Week 17 Assignments

I've thinking lots during last week on what could be the real use and scenario for my final project. I thought about creating some prototypes and license them to big playground enterprises or building the frame and electronics and sell them as a finished product. In the end, neither idea seemed quite viable or attractive.

In the first case, I should spend lots of money and time to patent my idea and I'm sure I won't have funding to enter into litigation if challenged. What's then the point of patenting it as someone just starting? In the second case, I should manage manufacturing and inventory costs of a product were demand is not clear at this moment. Maybe a third option, reaching an agreement with a big company could work but I'm feeling it won't make a real difference.

During last year and a half, I've been working on smart city projects that empower citizens in some ways. How could I repurpose the playground as an empowering device? I just realized this playground could serve as a learning device for children. Instead of creating a closed device, I'd like to create an open device like Arduino. My idea is to protect the trademark once I get a final name and open the designs.

Regarding income, I'd offer programming lessons were children will be able to create and program their own games and play them with their friends. I could also sell kits for people interested to build and hack their own versions. Under this open design paradigm, people will be able to contribute and test their inventions, learning programming concepts in an easy way through API's. I'd like to make it possible to control it using Scratch, so it can reach a broader audience, enabling new teaching opportunities in other environments and places.

If people find it useful and enjoyable, I'd probably contact a small city council to install a prototype in public squares so people can interact and modify urban furniture in a novel way. Maybe then, it would be interesting to contact enterprises, with prior art and a handful of experiences under the belt.

I plan to present this project on events, calls and conferences on topics like: open design, public space, smart citizens, internet of things, ICT learning… I'd also prepare a website to share the examples developed during the workshops and then use social media to get public exposure. I believe it could be used in fablabs, makespaces and similar spaces to run children workshops.