Open source software -- with its emphasis on a network of programmers and developers to create and enhance the final product -- has led much of the Web 2.0 revolution. In recent years, groups of engineers are trying to apply the principles of Open Design to the development of a new kind of automobile.
Design Concept for OScar, an approach to creating a new 'open source' car platform
Projects like the Society for Sustainable Mobility/Open Source Green Vehicle (OSGV) and c,mm,n, and OScar are actively soliciting input from designers and others to create a new automotive platform. Foundational to these platforms is an open source approach to design and development, with the sharing of concepts and ideas in open forums. Also key is the use of sustainable technologies like hybrid/alternative fuel systems, lightweight chassis and suspension and so on.
OScar has released two versions of a design concept. The OSGV group released conceptual drawings of its Kernel Crossover Vehicle last fall. To date, only Holland-based C,mm,n has actually released a concept vehicle; at the Amsterdam car show last spring.
Clearly the most fundamental challenge will be in creating a successful car platform out of a non-profit design collective. The rising interest in green technologies, specifically in alternative fuels, will help but developing a commercially viable product will ultimately require long-term partnerships with industry and sources of engineering talent (e.g. universities, etc.).
Still the open source methodology continues to have an impact on the way the web works and is influencing approaches to design and development in other industries.
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