Platform Planning Framework for Open Source Hardware Development with Case Study of Project Ara

Abstract

This paper will demonstrate how to evaluate platform design for an open source hardware development project. First, the open source hardware development is investigated as a methodology that fulfills increasing demands for mass customization. In the open source hardware development, a project owner offers a platform and its sources to developers. Then independent developers separately develop and release various functional modules based on the open platform sources. The modules are compatible with the platform and both together work as a complete product. Customers will choose the platform and a set of modules which best meet their needs in the market. Second, an evaluation model for the open source hardware platform will be suggested. Developers participation is one of key factors to successful project management for the open source hardware development. Developers will consider estimated development costs and market size to make decision on participation. With all these concerns, we established a platform evaluation model for open source hardware projects in terms of how much it boosts developers participation. To build the model the modular phone development project Ara which is launched by Google is researched.