Learning to Design and Build Open Source Hardware
My Hero’s Journey
From Indonesia to Open Source Ecology, USA
According to research, viewing your life as a type of story called the “Hero’s Journey” can help make your life feel more meaningful.
The term “Hero’s Journey” refers to a certain kind of narrative that author Joseph Campbell originally discussed in 1949. Campbell discovered that numerous ancient tales, like The Odyssey, have a same pattern after studying them from all over the world:
- The hero leaves their ordinary life to go on an adventure.
- They find friends who can help them.
- They face various challenges.
- They are changed by their experiences.
- They return home better able to help others.
1. The Hero Leaves their Ordinary Life to go on an Adventure
On the 30th June 2021 I left the sunny shores of Indonesia to embark on the adventure of a lifetime, to immerse myself in the world of open source hardware design and build. The stage set by our teacher and mentor Marcin Jakubowski, founder of Open source Ecology (OSE) in Maysville, Missouri for the six month long OSE apprenticeship program outlined in meticulous detail awaited me and other participants in the program.
The Summer of Extreme Build 2021 would also form part of the apprenticeship program where we would be joined by individuals who would take part in specific design and build sessions of the hardware of their choice.
Armed with nothing more than enthusiasm and a plane ticket, I left Indonesia as the COVID 19 pandemic was drawing to a close, eager to unravel the secrets of open source hardware design and build. Little did I know this journey would have me conquering 3D printers, putting together an aquaponics system, transforming raw steel into a 4 wheel tractor and even constructing a modular 3 bedroom 2 storey stick-frame house with 6KW PV panels on the roof, amongst other things.
2. They Find Friends Who Can Help Them
The days started with classes teaching me and my fellow adventurers from far-flung lands such as Sweden, Germany, the UK, the US and even Peru, the intricacies of FreeCAD, an open-source parametric 3D modeler made primarily to design real-life objects of any size. Throughout our training we would use it for all our designs.
Together we formed a merry band of comrades-in-arms, each contributing their unique quirks and talents to the tapestry of this grand OSE experiment.
3. They Face Various Challenges
Using FreeCAD we learned to design the modules that we would later build in the workshop and then later assemble into the house.
In addition to designing the Seed Eco-Home 2 modules we also found time to build the OSE D3D Universal 3D printer the plastic-spewing marvel in a weekend workshop. The hum of the machines was a symphony of victory and high-fives were exchanged all round with my international allies reinforcing the notion that my Hero’s Journey was indeed a collaborative endeavor which is central to all open source projects.
We proceeded to build an aquaponics greenhouse complete with fish tank, water and air pumps and growing towers suspended above the fish tank. Fish and plants in perfect symbiotic balance, it was a beautiful thing to behold.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nx0gBsq0H6U Tractor build timelapse video
The 4-wheel tractor followed suit, a mechanical behemoth designed to conquer fields and be the backbone of construction. It was a thing of beauty to behold, driven by hydraulics and hooked up to a modular OSE power cube, the driving force. With wrenches clashing and welding torches flaming we put it all together from FreeCAD design to physical beast, alive and wheels spinning, banishing all self doubt. We had this, we could do it!
The pièce de résistance awaited in the form of the 1000-square-foot, two-story stick-frame house — a modular masterpiece. FreeCAD blueprints unfolded like a roadmap to utopia, and each module clicked into place, transforming digital design into tangible reality. The Seed Eco-Home 2 stood tall, a testament to collective creativity and open-source ingenuity.
The Seed-Eco Home series would go on to be the bedrock financing model for the open source hardware revolution (see also: The Revolution will not be Financed)
Other projects we were engaged in, were the following:
- The large 3D printer build 4ft by 4ft by 4ft
- The waste plastic grinder
- The plastic filament maker
- The CNC torch table
- The OSE Power Cube
4. They are Changed by Their Experiences
Amidst the dust, the nuts, bolts, screws and the sound of hand drills whining in the workshop, I discovered something far more precious — the camaraderie forged in the glow of the welding torch of creativity, laughter echoing through the workshop, cultural exchanges taking place in our evenings of rest, friendships bloomed. In this global melting pot, the real magic of this Hero’s Journey lay not just in conquering the machines but in building connections.
Sweden contributed the Swedish culture of safety to our designs, Germany brought engineering prowess, the UK added a dash of eccentricity, the USA infused a spirit of innovation, and Peru contributed a flavor of South American passion. Together, we formed a fellowship of open-source hardware enthusiasts, united by a common purpose and a shared love for FreeCAD and open collaboration.
As the six-month odyssey drew to a close, I looked back at the trail of CAD files, prototypes, and laughter. The machines stood as tangible proof of my journey, but the real treasures were the memories and friendships now etched in the annals of open source hardware history.
The Hero’s Journey had transformed me from a novice to a machine designer and builder maestro, from a solo traveler to a global citizen of the open source hardware realm. And as I bid farewell to the United States and my newfound friends, I knew that my journey had only just begun. Armed with knowledge, friendships, and a newfound love for FreeCAD, I set sail for Indonesia, carrying the spirit of open source hardware design and build in my heart and at the tips of my fingers.
5. They Return Home Better Able to Help Others
The final stage of any hero’s Journey is the return home better able to help others. This hasn’t yet been achieved. I have yet to return to my home continent Africa to spark the start of the open source hardware revolution. Creating Open Source Ecology Africa (OSEA) the pan-African organisation that will facilitate the creation of affiliates in all of the 55 states of Africa.
Imagine all the 55 states of Africa united by a common goal of collaboration and distributed African Enterprise creating an economy of abundance where there is enough for everyone.
To get involved or to get trained or if you’re interested in the Seed Eco-Home you can contact OSE here: Seed Home Interest Form.
