Embedded system plays an important role in various industry applications. An embedded system is consisting of software and hardware. The hardware platform of conventional embedded system is typically based on IC chips that have fixed resources. Besides, with the development of FPGA, an emerging approach for designing embedded system is implementing soft IP cores on FPGAs. Soft IP cores are synthesizable hardware blocks described in HDL language. Their source code can be either open or close to public. For example, OpenRISC 1200, is an open source 32-bit RISC microprocessor. In addition, the increasing complexity of embedded system forces software developers to consider operating system support to reduce their workload. Thus, in this thesis, a prototype of open source IP based embedded system with Linux is implemented on Atlys (Xilinx Spartan-6) FPGA board and the goal is to evaluate if the system is appropriate for industrial applications. The hardware platform is ORPSOC, which is a reference SoC design based on OpenRISC 1200 processor. For software, Linux operating system is installed. Furthermore, an application executes on Linux is developed that reads the output of an I2C compass sensor-LSM303DLM. With the success of the application and the investigation of license issues, the conclusion is drawn that open source IP based embedded system with Linux is usable for industry. Although comparing to conventional embedded system, the open source IP based embedded system with Linux has following cons, such as high product cost, basic-supported development environment and more difficult software development if Linux driver doesn’t support the hardware. However, its pros are high flexibility and scalability, high software portability, low software development difficulty and high reusability that make it more suitable for industry usage.

Theoretical part of the thesis is devoted to the relationship of open source licensing to innovation, rapid prototyping and technologies used for 3D printing. There is also a comparison of selected RepRap printers. The main objective is to explore the possibilities and limitations of RepRap 3D printers while also analyzing their use in the Czech market. The aim of the application part is to test selected RepRap printer and explore the possibilities of 3D printing on these devices. In the last part of the thesis research has been conducted on the use of 3D printers. It's objective is to answer the main research question - who and for what purpose uses and aquires 3D printers

Open Source Hardware (OSHW) is a concept where hardware designs are shared for everyone to use, modify and build upon. This have become a widespread phenomenon in the microcontroller industry and created an ecosystem where users and companies produce various “derivatives” or alternative designs based on existing OSHW. This research explores this phenomenon of derivative development between users and producers and how this affects innovation, by exploring three case studies of user developed derivatives and interviews with producers and various people with OSHW background. This thesis found that this ecosystem to be dependent on Open Source and leverages the interest of users motivation to innovate and producer support. Furthermore, eight different factor were discovered that derivative development affecting innovation. (1) Openness & Transparency allows the user to innovate without fearing consequences of IP infringement and establishing trust. The transparency also increases the chances for the users to become innovators, as it facilitates the understanding of products, through the documentations and information sharing. (2) Support from producers facilitates users’ ability to design and innovate and was found crucial for the emergence of derivative designs. (3) Amplified Motivation through personal interest has a high impact in the innovation of open microcontrollers. (4) Market diffusion through low-cost ways of sharing and diffusing designs. (5) Market expansion increasing the number of derivative development can affect the resources used by producers in their development process. (6) Product improvements are affected, because of the vast feedback provided by the community, which can lead to through the discovery of usage in fields, product functionality. This increases the quality of the product and allows OSHW producers to stay competitive. (7) Collaboration can affect innovation by the collaborations with derivative projects and businesses. (8) Brand and Marketing is affecting by the number of users that use producers’ products for user-innovators development of derivative designs.

Microalgae are photosynthetic organisms considered to be one of the most promising high-value chemicals and biofuel-producing organisms. However, there are several challenges for the widespread implementation of industrial processes using microalgae. The work presented in this dissertation proposes solutions to the different challenges involving the use of microalgae as microbial cell factories. To investigate the application of anaerobic digestion as a way to generate nutrients for microbial growth, salmon offal was used as substrate for anaerobic digestion, and soil from a flooded run-off pond on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, VA. A fast reduction in volatile solids and the short-chain fatty acid production profile is favorable for the growth of microalgae. A novel algae strain Scenedesmus sp. A6 was isolated from a decorative waterfountain in a hotel in Madison, IN. Mixotrophic growth trials were conducted using wastewater from the salmon offal digestion, that demostrated the A6 isolate grows six times faster in the wastewater then autotrophically. Bioassays of ethanolic cell extracts of A6 cultures demonstrated antimicrobial activity against E. coli cells at concentrations above 50 µg/ml. Genome sequencing and assembly revealed multiple copies of genes involved with acetate and ammonia metabolism, and several genes involved with secondary metabolite synthesis. An alternative to the high capital investment of photobioreactors for the cultivation of microalgae is the use of open-source and open-hardware bioreactor controller. Here, the concept of an open-hardwate bioreactor control called ``BioBrain'' is introduced. The BioBrain device is based on the Arduino Mega micro-controller board, and is capable of monitoring and controlling culture conditions during simple strain characterization studies, with an estimated construction cost of less than $800 USD. Finally, a new primer design tool for the ligation-independant cloning technique 𝜆-PCR was developed called lambdaPrimeR. The contributions of this work are the discovery and development of different tools that can overcome the challenges of the use of microalgae as microbial cell factories in industrial processes. / Ph. D. / Microalgae are single-celled organisms capable of photosynthesis and have the potential to revolutionize fuel and high-value chemical production. However, the high process costs involving the cultivation and biomass harvesting of these organisms limits the number of industrial applications of microalgae. Therefore, reduction of the overall costs of any process involving microalgae is vital for the widespread use of these organisms in industry. On this dissertation, I explore different approaches to tackle the challenges of using microalgae as a high-value chemicals cell factories. First, the use of anaerobic digestion of salmon offal to generate low-cost nutrients for algae growth is successfully demonstrated, with the discovery of a novel algae isolate Scenedesmus sp. A6, capable of very robust growth on the anaerobic digestion wastewater. Further characterization of this novel isolate showed that it has antimicrobial activity against E. coli cells. Therefore, the Scenedesmus sp. A6 isolate has the potential to be used as a high-value chemical cell factory. Reduction in equipment and instrumentation costs was also achieved by the design and construction of an open-hardware and open-source bioreactor controller device called the “BioBrain”, and a low-cost modular bubble column photobioreactor called “The Big Large Tube”. Together, these two devices represent a significant reduction in equipment costs for the cultivation of microalgae. Finally, an open-source Bioinformatics tool called “lambdaPrimeR” was developed to facilitate the use of a novel Genetic Engineering technique called λ-PCR, that has the potential to make genetic engineering of microalgae much easier.

In the field of human-computer interaction, the majority of domestic IoT and smart devices run on proprietary software that possess limited technical properties and predetermined functionalities. As practices of building, modifying, and making IoT applications grow, this thesis follows an open-source approach to IoT to investigate the relationships of humans and things in a domestic setting. As a result of this material exploration, proprietary frameworks for interactions with smart devices are challenged through speculative scenarios, that include diverse instances of human-things interactions. Thus, a research through design methodology is suggested to support series of experiments, conducted to explore instances of perceived intelligence of these open-source hardware, without the use of advanced computational systems as proprietary devices entail. The suggested process is the creation of a speculative design artifact that combines hacking practices, to support designers in generating insights and to further iterate on possible open-source IoT interactions.

Foi desenvolvido um protótipo de hardware de sistema de monitoramento meteorológico como tecnologia aberta e livre e voltado para a ciência cidadã, chamado de Estações Meteorológicas Modulares (EMM). Foram considerados critérios de acessibilidade dos materiais e facilidade de modificação no desenvolvimento do projeto. Todos os programas utilizados no desenvolvimento são softwares livres. Um dos elementos desenvolvidos, a placa de controle das EMM, possibilita medir diferentes parâmetros meteorológicos, além de realizar o registro dados e envio para um servidor. Também possibilita a inclusão de novos sensores. Por todos esses fatores, é considerada satisfatória quanto a sua funcionalidade. A estrutura mecânica das EMM atingiu um patamar de preço acessível a indivíduos e organizações como escolas e associações de moradores de bairro, e apresenta fácil adaptabilidade a diferentes condições de instalação. O custo total do sistema ficou abaixo de alternativas proprietárias amadoras e significativamente abaixo de alternativas proprietárias profissionais. Soluções acessíveis para alguns elementos da EMM ainda requerem testes mais aprofundados. Parte das ferramentas utilizadas na fabricação da placa de controle ainda carece de maior disseminação junto à sociedade para acessibilizar o sistema das EMM. Os registros de desenvolvimento do trabalho foram feitos em forma de documentação aberta por meio de cadernos de laboratório abertos. As atividades de fabricação, montagem e instalação das EMM foram feitas seguindo métodos colaborativos chamados de Encontros de Fabricação Colaborativa e Mutirões das EMM. O resultado deste trabalho, unindo as documentações, os registros dos métodos colaborativos de fabricação, montagem e instalação e as consolidadas oficinas do projeto, é sintetizado no Guia da Comunidade EMM. Este é um roteiro para quem quiser fazer parte e ampliar uma rede de monitoramento ambiental colaborativo com as EMM, e é baseado em atividades educacionais para compreensão dos diferentes elementos da ferramenta e para a emancipação tecnológica. Uma das EMM foi comparada com uma estação automática oficial do Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia (INMET). Nessas comparações, as medidas de temperatura e pressão atmosférica apresentaram diferenças menores do que a acurácia dos sensores, enquanto a umidade relativa do ar apresentou uma diferença acima da acurácia do sensor. Este foi um primeiro passo de validação das EMM. / It was developed the hardware prototype of a meteorological monitoring system as free and open source hardware with focus on citizen science. The system is called Estações Meteorológicas Modulares (EMM, from Portuguese Modular Meteorological Stations). Affordability and reachability of materials and ease of remix were criteria considered in the development of this project. All the programs used in the development are free software. One of the elements developed, the control board of the EMM, is considered satisfactory in terms of: the parameters it enables to measure, the functionalities of communication and register of data, and the possibility of inclusion of new sensors.. The resulting solution to the mechanical structure of the EMM is low cost, affordable to schools and neighborhood associations, and is easy to adapt to different conditions of installation. The whole cost of the system is lower than proprietary amateur alternatives and significantly lower than proprietary professional solutions. Reachable and affordable solutions to some elements of the EMM still need some deeper testing. Some of the tools used to produce the control board still need a broader dissemination among the society in order to ensure the reachability and affordability of the EMM system. The work development registers were made as open documentation by means of open laboratory notebooks. The EMM fabrication, mounting and installations activities were made as collaborative methods called Encontros de Fabricação Colaborativa (from Portuguese, Collaborative Fabrication Gatherings) and Mutirões of the EMM. The result of this work, merging the documentation, the register of collaborative methods of fabrication, mounting and installations, and the consolidated workshops of the EMM project, are synthesized in the EMM Community Guide. This is a script to the ones who want to make part and expand the collaborative environmental monitoring network with the EMM, and it is based in educational activities to comprehend the different elements of the tool and to promote the technological emancipations. One of the EMM was compared to an official automatic meteorological station from Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia (INMET, from Portuguese Meteorology National Institute). In this comparison, the temperature and atmospheric pressure measurements showed differences lower than the accuracy of the sensors used, and the relative air humidity presented a difference higher than the accuracy of the sensor. This was the first step to validate the EMM.

Foi desenvolvido um protótipo de hardware de sistema de monitoramento meteorológico como tecnologia aberta e livre e voltado para a ciência cidadã, chamado de Estações Meteorológicas Modulares (EMM). Foram considerados critérios de acessibilidade dos materiais e facilidade de modificação no desenvolvimento do projeto. Todos os programas utilizados no desenvolvimento são softwares livres. Um dos elementos desenvolvidos, a placa de controle das EMM, possibilita medir diferentes parâmetros meteorológicos, além de realizar o registro dados e envio para um servidor. Também possibilita a inclusão de novos sensores. Por todos esses fatores, é considerada satisfatória quanto a sua funcionalidade. A estrutura mecânica das EMM atingiu um patamar de preço acessível a indivíduos e organizações como escolas e associações de moradores de bairro, e apresenta fácil adaptabilidade a diferentes condições de instalação. O custo total do sistema ficou abaixo de alternativas proprietárias amadoras e significativamente abaixo de alternativas proprietárias profissionais. Soluções acessíveis para alguns elementos da EMM ainda requerem testes mais aprofundados. Parte das ferramentas utilizadas na fabricação da placa de controle ainda carece de maior disseminação junto à sociedade para acessibilizar o sistema das EMM. Os registros de desenvolvimento do trabalho foram feitos em forma de documentação aberta por meio de cadernos de laboratório abertos. As atividades de fabricação, montagem e instalação das EMM foram feitas seguindo métodos colaborativos chamados de Encontros de Fabricação Colaborativa e Mutirões das EMM. O resultado deste trabalho, unindo as documentações, os registros dos métodos colaborativos de fabricação, montagem e instalação e as consolidadas oficinas do projeto, é sintetizado no Guia da Comunidade EMM. Este é um roteiro para quem quiser fazer parte e ampliar uma rede de monitoramento ambiental colaborativo com as EMM, e é baseado em atividades educacionais para compreensão dos diferentes elementos da ferramenta e para a emancipação tecnológica. Uma das EMM foi comparada com uma estação automática oficial do Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia (INMET). Nessas comparações, as medidas de temperatura e pressão atmosférica apresentaram diferenças menores do que a acurácia dos sensores, enquanto a umidade relativa do ar apresentou uma diferença acima da acurácia do sensor. Este foi um primeiro passo de validação das EMM. / It was developed the hardware prototype of a meteorological monitoring system as free and open source hardware with focus on citizen science. The system is called Estações Meteorológicas Modulares (EMM, from Portuguese Modular Meteorological Stations). Affordability and reachability of materials and ease of remix were criteria considered in the development of this project. All the programs used in the development are free software. One of the elements developed, the control board of the EMM, is considered satisfactory in terms of: the parameters it enables to measure, the functionalities of communication and register of data, and the possibility of inclusion of new sensors.. The resulting solution to the mechanical structure of the EMM is low cost, affordable to schools and neighborhood associations, and is easy to adapt to different conditions of installation. The whole cost of the system is lower than proprietary amateur alternatives and significantly lower than proprietary professional solutions. Reachable and affordable solutions to some elements of the EMM still need some deeper testing. Some of the tools used to produce the control board still need a broader dissemination among the society in order to ensure the reachability and affordability of the EMM system. The work development registers were made as open documentation by means of open laboratory notebooks. The EMM fabrication, mounting and installations activities were made as collaborative methods called Encontros de Fabricação Colaborativa (from Portuguese, Collaborative Fabrication Gatherings) and Mutirões of the EMM. The result of this work, merging the documentation, the register of collaborative methods of fabrication, mounting and installations, and the consolidated workshops of the EMM project, are synthesized in the EMM Community Guide. This is a script to the ones who want to make part and expand the collaborative environmental monitoring network with the EMM, and it is based in educational activities to comprehend the different elements of the tool and to promote the technological emancipations. One of the EMM was compared to an official automatic meteorological station from Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia (INMET, from Portuguese Meteorology National Institute). In this comparison, the temperature and atmospheric pressure measurements showed differences lower than the accuracy of the sensors used, and the relative air humidity presented a difference higher than the accuracy of the sensor. This was the first step to validate the EMM.

Foi desenvolvido um protótipo de hardware de sistema de monitoramento meteorológico como tecnologia aberta e livre e voltado para a ciência cidadã, chamado de Estações Meteorológicas Modulares (EMM). Foram considerados critérios de acessibilidade dos materiais e facilidade de modificação no desenvolvimento do projeto. Todos os programas utilizados no desenvolvimento são softwares livres. Um dos elementos desenvolvidos, a placa de controle das EMM, possibilita medir diferentes parâmetros meteorológicos, além de realizar o registro dados e envio para um servidor. Também possibilita a inclusão de novos sensores. Por todos esses fatores, é considerada satisfatória quanto a sua funcionalidade. A estrutura mecânica das EMM atingiu um patamar de preço acessível a indivíduos e organizações como escolas e associações de moradores de bairro, e apresenta fácil adaptabilidade a diferentes condições de instalação. O custo total do sistema ficou abaixo de alternativas proprietárias amadoras e significativamente abaixo de alternativas proprietárias profissionais. Soluções acessíveis para alguns elementos da EMM ainda requerem testes mais aprofundados. Parte das ferramentas utilizadas na fabricação da placa de controle ainda carece de maior disseminação junto à sociedade para acessibilizar o sistema das EMM. Os registros de desenvolvimento do trabalho foram feitos em forma de documentação aberta por meio de cadernos de laboratório abertos. As atividades de fabricação, montagem e instalação das EMM foram feitas seguindo métodos colaborativos chamados de Encontros de Fabricação Colaborativa e Mutirões das EMM. O resultado deste trabalho, unindo as documentações, os registros dos métodos colaborativos de fabricação, montagem e instalação e as consolidadas oficinas do projeto, é sintetizado no Guia da Comunidade EMM. Este é um roteiro para quem quiser fazer parte e ampliar uma rede de monitoramento ambiental colaborativo com as EMM, e é baseado em atividades educacionais para compreensão dos diferentes elementos da ferramenta e para a emancipação tecnológica. Uma das EMM foi comparada com uma estação automática oficial do Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia (INMET). Nessas comparações, as medidas de temperatura e pressão atmosférica apresentaram diferenças menores do que a acurácia dos sensores, enquanto a umidade relativa do ar apresentou uma diferença acima da acurácia do sensor. Este foi um primeiro passo de validação das EMM. / It was developed the hardware prototype of a meteorological monitoring system as free and open source hardware with focus on citizen science. The system is called Estações Meteorológicas Modulares (EMM, from Portuguese Modular Meteorological Stations). Affordability and reachability of materials and ease of remix were criteria considered in the development of this project. All the programs used in the development are free software. One of the elements developed, the control board of the EMM, is considered satisfactory in terms of: the parameters it enables to measure, the functionalities of communication and register of data, and the possibility of inclusion of new sensors.. The resulting solution to the mechanical structure of the EMM is low cost, affordable to schools and neighborhood associations, and is easy to adapt to different conditions of installation. The whole cost of the system is lower than proprietary amateur alternatives and significantly lower than proprietary professional solutions. Reachable and affordable solutions to some elements of the EMM still need some deeper testing. Some of the tools used to produce the control board still need a broader dissemination among the society in order to ensure the reachability and affordability of the EMM system. The work development registers were made as open documentation by means of open laboratory notebooks. The EMM fabrication, mounting and installations activities were made as collaborative methods called Encontros de Fabricação Colaborativa (from Portuguese, Collaborative Fabrication Gatherings) and Mutirões of the EMM. The result of this work, merging the documentation, the register of collaborative methods of fabrication, mounting and installations, and the consolidated workshops of the EMM project, are synthesized in the EMM Community Guide. This is a script to the ones who want to make part and expand the collaborative environmental monitoring network with the EMM, and it is based in educational activities to comprehend the different elements of the tool and to promote the technological emancipations. One of the EMM was compared to an official automatic meteorological station from Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia (INMET, from Portuguese Meteorology National Institute). In this comparison, the temperature and atmospheric pressure measurements showed differences lower than the accuracy of the sensors used, and the relative air humidity presented a difference higher than the accuracy of the sensor. This was the first step to validate the EMM.

Human Development is not a term used in casual conversation, it describes the current approach used by large aide international development organizations like the United Nations; but most people are familiar with the terms “emergency relief” and “humanitarian intervention”. Emergency relief focuses on providing assistance to save lives, alleviate suffering, or protect populations; while human development uses various societal levers to improve living conditions. The United Nation has been publishing an annual report on human development since 1990 (UNDP 1990), and it is widely recognized as a consistent measure of global living conditions. Development strategies revolve around a transfer of something valuable to an aided population: education, vaccination, fertilizers, etc. In technology-based human development projects, technology artefacts (a medical record computer system, solar electrification systems, irrigation) and related knowledge (education, operation and maintenance instruction) are those valuables being transferred. The benefits of technology are specific to each economy, and dependant on how quickly technology is adapted and integrated in the local economy (Cypher & Dietz 2008). The value of ideas increases to the degree they can be shared with and used by others (Houghton & Sheehan 2000): the more knowledge is diffused and adopted, the greater its value. The success of free and open-source software exemplifies this principle, and a growing number of scholars agree that the model also applies to hardware (Balka et al. 2009; Thompson 2008). This thesis presents research on open source hardware and its knowledge-sharing approach as a means to human development. It presents a model that leverages the collaborative design methodology of open hardware for adoption of artefacts that address pressing “humanitarian technology” needs, for example, in health or education. To achieve this, critical literature reviews on open source and on technology-based human development are first done; the findings from literature are then complemented with the findings from interviews and case studies to model a sustainable deployment strategy for open source use in human development projects. Adopting the human development paradigm defined in the first Human Development Report (“HDR1990”), which aims at three people-centered aspirations: to live a long and healthy life, to be educated and to have access to resources needed for a decent standard of living (UNDP 1990). This thesis research models its deployment strategy using the Soft Systems Methodology (SSM), showing that: (a) open source hardware, like any technology used in development, can magnify effective development programs when used appropriately; (b) Dr. E.F. Schumacher’s appropriate technology principles, and P. Polak’s reinstatement, mesh very well with the open source methodology, as long as required constituents in the aided communities are taken care of (availability of electricity, internet access, technical know-how, etc.); (c) extreme affordability is particularly important for open source hardware, because a sustainable strategy is based on the belief that aided population would want to procure these artifacts if they improve their earning potential; (d) participatory human development practices work well with the open source methodology, but “solutions” must be fully verified before deployment. This document is structured in 5 chapters: introduction, literature review, research strategies, case studies and interviews, and conclusion. The appendix include three articles published on parallel work for the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) on defining a strategy for the IEEE’s use of opens source technology in their humanitarian activities. This research provides insight into the new topic of open source hardware and its proposed use in the mission critical context of international development; because entrepreneurship is a key enabler to the strategy it describes, I hope the research can support future work on that aspect.

Open Source och relaterade mjukvarukoncept och utvecklingsmodeller är vid det här laget allmänt bekanta och har varit föremål för många studier. Open Source Hardware är mindre spritt och studerat, och så även emergent teknologi som för in traditionellt industriella tekniker som 3D-printing, laserskärare, och CAD-baserade produktionsverktyg i mindre skala i hem- och hobbymiljöer. Dessa ämnen har främst studerats ur mer renodlat tekniska perspektiv, snarare än att sättas i samband i en vidare kontext. Denna kombinerar internet som infrastruktur och socialt medium för kunskaps- och resursdelning; open source-koncept; de möjligheter som tillgängligheten av mer och mer kapabel och överkomlig hårdvara byggd på öppen design bereder; och andra relaterade socio-tekniska fenomen vilka börjat framträda de senaste 5-10 åren. I denna uppsats undersöker jag denna större kontext. Uppsatsen har utförts i form av en litteraturstudie av existerande forskning inom ovanstående diskreta områden, och i den mån de finns även dess inbördes relationer. Denna kontext framträder som ett emergent paradigm kring produktion av hemelektronik, och även som exemplifierande trenden av teknologins fortsatta intåg som allestädes närvarande i våra liv och vår omgivning. Resultaten indikerar en gryende förändring i hur vi interagerar med teknik, vilka som gör det och varför, i vilka kontexter, och ett framträdande av en ny ekonomi. Jag visar på att ytterligare forskning behövs, och att perspektivet bör flyttas från att analyseras enbart i diskreta termer som teknik, open source-principer, DIY et cetera, utan även till vad som framstår som resultatet där dessa konvergerar, den naturliga konsekvensen av ett folkligt anammande av denna teknik och open source-koncept.