Open source is beyond disciplines
Posted on October 27, 2017What is open source?
Open source is the idea that the source code of software should be widely published, so anyone can freely use and edit. Software released as open source is made public so that it can be easily obtained it through the Internet and anyone can freely use, copy, modify, redistribute, and incorporate it into other programs. Famous examples of open source software are Linux, android, and etc., but open source is also being used in fields other than the IT industry and software.
Open source moves public policy
Government agencies that have little relationship with Information Technology are beginning to take advantage of the power of open source. For example, in Japan, following the Earthquake in 2011, the government released public data related to disasters and promoted the development of software to help evacuation and reconstruction efforts. Due to the nuclear power plant accident, the amount of electricity generation dropped sharply, and there was danger of blackouts in Tokyo. The government released data related to electric power, encouraged the development of applications that show current energy usage data, and succeeded in urging residents to refrain from using electricity.1 In addition, the government encouraged the development of applications that showed radiation dose and protected residents from radiation exposure.2 In this way, the usefulness of open source is shown not only in the IT industry but also in the field of public policy.
Beyond software
Furthermore, with the widespread use of 3D printers, open source has begun to have a major impact not only on software but also on hardware. I would like to explain the example of a Japanese start-up company “exiii Inc.” developing electric-powered prosthetic hands.3 The Electric-powered prosthetic hands allow people with no hands to use the muscles left in the arm to move the prosthetic hand intuitively. Although the actual technology for artificial hands was commercialized half a century ago, its market use has not become very widespread (rate of spread in Japan: 2%). The reason for this is their extremely high cost of over 1.5 million yen even now. Another possible reason is that they do not offer many options, in terms of functionality and design, making them unable to cater for a wide variety of needs. exiii Inc. makes use of 3D printing to greatly reduce manufacturing costs. In addition, all design data is published on the Internet, making it available for free to developers and designers from all over the world. This provides a great opportunity for new options in terms of functionality and design to appear continuously on the market. The product was awarded the Good Design Award in Japan and the iF Design Award in Germany because of its intelligent use of open source.
In this way, the possibility of open source is spreading beyond the IT industry and software. Designers should use not only their own ideas and skills, but also the power of open source, and work together with many people to solve problems.
References
1.New publicity in the public sector -High level public-private partnership based on experience of the disaster- / Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan
2.Open Government Data Projects in Japan / Shuichi Tashiro, Information-technology Promotion Agency, Japan