Mar 06
In yet another super cool and open gesture, OpenMoko has announced that they have made the CAD files for their Neo handsets and hardware available to anyone who wants them. The aim is to promote the growth of open source products and to allow anyone to bring advancement and innovation to their system. The CAD files and associated data are available under the ShareAlike Creative Commons license and you can grab them here (NOTE: No registration required, just download!).
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written by Tyler Regas
Posts
March 6th, 2008 at 10:07 pm
Great, It is a great discovery. Wondering on what platform did they make those cad files.
March 8th, 2008 at 10:56 am
As an Industrial Designer I felt a little envy of the Open Source community of programmers when I first discovered the Neo 1973. I had just found a new attitude as well as a device that promised to cure all the problems of current handheld communications/computing devices; yet the only way I could be part of this new “ubiquitous computing” frontier would be as an early adopter or beta tester.
Since the CAD files for the first model have become available I now feel I can contribute to the Open Community myself and have as much fun as the programmers have had with the OS and applications, but with the device (I resist to call it just a phone) shape itself!
My first contribution to OpenMoko’s initiative is also possibly what most users would buy right after the phone itself; a flexible skin that fits snugly the Neo’s outer surfaces and provides a rugged feeling to either the Neo 1973 or the upcoming Freerunner (they share the same outer geometry).
I have added a new section to my website where you can view all my future concepts and accessories for any OpenMoko powered device as well as download any 3D CAD files and graphics I used to create the projects themselves under the Creative Commons license. Anyone is welcome to download actual CNC machinable Class “A” surfaces for the NeoSkin project as well as any other accessory or case design I come up for the Neos.
Best Regards,
Guillermo Sureda-Burgos | http://www.sureda.org
March 8th, 2008 at 11:05 am
That is absolutely AWESOME Guillermo! I have a very strong feeling that OpenMoko will foster a number of significant changes in the mobile industry, much like Apple’s iPhone is now. I look forward to a mobile industry which is as rich and diverse as the desktop and laptop hardware and software industry is now, where having a phone doesn’t feel like a liability. Thanks for your contribution!
March 11th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
Dear Tyler;
Thanks for the positive comments. I fully coincide with your thoughts on the future of computing, shortly most computing will not be relegated to the desktop and the new devices will take different shapes as their interfaces and uses mature.