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Open Source Consumer Product Design
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Opensource Consumer Product Design


Open source software development brings programmers together via the internet to work collaboratively on projects that bring low cost software to users without corporate involvement.

We will bring the open source concept to consumer product design. Manufacturers are out-sourcing parts fabrication to smaller shops. These same shops could be in the supply chain of popular open source designs. A full range of consumer choices can be supported. At the high end of complexity and cost, the open source movement could lead to the market placement of a full range of popular open source auto designs.

Assembly of the product would happen at local assembly shops. These shops would be small with small staffs. Products would be assembled in the round, not on assembly lines.

A customer would place an order for the car of choice at a shop featuring that model. The assembly shop is an established endpoint in the supply chain. In a good market, the order continues an existing flow of parts to the shop. The vehicle is assembled in due course. The assembler takes a cut of the purchase price and pays the parts suppliers via a purchasing cooperative.

Small economies will be the starting point of this manufacturing arrangement. The small economies will be the originators and initial adopters of many open source designs. Many of the assembly shops and parts suppliers will be within small economies.

The small economies will apply this system to most consumer products and make these easily available to the general market. The small economies will be able to compete with low priced traditional competitors because their internal strengths allow them to operate with very small margins when necessary.