Immersion Course
OSE is durrently working on increasing the continuity in its development program by developing more focused OSE developer training.These developers are intended to be those individuals who make significant contributions to OSE development. To date, most of the contributions came from volunteers, and a typical dilemma in an open source project is that people contribute for some time, and then disappear because they have to make a living otherwise. Our current developments are intended to address this continuity issue by creating a deep immersion learning experience where the developer builds a viable enterprise as a result of this training.
This requires a significant learning curve on design/build, organizational issues, and enterprise. This is intended only for entrepreneurial individuals motivated by a deep desire to engage in open hardware development, while getting paid for it.
We have shown proof of concept that OSE's model of Extreme Manufacturing Workshops is econommically sustainable. It is backed by efficient production methods that allow parallel swarming on a modular build of a heavy machine - in a single day.
To this end, we are developing 3 month immersion experiences where students are expected to transition From Zero to Maker in the deepest sense of the word.
The training will involve a whirlwind of activity where participants will learn about the design, build, and operation of an open source 3D printer/laser cutter/circuit mill, a 3D scanner, a CNC torch table. These machines will be explored by the student disassembling and assembling these machines completely from scratch according to exhaustive, language-agnostic instructionals for these machines. This will provide the Student access to digital fabrication and rapid prototyping experience, focusing on module-based design for rapid, parallel builds. This will culminate in the student learning the complete process of digital fabrication - a build the Brick Press, and participate in organizing two OSE Workshops - first as part of the 3 month immersion - and then - independently as they spin off from the OSE operation and start their own business. The overall duration of this immersion is 6 months - 3 on the OSE campus, and 3 months independently off campus - either under the OSE brand or completely independently. Use of the OSE brand will mean that OSE will assist in marketing the event.
The immersion course will include:
- CAD, prototyping, fabrication, design-build, Extreme Design, programming literacy, mechanical engineering, controller basics
- Enterprise incubation: teaching event organization, marketing
