ApacheCon North America 2017

CPUs that cost thousands a decade ago are now cost a few dollars. Cheaper faster easier to manufacture electronics has lowered barriers to entry so that people with minimal technical knowledge can create special purpose computers capable of changing the world. Open Source Hardware is in autonomous drones, 3D printers, DNA replicators, satellites, city-wide sensor networks, smart houses and wearable computers. In this talk I'll take you through what Open Source Hardware is and isn't, OSHW licensing, recent advances in OSHW, show a range of projects and demonstrate what's possible now, warn about some the threats (lack of protocol standards and vendor lock in to name two) that may hinder the growth of Open Source Hardware and the latest in low power wide area networks, the new bottom up free to use internet for devices.