RepLab Vision

Introduction

We should begin by assuming that robust tools of production - the os fab lab - or RepLab - are a multi-billion dollar market. As such, we can get support for this, by positioning this as the incubation of free enterprise that comes directly out of developing the 10x lower cost tools of production. Moreover, we can motivate this work by developing a design repository for a few key items. In effect, we can capture at least a few percent, if not tens of percent, of all of the global economy as a direct result of the RepLab. There are 3 levels of development, and the strategy for pursuing the RepLab follows.

Level 1

Open Source FabLab. Approach in a modular fashion of developing technology 'primitives' that can be used as modules in many applications. Just a plain old opensourcing effort.

Level 2

Economic significance of RepLab tools comes from the ability of developers to engage in their production. This must be a central feature, as it allows for people to develop free enterprise. The supporters sought should be targeted explicitly for their desire to engage in free enterprise.

Level 3

The deeper level of economic significance comes from designing free products that can be produced with the available tools. Free business models are a part of that, and link directly into creation of post-scarcity resilient communities.

Strategy

We can motivate funding of the above via low-cost replicability of the whole package. If we include metal melting in the process for generating steel or aluminum from scrap, then we can talk about people investing in productive capacity at negligible cost.

This means, if we develop all the tools, including metal melt from scrap and hot and cold metal processing - and put them under one roof - then developers can capture significant value from this. As such, they are motivated to fund and support development.

Therefore, I propose that we motivate funding by access to the most amazing hackerspace in the world. I propose we build that at 43 cents per square foot at Factor e Farm, or anywhere else, and populate it with tools.

People can redeem their investment into the project with the redemption of their contribution at $50 per day usage of the entire RepLab. I would propose a generous redemption rate, such as 5, 10-, or lifetime membership to the RepLab based on their level of contribution. The $50 figure is just a first guess. Access to full training and education materials would be given, and the development of this could be a collaborative effort with existing projects.

For example, a person contributed $1000 to the project. For that cash, they could melt metal, generate steel, build a tractor with steam engine and hydraulic system for that price.

The assumption is that the designs and tooling is available. With about $1M investment, there is no question that this could be done. The entire equipment base can be built for $500k. The R&D for product design would be a dedicated year effort by 10 people, for items of key interest, at $50k/person.

Thus, investment would require 1000 donors at $1000 each. The facility should fit about 20 investors at a time, for a powerhouse development center of open technology. Redemption time per person would be 1 day per $1000, or 3 full years to redeem value of all investors. This is an acceptable return on investement period, and the entire lab can be built in 1 year from the point of availability of funds.

Challenges

The number one challenge is people believing that the above is remotely feasible. There is no easy remedy for this point.

The challenge of selecting specifications is addressed by the 'transcend and include' approach proposed by Bildr.org - where all specifications are accounted for by virtue of designing modules for each specification. Brilliant.

The challenge of allocating results of prototyping/building is addressed by giving the fruits to everybody. This happens by all developers gaining access to the facility, and the capacity to reproduce the same at the cost of scrap steel. This would be the world's greatest practical effort at post-scarcity economics, and it has significant disruptive potential.