options are the same on both systems. Results analysis have shown, that despite lower system load in all games on the computer with Windows 10 there are some graphical anomalies not present on the older operating system.

A simple, static and stage mounted direct electron detector based electron backscatter diffraction system

To engineer the next generation of advanced materials we must understand their microstructure, and this requires microstructural characterization. This can be achieved through the collection of high contrast, data rich, and insightful microstructural maps. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) has emerged as a popular tool available within the scanning electron microscope (SEM), where maps are realized through the repeat capture and analysis of Kikuchi diffraction patterns. Typical commercial EBSD systems require large and sophisticated detectors that are mounted on the side of the SEM vacuum chamber which can be limiting in terms of widespread access to the technique. In this work, we present an alternative open-hardware solution based upon a compact EBSD system with a simple, static geometry that uses an off-the-shelf direct electron detector co-mounted with a sample. This simple stage is easy to manufacture and improves our knowledge of the diffraction geometry significantly. Microscope and detector control is achieved through software application programming interface (API) integration. After pattern capture, analysis of the diffraction patterns is performed using open-source analysis within AstroEBSD. To demonstrate the potential of this set up, we present two simple EBSD experiments using a line scan and area mapping. We hope that the present system can inspire simpler EBSD system design for widespread access to the EBSD technique and promote the use of open-source software and hardware in the workflow of EBSD experiments.

Towards a Combination of Metrics for Machine Translation

In this scholar, we compare three metrics for machine translation, from English toFrench and vice versa, and we give some combination formulas based on someschemes, algorithms, and machine learning tools. As an experimental dataset, weconsider 10 English and French theses abstracts published in the web with four free incharge machine translation systems. Five combinations, with the same implicit weights,are considered namely: (BLEU+NIST), (BLEU+ (1-WER)), (NIST+(1-WER)),(BLEU+NIST+(1-WER)), and (FR(BLEU)+FR(NIST)+FR(WER)). Thesecombinations are also considered differently through generating weights parameters onthe basis of regression. The results of 12 formulas are computed and compared then intotal. According to the obtained results, average regression combinations based onmachine learning step are the best, especially with the three basic metrics, followed byaverage WER metric in the case of English to French. For French to English,(FR(BLEU)+FR(NIST)+FR(WER)) combination is the best followed respectively bythe average regression combination with both first parameters (Reg(α,β)) and averageBLEU basic metric. Another performance criterion is considered here, in the secondposition, namely: the number of times, over the 10 abstracts, where the formula is thebest. Based on the obtained results, combination with regression based on the first andthe last parameters (Reg(α,γ)) outperforms the others, in the case of English to French,with 3 times followed by Reg(β,γ), Reg(α,β,γ), NIST+(1-WER), and the basic metrics(BLEU, NIST, and WER) with 2 times for each of them. For French to English, thebasic WER metric outperforms the others with three times followed by BLEU, (BLEU+(1-WER)), (FR(BLEU)+FR(NIST)+FR(WER)), and Reg(α,γ) with 2 times for each ofthem. To note that there is a room of improvement for the combinations with1.0914 inthe case of English to French and 1.01 in the case of French to English.

Development and Application of an Open Power Meter Suitable for NILM

In the context of the global energy sector’s increasing reliance on fossil fuels and escalating environmental concerns, there is an urgent need for advancements in energy monitoring and optimization. Addressing this challenge, the present study introduces the Open Multi Power Meter, a novel open hardware solution designed for efficient and precise electrical measurements. This device is engineered around a single microcontroller architecture, featuring a comprehensive suite of measurement modules interconnected via an RS485 bus, which ensures high accuracy and scalability. A significant aspect of this development is the integration with the Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring Toolkit, which utilizes advanced algorithms for energy disaggregation, including Combinatorial Optimization and the Finite Hidden Markov Model. Comparative analyses were performed using public datasets alongside commercial and open hardware monitors to validate the design and capabilities of this device. These studies demonstrate the device’s notable effectiveness, characterized by its simplicity, flexibility, and adaptability in various energy monitoring scenarios. The introduction of this cost-effective and scalable tool marks a contribution to the field of energy research, enhancing energy efficiency practices. This research provides a practical solution for energy management and opens advancements in the field, highlighting its potential impact on academic research and real-world applications.

Open-source hardware- and software-based cryomicroscopy system for investigation of phase transitions in cryobiological research.

The development of inexpensive equipment adapted for the study of a specific biological object is very important for cryobiology. In the presented work, we have proposed a simple system for microscopy utilising open-source platform Arduino. Testing this system showed that it had sufficient sensitivity to determine the physical processes occurring in a cryopreserved sample such as intra- and extracellular water crystallisation and salt eutectic. Utilising this system, we investigated the mechanisms of cryoprotection and cryodamage of testis interstitial cells (ICs) in cryoprotective media, which included cryoprotective agents such as dimethyl sulphoxide (Me2 SO), as well as foetal bovine serum or polymers (dextran, hydroxyethyl starch and polyethylene glycol). It was shown that a serum-/xeno-free medium that included 0.7M Me2 SO and 100mg/mL dextran was able to reduce intracellular water crystallisation in cells, change the structure of extracellular ice, and reduce salt eutectic and recrystallisation. All these effects correlated with better IC survival after cryopreservation in the medium. This medium is potentially less toxic as it has lower concentrations of Me2 SO compared to serum-containing media developed for cryopreservation of testicular cells. This would pave a way for the creation of nontoxic serum-free compositions that does not require removal before use of cryopreserved living cells for laboratory practice or in clinics.