W17. Invention, intellectual property, and income
“acoustic panel by ak”
My invenction: the acoustic panel by ak is a single module for an acoustic panel that can be part of a wall or an acoustic cloud. What it does is that it opens when sound level increases at a point of 60 decibels. The piece is made based on an acoustic form designed to take the original form moving only from one point where the structure will generate movement. I also designed an structure that will hold the electronics, cables, the microcontroller motor and servo.
At this moment the project is only a prototype but I will keep working on it in order to have a license for the project. At this moment my reflections are the following:
Intellectual property: I made a reserach of similar devices as acoustic panels, acoustic clouds, acoustic wals and mechanisms to move them. I found out some inspiration in works but the design of the device is from my own inspiraton.
I decided to make other research in databases:
- I search at the USPTO Patent Full-Text and Image Database about acoustic and paneling, but I found only patent information about mechanisms for acoustic panels:
floor-to-ceiling partition wall assembly
- I have not decided how I will manage the copyrights but I am thinking in managing as a project of open source and make a registration at the Creative Commons (CC) license. The one I think I could use is the CC-BY-NC Noncomercial.
Income: I will like to continue working in the project because right now it is only a prototype. Maybe in the future when it is ready I will expect some income for the Fab Lab, and I think our first project will be to make an installation at the university. We will see what results from it.