Open Source Ecology - User contributions [en]

Open source software for permaculture

2011-03-13T06:02:55Z

Eleftherios Kosmas:

{{Category=Permaculture}}
{{Category=Software}}

'''Proposal''': I would like to see a piece of open-source software that helps with permaculture design. It would be an expert system doing the work of a permaculture designer, for free.

Maybe something like this already exists and I don't know about it. If you know of such software, please add a link to this page.

A fairly simple, but very helpful, algorithm would go something like this:
#You input things you want to grow. This could be specific plants (e.g. 'Little Gem lettuce'), or broad categories (e.g. hard timber, grains)
#You input climate information. Or better yet, you input your location and the software finds climate information online.
#The software accesses a database of organisms (possibly derived from [http://www.pfaf.org/user/default.aspx Plants For A Future]). It knows the [[Inputs and outputs in permaculture|inputs and outputs]] of each organism and matches them up; where one element can work in synergy with another, it points that out to the user and suggests they be planted near each other. (e.g. Fruit trees need rotting matter, strawberries produce that when they die, so plant your strawberries near your fruit trees.) Where none of the elements you listed cover the needs (e.g. you want fish, but have no food source for them), it suggests an element that could fill the need and is appropriate to your climate.
#It should also be able to access a database of pests and weeds and suggest ways of dealing with them. (e.g. If you grow cabbages, it would suggest chickens to eat the slugs. If you grow vegetables, it would suggest spearmint to repel insects.) There are databases online that could be mined for this information (like [http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/biorationals/ Biorationals]); see the links at [[biological pest control]].

See also: [http://jaromil.dyne.org/journal/free_software_permaculture_fscons10.pdf Denis Jaromil Roio's presentation on desing patterns in free software and permaculture from FSCONS 10]

Open source software for permaculture

2011-03-13T05:58:08Z

Eleftherios Kosmas:

Open source software for permaculture

2011-03-13T05:56:15Z

Eleftherios Kosmas: Added a presentation from Dyne.org's jaromil

{{Category=Permaculture}}

'''Proposal''': I would like to see a piece of open-source software that helps with permaculture design. It would be an expert system doing the work of a permaculture designer, for free.

Maybe something like this already exists and I don't know about it. If you know of such software, please add a link to this page.

A fairly simple, but very helpful, algorithm would go something like this:
#You input things you want to grow. This could be specific plants (e.g. 'Little Gem lettuce'), or broad categories (e.g. hard timber, grains)
#You input climate information. Or better yet, you input your location and the software finds climate information online.
#The software accesses a database of organisms (possibly derived from [http://www.pfaf.org/user/default.aspx Plants For A Future]). It knows the [[Inputs and outputs in permaculture|inputs and outputs]] of each organism and matches them up; where one element can work in synergy with another, it points that out to the user and suggests they be planted near each other. (e.g. Fruit trees need rotting matter, strawberries produce that when they die, so plant your strawberries near your fruit trees.) Where none of the elements you listed cover the needs (e.g. you want fish, but have no food source for them), it suggests an element that could fill the need and is appropriate to your climate.
#It should also be able to access a database of pests and weeds and suggest ways of dealing with them. (e.g. If you grow cabbages, it would suggest chickens to eat the slugs. If you grow vegetables, it would suggest spearmint to repel insects.) There are databases online that could be mined for this information (like [http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/biorationals/ Biorationals]); see the links at [[biological pest control]].

See also: [Denis Jaromil Roio's presentation on desing patterns in free software and permaculture from FSCONS 10 http://jaromil.dyne.org/journal/free_software_permaculture_fscons10.pdf]

Open source software for permaculture

2011-03-13T05:26:21Z

Eleftherios Kosmas:

Open source software for permaculture

2011-03-13T05:23:55Z

Eleftherios Kosmas:

Open source software for permaculture

2011-03-13T05:22:35Z

Eleftherios Kosmas:

{{Category=Permaculture}}

'''Proposal''': I would like to see a piece of open-source software that helps with permaculture design. It would be an expert system doing the work of a permaculture designer, for free.

Maybe something like this already exists and I don't know about it. If you know of such software, please add a link to this page.

A fairly simple, but very helpful, algorithm would go something like this:
#You input things you want to grow. This could be specific plants (e.g. 'Little Gem lettuce'), or broad categories (e.g. hard timber, grains)
#You input climate information. Or better yet, you input your location and the software finds climate information online.
#The software accesses a database of organisms (possibly derived from [[Plants For A Future http://www.pfaf.org/user/default.aspx]]). It knows the [[Inputs and outputs in permaculture|inputs and outputs]] of each organism and matches them up; where one element can work in synergy with another, it points that out to the user and suggests they be planted near each other. (e.g. Fruit trees need rotting matter, strawberries produce that when they die, so plant your strawberries near your fruit trees.) Where none of the elements you listed cover the needs (e.g. you want fish, but have no food source for them), it suggests an element that could fill the need and is appropriate to your climate.
#It should also be able to access a database of pests and weeds and suggest ways of dealing with them. (e.g. If you grow cabbages, it would suggest chickens to eat the slugs. If you grow vegetables, it would suggest spearmint to repel insects.) There are databases online that could be mined for this information; see the links at [[biological pest control]].

DraftSight

2011-03-13T05:07:36Z

Eleftherios Kosmas:

DraftSight, a free (It's '''propiertary software''' free of charge) 2D CAD product that lets you create, edit and view your DWG (AutoCAD) files.

Based on an advanced architecture, DraftSight has a small footprint, should take less than a few minutes to download, and runs on multiple operating systems including Microsoft® Windows XP®, Windows Vista®, Windows® 7 (general release), Mac® and Linux®** (Mac and Linux currently in Beta).

Download:http://www.3ds.com/products/draftsight/download-draftsight/

[[Category:Software]]
[[Category:Digital Fabrication]]

DraftSight

2011-03-13T05:05:48Z

Eleftherios Kosmas: Created page with "DraftSight, a free (It's propiertary software free of charge) 2D CAD product that lets you create, edit and view your DWG (AutoCAD) files. Based on an advanced architecture, Dra..."

DraftSight, a free (It's propiertary software free of charge) 2D CAD product that lets you create, edit and view your DWG (AutoCAD) files.

Based on an advanced architecture, DraftSight has a small footprint, should take less than a few minutes to download, and runs on multiple operating systems including Microsoft® Windows XP®, Windows Vista®, Windows® 7 (general release), Mac® and Linux®** (Mac and Linux currently in Beta).

Download:http://www.3ds.com/products/draftsight/download-draftsight/

KiCAD

2011-03-13T04:57:25Z

Eleftherios Kosmas:

KiCad is an open source software suite for electronic design automation (EDA) - designing schematics of electronic circuits and printed circuit boards (PCB). KiCad is developed by the KiCad Developers Team, and features an integrated environment with schematic capture, bill of materials list, and PCB layout.

KiCad software is organized in five main parts:
*kicad - the project manager.
*eeschema - the schematic capture editor.
*cvpcb - the footprint selector for components used in the circuit design.
*pcbnew - the PCB layout program. It also has 3D View.
*gerbview - the Gerber (photoplotter documents) viewer.

Features

Compared to the other free software alternatives, KiCad solves all stages with the same interface: Schematic Capture, PCB layout, Gerber generation/visualization and library editing.
KiCad is cross-platform, written with WxWidgets to run on FreeBSD, Linux, Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. A lot of component libraries are available. Also migrating tools for components are available (from other EDA software tools). File formats are plain text and well documented, which is good for CVS or Subversion and to make automated component generation scripts.
Multiple languages are supported, such as English, Portuguese, Spanish, Czech, Polish, French, German, and Russian.
The 3D PCB viewer use 3D model from Wings3D CAD.

Project home: http://kicad.sourceforge.net/

Tutorial on KiCAD use: http://teholabs.com/knowledge/kicad.html

[[Category: Software]]
[[Category: Digital Fabrication]]

KiCAD

2011-03-13T04:32:46Z

Eleftherios Kosmas:

KiCAD

2011-03-13T04:32:18Z

Eleftherios Kosmas:

KiCAD

2011-03-13T04:32:00Z

Eleftherios Kosmas: Created page with "KiCad is an open source software suite for electronic design automation (EDA) - designing schematics of electronic circuits and printed circuit boards (PCB). KiCad is developed b..."

Vertical Axis Wind Turbine

2011-03-13T04:21:25Z

Eleftherios Kosmas:

{{Category=Wind energy}}

[[File:Pac_wind.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Pacwind VAWT Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Seahawk]]
Verical Axis Wind Turbines or VAWTs offer a number of advantages over traditional horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWTs). They can be packed closer together in wind farms, allowing more in a given space. This is not because they are smaller, but rather due to the slowing effect on the air that HAWTs have, forcing designers to separate them by ten times their width. VAWTs are rugged, quiet, omni-directional, and they do not create as much stress on the support structure. They do not require as much wind to generate power, thus allowing them to be closer to the ground. By being closer to the ground they are easily maintained and can be installed on chimneys and similar tall structures.

In addition, by being closer to the ground, VAWTs have the ability to take advantage of the tunnelling effects of small buildings and structures (provided the structures are build close enough) small VAWTs are also used in corners of buildings (usually the corner of a balcony).

Although VAWTs are not considered as efficient as the more common HAWTs they are considers more reliable, and much easier to maintain. One disadvantage of the VAWT is that the blade that moves into the wind moves '''against''' the wind, slowing down the turbine. This could be addressed by a shield that adjusts to the direction of the wind and covers the blade that moves into the wind. This could be done with some kind of vane. However, this would complicate the design significantly, incl. bearings for the shield. So this may not be worth it ... easier to just build more VAWTs.

A good step by step guide can be found on [http://www.instructables.com/id/VAWT-Lenz-type-Stage-1-Converting-wind-power-to-/ this link]: a small Savonius wind turbine that takes advantage of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venturi_effect Venturi effect].

There is also a small scale printble vertical wint turbine on thinkverse http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6899

Zoetrope Wind Turbine: A great Creative Commons lincensed design to build a Savonius VAWT: http://www.applied-sciences.net/library/data/zoetrope-wind-turbine.pdf

Open Source Biotechnology

2011-03-09T00:28:12Z

Eleftherios Kosmas: /* Linkfest */

{{Category=Materials}}
{{Category=Energy}}

[[File:lab_bench.jpg|400px|thumb|right|Lab bench]]

Open source biotechnology is in some ways more challenging than open source software, content or hardware. The unanswered question is: is there a place for an ecosystem based around free "software" running on biological processors ? Biological hacking has the potential to transform health care, address energy problems, mitigate climate change, and more. Or it could wreak environmental devastation and facilitate horrifying attacks by either individuals or governments.

==IGEM==
The International Genetically Engineered Machine competition (iGEM) is the premiere undergraduate Synthetic Biology competition. Student teams are given a kit of biological parts at the beginning of the summer from the Registry of Standard Biological Parts. Working at their own schools over the summer, they use these parts and new parts of their own design to build biological systems and operate them in living cells. This project design and competition format is an exceptionally motivating and effective teaching method. iGEM began in January of 2003 with a month-long course at MIT during their Independent Activities Period (IAP). The students designed biological systems to make cells blink. This design course grew to a summer competition with 5 teams in 2004, 13 teams in 2005 - the first year that the competition grew internationally - 32 teams in 2006, 54 teams in 2007, 84 teams in 2008, and 112 teams in 2009. Projects ranged from a rainbow of pigmented bacteria, to banana and wintergreen smelling bacteria, an arsenic biosensor, Bactoblood, and buoyant bacteria.

==Video==
<html>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed//a6JpbIWej-E" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></html>

==Related pages on OSE Wiki==
*[[Microfluidics]],

==Linkfest==
* [http://diybio.org/ DIYBio] - An Institution for the Amateur Biologist
* [http://www.igem.org IGEM] - International Genetically Engineered Machine competition - the premiere undergraduate Synthetic Biology competition
* [http://bbf.openwetware.org/ BioBricks Foundation] - encourages the development and responsible use of technologies based on BioBrick™ standard DNA parts that encode basic biological functions
* [http://www.biofab.org/ The BIOFAB: International Open Facility Advancing Biotechnology]
* [http://www.bios.net/daisy/bios/home.html Biological Open Source (BiOS)] - an effort to develop new innovation ecosystems for disadvantaged communities and neglected priorities
* [http://speakscience.org/ Genotyp] - open source biotech lab hardware, mainly intended for teaching institutions such as high schools
* [http://openpcr.org/what-is-pcr/ OpenPCR] - An open source PCR (polymerase chain reaction) machine based on [[Arduino]]
* [http://www.pearlbiotech.com/hardware/ Open Gel Box] - An electrophoresis gel box, an instrument used in the separation and characterization of DNA.
* [http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1483 DremelFuge] - DremelFuge is a printable rotor for centrifuging standard microcentrifuge tubes and miniprep columns
* [http://www.polonator.org/index.htm Polonator G.007] - Automated, second-generation genome sequencing machine that is based on polony sequencing technology.

Open Source Biotechnology

2011-03-08T23:21:15Z

Eleftherios Kosmas: /* Linkfest */

{{Category=Materials}}
{{Category=Energy}}

[[File:lab_bench.jpg|400px|thumb|right|Lab bench]]

Open source biotechnology is in some ways more challenging than open source software, content or hardware. The unanswered question is: is there a place for an ecosystem based around free "software" running on biological processors ? Biological hacking has the potential to transform health care, address energy problems, mitigate climate change, and more. Or it could wreak environmental devastation and facilitate horrifying attacks by either individuals or governments.

==IGEM==
The International Genetically Engineered Machine competition (iGEM) is the premiere undergraduate Synthetic Biology competition. Student teams are given a kit of biological parts at the beginning of the summer from the Registry of Standard Biological Parts. Working at their own schools over the summer, they use these parts and new parts of their own design to build biological systems and operate them in living cells. This project design and competition format is an exceptionally motivating and effective teaching method. iGEM began in January of 2003 with a month-long course at MIT during their Independent Activities Period (IAP). The students designed biological systems to make cells blink. This design course grew to a summer competition with 5 teams in 2004, 13 teams in 2005 - the first year that the competition grew internationally - 32 teams in 2006, 54 teams in 2007, 84 teams in 2008, and 112 teams in 2009. Projects ranged from a rainbow of pigmented bacteria, to banana and wintergreen smelling bacteria, an arsenic biosensor, Bactoblood, and buoyant bacteria.

==Video==
<html>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed//a6JpbIWej-E" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></html>

==Related pages on OSE Wiki==
*[[Microfluidics]],

8==Linkfest==
* [http://diybio.org/ DIYBio] - An Institution for the Amateur Biologist
* [http://www.igem.org IGEM] - International Genetically Engineered Machine competition - the premiere undergraduate Synthetic Biology competition
* [http://bbf.openwetware.org/ BioBricks Foundation] - encourages the development and responsible use of technologies based on BioBrick™ standard DNA parts that encode basic biological functions
* [http://www.biofab.org/ The BIOFAB: International Open Facility Advancing Biotechnology]
* [http://www.bios.net/daisy/bios/home.html Biological Open Source (BiOS)] - an effort to develop new innovation ecosystems for disadvantaged communities and neglected priorities
* [http://speakscience.org/ Genotyp] - open source biotech lab hardware, mainly intended for teaching institutions such as high schools
* [http://openpcr.org/what-is-pcr/ OpenPCR] - An open source PCR (polymerase chain reaction) machine based on [[Arduino]]
* [http://www.pearlbiotech.com/hardware/ Open Gel Box] - An electrophoresis gel box, an instrument used in the separation and characterization of DNA.
* [http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1483 DremelFuge] - DremelFuge is a printable rotor for centrifuging standard microcentrifuge tubes and miniprep columns

Vertical Axis Wind Turbine

2011-03-08T21:42:32Z

Eleftherios Kosmas:

Globally Integrated Village Environment

2011-03-08T20:57:42Z

Eleftherios Kosmas: Created page with "The "Globally Integrated Village Environment" (GIVE) projekt aims to understand and participate in the creation of an augmented human habitat that is characterized by smaller and..."

The "Globally Integrated Village Environment" (GIVE) projekt aims to understand and participate in the creation of an augmented human habitat that is characterized by smaller and more sustainable settlements, embedded in their landscapes and in informational /telematic networks of support.

It is our deepest conviction that we need profound social and economical changes to prevent the ecological and structural breakdown of our current societies. In this framework we think of information technology as a powerful means of strengthening local capacity-building, not as a goal in itself.

The goal of the GIVE Project is the documentation and connection of the best approaches to connect information technology with ecological design of human habitat - to contribute to their fast dissemination and augmentation.

On this background we see communal and local networking as intrinsicly connected to a global support structure. In this structure, "Global Villages" and "Global Cities" may play different roles, but only together they will form the network that we consider as the most reliable backbone for socieoeconomic development in the 21st century.

GIVE, with its conferences GLOBAL VILLAGE und CULTURAL HERITAGE IN THE GLOBAL VILLAGE, has laid the foundations for a community that hopefully will continue productive cooperation in new electronic fora and personal meetings in the coming years.

Website:http://www.give.at/home_a.htm

[[Category:Organizations]]

Prospero: Robotic Farmer

2011-03-08T20:21:18Z

Eleftherios Kosmas:

'''Not an open source project but on the links below there are lots of info about the project'''.

Prospero is the working prototype of an Autonomous Micro Planter (AMP) that uses a combination of swarm and game theory and is the first of four steps. It is meant to be deployed as a group or "swarm". The other three steps involve autonomous robots that tend the crops, harvest them, and finally one robot that can plant, tend, and harvest -- autonomously transitioning from one phase to another.

Prospero is controlled with a [http://www.parallax.com/propeller/ Parallax Propeller chip] mounted on a Schmart Board (Schmartboard 2010 MCU contest http://forum.schmartboard.com/index....8.html#msg1038). Its body is designed by Lynxmotion and the original programming allows it to walk autonomously in any direction while avoiding objects with its duel ultrasonic Ping))) without turning its body. An under body sensor array allows the robot to know if a seed has been planted in the area at the optimal spacing and depth. Prospero can then dig a hole, plant a seed in the hole, cover the seed with soil, and apply any pre-emergence fertilizers and/or herbicides along with the marking agent. Prospero can then talk to other robots in the immediate proximity that it needs help planting in that area or that this area has been planted and to move on via IR (currently represented with a green and red LED ). The more seeds it plants, the more the "green" LED lights up, the more it draws other robots nearby (+2). The more it detects planted seeds, the more it repulses other robots with the "red" LED (-1)

The most expensive and awkward part of farming is human labor. By replacing this with robots, we move towards efficient, automated farms.

Soil nutrients and moisture change from foot to foot. Having equipment like combines that allow a person to plant a thousand acres in a day comes at the cost of productivity per acre as a result of treating all those acres as the same. A swarm of small robots like Prospero would have the ability to farm inch by inch, examining the soil before planting each seed and choosing the best variety for that spot. This would maximize the productivity of each acre, require less land to be converted to farm land, feed more people, and provide a higher standard of living for those people because they would spend less of their money on food.

<html><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed//ACtihXjq2B0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed//jdEdV-ct1HM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></html>

* Source: [http://forums.trossenrobotics.com/showthread.php?t=4669 Prospero: Robotic Farmer (Trossen Robotics Forums)]

Could we create a similar project? Could a robotic farmer swarm provide privileges compared traditional farming using OSE?

[[Category:Farm equipment]]

NIST RoboCrane

2011-03-08T20:15:09Z

Eleftherios Kosmas:

'''NIST RoboCrane'''[[File:robocrane.jpg|right]]

Relatively simple cable-based Stewart platform system built with T-Slot and suited to numerous very large area machine and robot applications such as extremely large scale CNC. Not intended to be open source technology, but, as a '''publicly funded research project''', potentially readily acquired for such projects and another good example of T-Slot based tool design - http://www.isd.mel.nist.gov/projects/robocrane/

Summary:
(Concluded)
The RoboCrane design utilizes the basic idea of the Stewart Platform parallel link manipulator. The unique feature of the NIST approach is the use of cables as the parallel links and the use of winches as the actuators.
Description:
The Intelligent Systems Division of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) experimented with a variety of applications for the NIST RoboCrane. The RoboCrane design utilizes the basic idea of the Stewart Platform parallel link manipulator. The unique feature of the NIST approach is the use of cables as the parallel links and the use of winches as the actuators. Depending on what is suspended from its work platform, the RoboCrane has land, air, water, and space applications. A 2-meter version, 6-meter version, ship-hull access version (Flying Carpet) and other versions of the RoboCrane have been built and critical performance characteristics analyzed. Through these and other conceptual models, example applications for RoboCrane are: flexible-structure mobility, heavy material handling, and flexible fixturing on land; rescue and personnel/equipment maneuverability in air; subsea pipe-laying/removal, lifting, and salvage from stable or unstable references on water; drydock ship-hull access, and lightweight, long distance lunar rover capabilities in space. All applications of RoboCrane include a large work volume, six degree-of-freedom control, precision maneuverability, and enhanced crane capabilities. Many partners collaborated on this project over approximately 15 years.

Additional Technical Details:http://www.nist.gov/el/isd/robocrane2.cfm

Similar smaller scale project of a delta robot (still in beta) project using Kinect and arduino could be viewed here http://vimeo.com/20594424

Arduino

2011-03-08T20:12:38Z

Eleftherios Kosmas:

Arduino is a cheap, open-source microcontroller. (A microcontroller is a programmable chip that can act as the brain of a machine.) Arduino is very populat in open hardware projects, from our [[CEB Press]] to [[Yobot]], where it controls yogurt fermentation, to [[Botanicalls]], where it tell you if your plants are underwatered. You can also fabricate one by yourself see:[[DIY Arduino]]

http://arduino.cc/en/Main/ArduinoBoardDuemilanove

[[Image:arduino.jpg]]

----
<html>
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/18539129?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/18539129">Arduino The Documentary (2010) English HD</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/gnd">gnd</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
</html>

----

==OSE Wiki pages involving Arduino==
[[GardenBot]], [[Arduino_Control_of_CEB_Prototype_2| CEB controller]], [[Open energy monitor]], [[Arduino Inverter]], [[Yobot]] ?

==External links==
* Wikipedia: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arduino Arduino]
* [http://www.arduino.cc/ Arduino project main page]
* [http://makezine.com/arduino/ MAKE:Arduino]

[[Category:Circuit Boards]]
[[Category:Circuit Board Fabrication]]

Open Digital Village

2011-03-08T20:10:08Z

Eleftherios Kosmas:

An Open Digital Village (ODiV) is a telecenter that promotes local community oriented wireless networks, open source and open content technologies and approaches. The vision of the ODiV is to bring the key components together to rapidly bridge the digital divide in underserved communities. This Open Digital Village Knowledge Base (ODiV-KB), seeks promote a holistic and interdisciplinary approach to learning, living and constructing sustainable human habitats.
A Open Digital Village could be seen as a social enterprise dedicated to the furtherance of open source and open collaboration values. Similar to FLOSS ventures like OpenMoko it seeks to integrate Open Source values into a sustainable business model.
Duplicate that approach to communities that fit well with the ODiV model.
This is space to develop the components of ODiV in a way consistent with the Open Learning and Development practices of Wikimedia and WikiEducator (OERs). This site is the center for the development of the content, process and infrastructure for the development and replication of ODiVs.
Software system designed to present free and open content dedicated to promoting the holistic ICT approach as being practiced in the ODiV development;
Human network and field agent development guide for the ODiVs;
Wireless network development information used in ODiV;
Suitable open source solutions for the ODiV development;
Key problem areas that are common to the developing countries and possible solutions.

http://www.opendigitalvillage.net/index.php?title=Main_Page

[[Category:Organizations]]

DIY Arduino

2011-03-08T20:00:53Z

Eleftherios Kosmas: Created page with "Arduino can be used a very popular open hardware component and can be succefully used in lot's of open source projects: Although you can always make your own arduino using a..."

[[Arduino]] can be used a very popular open hardware component and can be succefully used in lot's of open source projects:

Although you can always make your own arduino using a breadboard using the following instuctions:
http://itp.nyu.edu/physcomp/Tutorials/ArduinoBreadboard

A similar project could be making you own arduino using a perfboard.
http://hackduino.org/mapblog/?page_id=46

Another take would be to create YOUR OWN Arduino PCB using following instructions on this project
http://www.theparsley.com/arduino/diy/

In terms of cost most DIY guides featured here will cost you more money (in you add up the labor cost) than a prefabricated arduino board. But for larger quantities the guides could be cost effective. Although using a perfboard or ever a breadboard for could be useful for prototyping using a PCB (DIY of prefabricated) could be more a more practical solution for finished products.

[[Category:Circuit Board Fabrication]]

Pharm2Phork

2011-03-07T23:47:35Z

Eleftherios Kosmas: Created page with "The Pharm2Phork Project is a UK registered non profit organisation established (2001) to develop and distribute Open Source Software solutions for the agricultural production, tr..."

The Pharm2Phork Project is a UK registered non profit organisation established (2001) to develop and distribute Open Source Software solutions for the agricultural production, transportation, storage and processing sectors.

While our initial projects primarily addressed compliance with food tracability (EU 178/2002 and Sunrise 2005) regulations the scope has now widened to include Logistics, Warehousing, Asset Tracking and Production and Supply Chain monitoring.

The latest versions have seen a move to new technologies for data storage and analysis (RDF/OWL/Fact++), RIA (Flex4/HTML 5), real time monitors and dashboards, integrated map and proximity support and a Wave(XMPP) server for embedding group collaboration gadgets in HTML pages. The core services and mobile clients have also been refactored for use on a number of new computing platforms including the iPhone, Google Android handsets and soon, with luck, the new iPad.

Project page:http://pharm2phork.org/

[[Category:Software]]

Cloudfarming

2011-03-07T23:41:46Z

Eleftherios Kosmas: Created page with "Cloudfarming is a rich client platform which provides a highly modular farm management system. Agriculture is rapidly becoming a very data intensive industry. A multitude of agr..."

Cloudfarming is a rich client platform which provides a highly modular farm management system.

Agriculture is rapidly becoming a very data intensive industry. A multitude of agriculture specialities is needed to transform all this data into useful farm management information, which can lead to higher productivity, less use of pesticides etc.. Specific agricultural knowledge is often owned by small companies, not capable of developing an overall competative farm management system.

Cloudfarming provides an opensource module framework in which modules from several sources are combined into one integrated farm management system. Modules can be provided by governmental departments, universities or commercial businesses. Some will be free of charge, while some others will require some form of payment. In the end the farmer decides which modules contribute to his business.

Requirements
*delivering good added value for money
*viewing geographical information
*connecting to all kinds of information and/or service providers
*gathering sensor data
*combine all data source into useful management information

project page:http://code.google.com/p/cloudfarming/

[[Category:Software]]

Daisy

2011-03-07T23:21:25Z

Eleftherios Kosmas:

Daisy is a mechanistic simulation model of the physical and biological processes in an agricultural field. It traces the fate of water, energy, carbon, nitrogen, and pesticides, both above and below ground. The model is able to predict production, environmental impact in the form of leaching, and change in soil (carbon) quality over time. Another common use is as an upper boundary for a groundwater model.

The input to Daisy is daily or hourly weather data (at least precipitation, global radiation, and temperature, much more can be used if available), management information (sow/harvest, tillage operations, as well as data and amounts of irrigation, fertilizer and pesticide applications), and finally soil quality (texture, humus content).

The timescale go from hourly fluxes to changes in soil carbon pools over centuries.

The default one dimensional Daisy transport model assumes homogeneous fields, with no significant horizontal transport. An optional two dimensional transport model exists is included, and has been used for simulating row crops and drain pipes. To model larger areas, Daisy should be coupled with a GIS system.

The input to Daisy is through text files. Output is also text files, with the exception of simple progress messages during the simulation. The code can be accesses from a command line utility, a simple GUI (Qt based), or from another program through C, C++, C# or OpenMI interfaces.

Daisy is developed by members of the Agrohydrology group at Department of Basic Sciences and Environment, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen. The primary responsible scientist is Søren Hansen.

Project page:http://code.google.com/p/daisy-model/

[[Category:Software]]

Daisy

2011-03-07T23:20:40Z

Eleftherios Kosmas: Created page with "Daisy is a mechanistic simulation model of the physical and biological processes in an agricultural field. It traces the fate of water, energy, carbon, nitrogen, and pesticides, ..."

CuteFarm

2011-03-07T22:22:40Z

Eleftherios Kosmas:

CuteFarm is an open source farm management software. It it also an appropriate tool for organic farming.
Screenshots here: http://sourceforge.net/projects/cutefarm/

Technique:
*Qt 4 (GPL) / C++ / SQLite

Features:
*Fast and small file based database (SQLite).
*The database structure should allow to use it with many different production systems.
*Export data
*Straight and easy to use data input dialogues.
*Contains lots of data for crops, fertiliser …
*English and French translation (need another language?).

Project homepage:http://www.jan-vaillant.de/?page_id=60

[[Category:Software]]

CuteFarm

2011-03-07T22:21:53Z

Eleftherios Kosmas:

CuteFarm

2011-03-07T22:21:22Z

Eleftherios Kosmas: Category:Software

Vermiculture

2011-03-06T03:47:47Z

Eleftherios Kosmas: /* Links */

{{Category=Soil and compost}}

''The subject of worms keeps coming up on other pages in the food category, and they are definitely an essential part of good food systems, so let's give the little guys a page of their own.''

==Uses==
*Chicken feed
*Fish feed in [[Aquaponics|aquaponics]]
*Aerating [[:Category:Soil and compost|soil]]
*Making compost and compost tea for fertilizing gardens

==DIY wormeries==
*[http://www.instructables.com/id/Multi-Layer-Vermiculture-Bin/ Multi-layer vermiculture bin]
*[http://www.instructables.com/id/5-dollar-12-hour-Worm-Composting-Bins/ 5 dollar, 1/2 hour Worm Composting Bin(s)]
*[http://www.instructables.com/id/Its-a-Vermiculture-World/ It's a Vermiculture World]
*[http://www.instructables.com/id/The-Worm-A-Rater/ The Worm-A-Rater]
*[http://www.instructables.com/id/Worm-bin-bag-for-indoor-vermicomposting-and-easy-s/ Worm bin bag for indoor vermicomposting and easy separation of worms from compost]
*[http://www.instructables.com/id/Worm-Cafe-Compost-with-earthworms-right-in-your/ Worm Cafe - Compost with earthworms right in your garden]

==Links==
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compost#Vermicompost Wikipedia on Vermicomposting]
*[http://southwoodsforestgardens.blogspot.com/2009/01/paper-on-invasive-european-worms.html Paper on Invasive European Worms]
*[http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/topic/vermicomposting/vermiculture/directory-by-state.html NC University-Directory of Vermiculture Resources]
*[http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/resources/warr/spd_0201_bpgvermiculture.pdf Australia's North South Wales Goverment Best Practice Guideline to Managing On-site Vermiculture Technologies]

Vermiculture

2011-03-06T03:39:39Z

Eleftherios Kosmas: /* Links */

Vermiculture

2011-03-06T03:34:57Z

Eleftherios Kosmas: /* DIY wormeries */

{{Category=Soil and compost}}

''The subject of worms keeps coming up on other pages in the food category, and they are definitely an essential part of good food systems, so let's give the little guys a page of their own.''

==Uses==
*Chicken feed
*Fish feed in [[Aquaponics|aquaponics]]
*Aerating [[:Category:Soil and compost|soil]]
*Making compost and compost tea for fertilizing gardens

==DIY wormeries==
*[http://www.instructables.com/id/Multi-Layer-Vermiculture-Bin/ Multi-layer vermiculture bin]
*[http://www.instructables.com/id/5-dollar-12-hour-Worm-Composting-Bins/ 5 dollar, 1/2 hour Worm Composting Bin(s)]
*[http://www.instructables.com/id/Its-a-Vermiculture-World/ It's a Vermiculture World]
*[http://www.instructables.com/id/The-Worm-A-Rater/ The Worm-A-Rater]
*[http://www.instructables.com/id/Worm-bin-bag-for-indoor-vermicomposting-and-easy-s/ Worm bin bag for indoor vermicomposting and easy separation of worms from compost]
*[http://www.instructables.com/id/Worm-Cafe-Compost-with-earthworms-right-in-your/ Worm Cafe - Compost with earthworms right in your garden]

==Links==
''Post them here. There must be good resources online about vermiculture''

Vermiculture

2011-03-06T03:26:05Z

Eleftherios Kosmas: /* DIY wormeries */

Vermiculture

2011-03-06T03:24:51Z

Eleftherios Kosmas: /* DIY wormeries */

Talk:Vertical Axis Wind Turbine

2011-03-06T01:46:38Z

Eleftherios Kosmas: Created page with "Thanks for editing my awful english guys ;) --~~~~"

Thanks for editing my awful english guys ;) --[[User:Eleftherios Kosmas|Eleftherios Kosmas]] 17:46, 5 March 2011 (PST)

Openstructures

2011-03-06T01:44:20Z

Eleftherios Kosmas:

The OpenStructures (OS) project initiates a construction system where everyone designs for everyone.

It is an ongoing experiment that wants to find out what happens if people design objects according to a shared modular grid, a common open standard that stimulates the exchange of parts, components, experiences and ideas and aspires to build things together.
The ultimate goal is to initiate a universal, collaborative puzzle that allows the broadest range of people – from craftsmen to multinationals – to design, build and exchange the broadest range of modular components, resulting in a more flexible and scalable built environment.

An open modular system of this kind has the potential to:

- generate flexible and dynamic puzzle structures rather than uniform modular entities

- introduce variety within modularity

- stimulate re-use cycles of various parts and components

- enable collaborative (and thus exponential) innovation within hardware construction

http://www.openstructures.net/pages/1

Openstructures has several home furniture and fittings scructures with full downloadable plans.

Scructures:http://www.openstructures.net/pages/14/structures

(allas most of them are under full copyright)

Also in openstructures components there are many usefull household designs under a Creative Commons licence

http://www.openstructures.net/pages/11/components

[[Category:Digital Fabrication]]
[[Category:Home fittings]]

Openstructures

2011-03-06T01:43:36Z

Eleftherios Kosmas:

Vertical Axis Wind Turbine

2011-03-06T01:15:38Z

Eleftherios Kosmas:

Verical Axis Wind Turbines or VAWTs offer a number of advantages over traditional horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWTs). They can be packed closer together in wind farms, allowing more in a given space. This is not because they are smaller, but rather due to the slowing effect on the air that HAWTs have, forcing designers to separate them by ten times their width.VAWTs are rugged, quiet, omni-directional, and they do not create as much stress on the support structure. They do not require as much wind to generate power, thus allowing them to be closer to the ground. By being closer to the ground they are easily maintained and can be installed on chimneys and similar tall structures.

In addition, by being closer to the ground VAWTs have the ability to take advantage of the tunnelling effects of small buildings and scructures (provided the scructures are build close enough) small VAWTs are also used in corners of buildings (usually the corner of a balcony).

Although VAWTs are not considered as efficient as the more common HAWTs they are considers more reliable, and much easier to maintain.

A good step by step guide can be found on the following link:
http://www.instructables.com/id/VAWT-Lenz-type-Stage-1-Converting-wind-power-to-/
Which is a small Savonius Wint Turbine that takes advantage of the Venturi effect

[[Category:Wind energy]]

Vertical Axis Wind Turbine

2011-03-06T01:14:45Z

Eleftherios Kosmas: Created page with "Verical Axis Wind Turbines or VAWTs offer a number of advantages over traditional horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWTs). They can be packed closer together in wind farms, allowin..."

Glycerol

2011-03-05T23:44:54Z

Eleftherios Kosmas: /* External Links */

{{Category=Materials}}
{{Category=Biofuel}}

[[File: 200px-Glycerin_Skelett.svg.png|right]]

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycerin Glycerol] (glycerin, glycerine) is the main byproduct of biodiesel production. It is a colourless, odourless, viscous, nontoxic liquid with a sweet taste. Pure glycerine has thousands of uses. However, the biodiesel byproduct is crude (and it's not colourless, and it's not only glycerine).

==Byproduct in biodiesel production==
[text to be inserted here]

==Purifying glycerol==
[text to be inserted here]

==Main uses and Product ecology==
*as mentioned, glycerol is the main by-product of '''biodiesel''' production (see our blog post: [http://openfarmtech.org/weblog/2009/07/open-source-biodiesel-tutorial/ Open Source Biodiesel Tutorial]).
* also a byproduct in the soapmaking process
* use in '''biodigestor''': feed slowly, very slowly. The addition of glycerin can dramatically increase [[biogas]] production.
* when of low purity, can be '''burned''' along with biomass such as sawdust
* crude glycerol from homemade biodiesel makes a powerful '''degreaser'''.
* nitration, to make nitroglycerin (probably not a good idea, unless you want to end up like Nobel's brother)
* '''other''' uses: in skin moisturizers, lotions, deodorants, makeup, toothpaste, sweets and cakes, pharmaceuticals and patent medicines, in paper manufacturing, printing ink, in textiles, plastics, electronic components…

==External Links==
*Journey To Forever: [http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_glycerin.html Glycerin]
*Science-Projects.com: [http://www.science-projects.com/CC2/W11/Saponification.html Making Glycerol from Biological Fats and Oils]
* Wisegeek: [http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-glycerin.htm What Is Glycerin?]
* Permaculture.com [http://www.permaculture.com/node/535 Making Glycerin Soap from Biodiesel By-Products]

Arduino

2011-03-05T22:47:54Z

Eleftherios Kosmas: /* OSE Wiki pages involving Arduino */

http://arduino.cc/en/Main/ArduinoBoardDuemilanove

[[Image:arduino.jpg]]

----
<html>
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/18539129?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/18539129">Arduino The Documentary (2010) English HD</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/gnd">gnd</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
</html>

----

==OSE Wiki pages involving Arduino==
[[GardenBot]], [[Arduino_Control_of_CEB_Prototype_2| CEB controller]], [[Open energy monitor]], [[Arduino Inverter]], [[Yobot]] ?

==External links==
* Wikipedia: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arduino Arduino]
* [http://www.arduino.cc/ Arduino project main page]
* [http://makezine.com/arduino/ MAKE:Arduino]

[[Category:Circuit Boards]]
[[Category:Circuit Board Fabrication]]

Arduino

2011-03-05T22:47:38Z

Eleftherios Kosmas: /* OSE Wiki pages involving Arduino */

http://arduino.cc/en/Main/ArduinoBoardDuemilanove

[[Image:arduino.jpg]]

----
<html>
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/18539129?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/18539129">Arduino The Documentary (2010) English HD</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/gnd">gnd</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
</html>

----

==OSE Wiki pages involving Arduino==
[[GardenBot]], [[Arduino_Control_of_CEB_Prototype_2| CEB controller]], [[Open energy monitor]], [[Arduino Inverter]][[Yobot]] ?

==External links==
* Wikipedia: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arduino Arduino]
* [http://www.arduino.cc/ Arduino project main page]
* [http://makezine.com/arduino/ MAKE:Arduino]

[[Category:Circuit Boards]]
[[Category:Circuit Board Fabrication]]

Yobot

2011-03-05T22:46:29Z

Eleftherios Kosmas:

[[Arduino]] based Yogurt Fermentation Automation

Yogurt fermantation is a timeconsuming process using Yobot could automate the fermantation process.

Mote:http://makeprojects.com/Project/Yobot-Arduino-Yogurt-Maker/499/1

Yobot

2011-03-05T22:46:05Z

Eleftherios Kosmas: Created page with "Arduino based Yogurt Fermentation Automation Yogurt fermantation is a timeconsuming process using Yobot could automate the fermantation process. Mote:http://makeprojects.com/Pr..."

Arduino based Yogurt Fermentation Automation

Yogurt fermantation is a timeconsuming process using Yobot could automate the fermantation process.

Mote:http://makeprojects.com/Project/Yobot-Arduino-Yogurt-Maker/499/1

Beekeeping

2011-03-05T22:34:35Z

Eleftherios Kosmas:

{{Template:Category=Beekeeping}}

Having beehives in your fruit orchard will, at a conservative estimate, increase yields by one-third. As well as that, you can expect about 12kg of honey per hive every summer. You can extract this honey from the honeycomb using our [[Open Source Honey Extractor]]

-----

From Abe at http://velacreations.blogspot.com/ :

On the beehive, this is not a tropical version, but year-round version that has seen winters in Montana and summers in Mexico. Take a look at http://www.biobees.com for more information on maintaining this type of hive. He also has a great forum.

If you have really cold winters, you might consider a Warre hive, which is basically the same thing as my barrel hive, but vertical. You still have the top bars in there, no frames, no foundation, etc. You can find a book by Warre on the net to read more about it. Very simple.

----

On a side note about the hives. I wouldn't convert your current hives. I would make 2 top bar hives, and use them as comparison, especially for desease resistance, maintenance needs, and things along those lines. Don't compare honey output alone, compare input vs output, and I think you'll find that top bar hives, (horizontal or vertical) require a lot less input for the amount they produce. The vertical top bar hives (Warre) are only handled 2 times a year, and horizontals are usually handled maybe 2 times a month during honey production (this is basically removing a few bars of honey, checking to make sure everyone is ok, and that's it)

Split your hives in the spring, and put the splits in the new design. Then, on year 2, you can make some comparisons.

Some benefits:
*Less risk of mites and Varroa
*Bees are less stressed, making them calmer and easier to handle
*No need for antibiotics and other medicines, which means cheaper
*Cheaper to construct new hives (the barrel hive can be made for less than $20)
*No need for an extractor, just crush and press, very simple
*No heavy lifting - you lift one bar at a time, not the whole super

I would definitely research Warre hives, but the horizontal top bar hives are good as well. The barrel version is similar to a Kenyan Top Bar hive, which just means it has sloping sides.

You can convert your current hives into top bars but it will be a lot of work. Best to try out a few top bar hives on their own, see if they work for you for a couple of years, then you can convert those old ones or just phase them out.

I like the top bar design because it is less stressful to bees, and since I have Africanized bees, less stress means they don't want to kill me, which is a good thing. Removing one bar at a time exposes the bees a lot less than an entire super. So, it doesn't make them go into defensive mode.

Anyway, do some googling on top bar hives. Especially these sites:
*http://www.bushfarms.com/bees.htm
*http://www.biobees.com
*http://www.beewrangler.com

----

How to build a "Honey Cow" beehive: http://makeprojects.com/Project/Your-Own-Honey-Cow/539/1. '''Not a great hive for maximal honey yield''', but as good as any for pollination.

==Links==
*ATTRA: [http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/beekeeping.pdf Beekeeping/Apiculture]- awesome resource
*ATTRA: [http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/beekeeping.html Beekeeping/Apiculture]- even better, lots of links and works cited
*[http://www.ncipmc.org/index.cfm North Central Integrated Pest Management Center]
*[http://ppp.missouri.edu/pestmonitoring/index.htm MU Extension pest monitoring network]
*Treehugger article: [http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/02/beepods-bring-back-an-old-design-for-better-beekeeping.php Beepods Bring Back an Old Design for Better Beekeeping]

Solar device/laptop charger

2011-03-05T22:29:33Z

Eleftherios Kosmas: Created page with "'''A how to guide for a DIY solar laptop/device case (might prove handy if you want to do use a laptop on the field for a long time).''' Why pay $200 for a laptop charging case ..."

'''A how to guide for a DIY solar laptop/device case (might prove handy if you want to do use a laptop on the field for a long time).'''

Why pay $200 for a laptop charging case when you can make one yourself?

Makeproject Solar device/laptop charger:http://makeprojects.com/Project/Solar-Laptop-Device-Charger/622/

[[Category:Solar Power]]

Beekeeping

2011-03-05T22:02:08Z

Eleftherios Kosmas:

{{Template:Category=Beekeeping}}

Having beehives in your fruit orchard will, at a conservative estimate, increase yields by one-third. As well as that, you can expect about 12kg of honey per hive every summer. You can extract this honey from the honeycomb using our [[Open Source Honey Extractor]]

-----

From Abe at http://velacreations.blogspot.com/ :

On the beehive, this is not a tropical version, but year-round version that has seen winters in Montana and summers in Mexico. Take a look at http://www.biobees.com for more information on maintaining this type of hive. He also has a great forum.

If you have really cold winters, you might consider a Warre hive, which is basically the same thing as my barrel hive, but vertical. You still have the top bars in there, no frames, no foundation, etc. You can find a book by Warre on the net to read more about it. Very simple.

----

On a side note about the hives. I wouldn't convert your current hives. I would make 2 top bar hives, and use them as comparison, especially for desease resistance, maintenance needs, and things along those lines. Don't compare honey output alone, compare input vs output, and I think you'll find that top bar hives, (horizontal or vertical) require a lot less input for the amount they produce. The vertical top bar hives (Warre) are only handled 2 times a year, and horizontals are usually handled maybe 2 times a month during honey production (this is basically removing a few bars of honey, checking to make sure everyone is ok, and that's it)

Split your hives in the spring, and put the splits in the new design. Then, on year 2, you can make some comparisons.

Some benefits:
*Less risk of mites and Varroa
*Bees are less stressed, making them calmer and easier to handle
*No need for antibiotics and other medicines, which means cheaper
*Cheaper to construct new hives (the barrel hive can be made for less than $20)
*No need for an extractor, just crush and press, very simple
*No heavy lifting - you lift one bar at a time, not the whole super

I would definitely research Warre hives, but the horizontal top bar hives are good as well. The barrel version is similar to a Kenyan Top Bar hive, which just means it has sloping sides.

You can convert your current hives into top bars but it will be a lot of work. Best to try out a few top bar hives on their own, see if they work for you for a couple of years, then you can convert those old ones or just phase them out.

I like the top bar design because it is less stressful to bees, and since I have Africanized bees, less stress means they don't want to kill me, which is a good thing. Removing one bar at a time exposes the bees a lot less than an entire super. So, it doesn't make them go into defensive mode.

Anyway, do some googling on top bar hives. Especially these sites:
*http://www.bushfarms.com/bees.htm
*http://www.biobees.com
*http://www.beewrangler.com

----

How to build a "Honey Cow" beehive: http://makeprojects.com/Project/Your-Own-Honey-Cow/539/1

==Links==
*ATTRA: [http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/beekeeping.pdf Beekeeping/Apiculture]- awesome resource
*ATTRA: [http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/beekeeping.html Beekeeping/Apiculture]- even better, lots of links and works cited
*[http://www.ncipmc.org/index.cfm North Central Integrated Pest Management Center]
*[http://ppp.missouri.edu/pestmonitoring/index.htm MU Extension pest monitoring network]
*Treehugger article: [http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/02/beepods-bring-back-an-old-design-for-better-beekeeping.php Beepods Bring Back an Old Design for Better Beekeeping]

[[Category:Food and Agriculture]]
[[Category:Beekeeping]]

Open source 5 axis CNC router

2011-03-04T23:18:32Z

Eleftherios Kosmas:

'''Mike Calvino is developing an open source (GPLv3) 5 axis CNC router'''

5 axis CNC routers in addition to 3 axis CNC routers have the ability to tilt and bend the cutting tool.

Source: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1091976372/open-source-5-axis-cnc-router-and-plasma-machine-p

This set of instructions is to be extracted from the digital documents of a working 5 axis machine which I have just recently fabricated and is fully operational.

http://www.youtube.com/calvinoarchitect#p/a/u/0/VEDiVESUeNU

CNC machines are valuable tools that can enable more expressive design to be realized at more competitive prices. Whether you are a product designer, an architect, a builder, a welder, fab shop, or just about anyone who makes things or wants to make things, CNC technology is for you. This 5 axis CNC router is 10' long, 5' wide and has a Z stroke of 24". This project is to produce a set of plans & instructions from which one can build a machine. The plan set will be released as an open source document set under a GPL3 license in an attempt to place the technology into a greater number of more creative hands.

3 axis CNC machines are becoming much more commonplace and are quite simple to build/fabricate. 5 axis machines however are a little more complex, although, you'll find that they are in fact not quite that much more complex.. The intent with this set of plans is to break down this 5 axis machine into a set of drawings, parts lists & 2d cut files, supplier lists, and a set of instructions. All of this is to be released open source so that one can take the concepts and modify them if one so chooses.

As a matter of information, not all CNC CAM software can generate code for a 5 axis machine. Commercial CAM software for simultaneous 5 axis machines is very expensive. This is software which takes a digital model or drawing (3d model in the case of 5 axis) and turns it into a toolpath which the CNC machine can use to control the movement of itself to make your part. Simultaneous 5 axis CAM programs can run anywhere from $12,000 to $24,000. Some examples are MasterCam pro with Multiaxis ( http://www.mastercam.com/Products/Router/Default.aspx ) and RhinoNC ( http://rhinonc.com/index.php... ).

However, there is at least one open source 5 axis CAM solution called the CNCtoolKit ( http://cnc-toolkit.com/ ) which is a plug-in for a popular 3d modeling program. I have a modified script version of the plug-in which works with the machine that will be described in the plan/instruction set. The modified script will be available with the plan set.

Another solution for the CAM part of the 5 axis machining may become available as a Mathematician Edmund Harriss ( http://www.mathematicians.org.uk/eoh/ ) has tentative plans to create a Grasshopper (http://www.grasshopper3d.com/ ) - a plug-in for Rhino3d ( http://www.rhino3d.com ) - definition where one will be able to define a 5 axis toolpath about a 3d object and export simultaneous 5 axis g-code that the machine can utilize to machine parts. Edmund tentatively plans to have a working beta version by late spring 2011. Watch his website for more details about this.

The money raised with Kickstarter will afford me the time to take the hundreds of photos, drawings, cad files, g-code files, etc., that were created to make the custom machine and edit them all into a readable, logical set of drawings, instructions, lists, and maybe even video. This will enable the release of a complete set of open source instructions on how to build a large, production quality, 5 axis CNC router/plasma machine.

Some images of the backer rewards parts can be found here: http://www.calvinodesign.com/90037/90037-02.03-5axisCncPlans/.

Most importantly, this set of instructions will show concepts about how a 5 axis CNC machine works and one solution to how it can be made. This will hopefully enable more minds to create machines utilizing the technology and enable us all to make things around us that are more expressive and more beautiful at more economical prices.

[[Category:Digital Fabrication]]

Open source 5 axis CNC router

2011-03-04T23:17:51Z

Eleftherios Kosmas: Created page with "'''Mike Calvino is developing an open source (GPLv3) 5 axis CNC router''' 5 axis CNC routers in addition to 3 axis CNC routers have the ability to tilt and bend the cutting tool..."

PCB etching with household chemicals

2011-03-04T00:42:23Z

Eleftherios Kosmas:

Vinegar – Distilled White Vinegar – diluted with water to 5% acidity (Meijer)

Peroxide – 3% solution (Meijer)

Salt – to taste.

Source & how to video: http://www.stephenhobley.com/blog/2011/03/02/still-messing-with-forces-i-dont-understand-the-formula/