Enabling Long-tail Hardware: Bringing reproducibility to low volume device manufacture

支持长尾硬件：为小批量设备制造带来可重复性

• 批准号: 2518184
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Lancaster University
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2021 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2518184
• 关键词: Enabling; Long; tail; Hardware; Bringing

Citizen developers are becoming empowered to design new hardware solutions ranging from innovative interactive devices to IoT sensing and control systems. Yet, while there exists a plethora of software-only tools to assist such developers, there are no equivalents for tools which facilitate low volume deployment of novel hardware. This project proposes to create a set of freely available open tools and processes which others can use and build upon, to unlock the long-tail of hardware devices. The research questions this project will cover include better understanding and rectifying needs of key stakeholders in low-volume hardware manufacture, if novel tools can alleviate production risks and how such tools can be realised in the production from prototype of a real-world device produced in low-volumes. The methodology will consist of user research to better isolate the needs of key stakeholders, systems research to iterate and develop novel hardware and software to better support these needs. As well as a detailed case study of a long-tail hardware prototype taken to product using the created tools, as a means of evaluation. Anticipated contributions of this project are open, low-cost, extensible physical test tooling for embedded devices. A set of common design patterns for production test tooling, which can be made publicly available allowing for open access and configuration for specific needs. Integrated software tools capable of identifying which design patterns are applicable for given hardware designs as well as publication of research at relevant conferences and journals where appropriate.

从创新的交互设备到物联网传感和控制系统，公民开发人员正变得有能力设计新的硬件解决方案。然而，虽然存在过多的纯软件工具来帮助这类开发人员，但没有等同的工具来促进新硬件的小批量部署。该项目建议创建一套免费可用的开放工具和进程，供其他人使用和构建，以解锁硬件设备的长尾。该项目将涵盖的研究问题包括更好地了解和纠正小批量硬件制造中关键利益相关者的需求，新工具是否可以减轻生产风险，以及如何从小批量生产的真实设备的原型生产这些工具。该方法将包括用户研究，以更好地隔离关键利益攸关方的需求，系统研究，以迭代和开发新的硬件和软件，以更好地支持这些需求。以及使用创建的工具作为评估手段将长尾硬件原型带到产品的详细案例研究。该项目的预期贡献是开放的、低成本的、可扩展的嵌入式设备物理测试工具。一组用于生产测试工具的通用设计模式，这些模式可以公开提供，从而允许开放访问和配置特定需求。集成的软件工具，能够识别哪些设计模式适用于给定的硬件设计，并在适当的情况下在相关会议和期刊上发表研究成果。