The Rise Of Open Source Hardware

Emile Petrone founded Tindie to fill a personal need. He explains, "There wasn't a marketplace for the things I was interested in," namely, DIY hardware projects for Arduino and Raspberry Pi. Existing platforms like eBay and Amazon weren't suitable. Thus, in 2012, Petrone launched Tindie, a marketplace for independent hardware creators.

Initially attracting attention from the indie hardware community, Tindie now boasts 600 inventors selling over 3,000 products globally, with clientele ranging from hobbyists to major organizations like NASA and Google. Petrone jokingly notes that NASA's purchasing department now contacts him directly.

Tindie's success mirrors Etsy's impact on the craft market; it's become the central hub for hardware enthusiasts and a key player in the maker movement. Unintentionally, Tindie also houses the world's largest collection of open-source hardware, with most sellers providing source code and documentation. This open-source focus, while unplanned, is a significant development for the hardware industry.

Unlike software, which has embraced open source for decades, hardware has lagged. However, factors like decreased component costs (partly due to the rise of smartphones) and crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter are lowering the barriers to entry for open-source hardware development.

The revenue model for open-source hardware is still evolving, addressing concerns about potential exploitation. However, the success of Arduino demonstrates that consumers often prefer supporting original creators. Tindie's sellers haven't faced significant issues, with a substantial backlog of orders. Petrone views this as a testament to a unique and burgeoning market.

Tindie represents an early indication of a larger trend. Petrone predicts significant growth in open-source hardware over the next decade, suggesting that while companies like Apple may not adopt this model, others, such as Tesla, might.

This article, originally published in Popular Science's October 2014 issue as "The Etsy Of Hardware," has been updated for this online version.

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