OSHW Company Concept Feasibility

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Rami
 
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun May 29, 2011 2:55 am

OSHW Company Concept Feasibility

Post by Rami »

I have been inspired to start up an open source hardware company but I need feedback on its feasibility.
Please read the concept below and answer the questions below it! I would really appreciate it!

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Concept Test
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Product:

The Blind Vision Project (“BVP”) is an open-source platform device that is designed to enhance the blind individual’s interaction with the environment, and potentially increase their productivity and functionality. BVP is capable of performing the appropriate perception of the surrounding environment, processing and communicating the concluded information non-visually to the user. The BVP will fulfill a technological gap that is inhibiting the blind and the community as a whole from many benefits. The hands of the user will be free and there will be no learning curve in using this device. Moreover, BVP is constructed with commonly available electronic components utilizing open-source principles; thereby resulting in low-cost of ownership and creating a community and opportunity for everyone to add their generous contributions to the project. The result is to enable the blind to run, read without braille, be aware of whom and what is around them, and get a better description of their atmosphere.

Target Market:

The end users for this product would technically be the blind, however, due to the delay involved with rules and regulations required for approval and release of this product, the initial target market would be the community of open-source product developers. In addition to hosting online forums to facilitate open-source innovation, BVP will also provide retail sales of “getting-starting” kits for developers so they can construct and customize their own units. BVP will also approach institutes of higher education to create a graduation-required project for engineering students as well.

Revenue source:

In addition to the revenue from kits sales, BVP will seek sponsorship and advertisers to provide free detailed tutorials and training programs to the product developers. Also, BVP will aid in the construction and development of customized educational laboratories and sell them to interested educational institutes and research groups. BVP will additionally seek grants for development and production.

Management team:

BVP is managed by Rami ALshafi and Joseph King. Rami ALshafi is an active member in the open-source community. He has earned his B.S. in Electrical Engineering and is currently pursuing his masters in Electrical and Computer Engineering. Joseph King has a background in journalism and he is currently pursuing his MBA.

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Feedback Questions
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1) Will you please mention three things you like about the product idea?

2) Will you please provide three suggestions for making the product better?

3) Will you please share any additional comments, questions or suggestions?

4) How likely would you be to buy a product like this, if we make it?
--Definitely would buy
--Probably would buy
--Might or might not buy
--Probably would not buy
--Definitely would not buy

5) How much would you be willing to pay for the product?

6) Where would you expect to find this product for sale?

7) Will you please add your personal comments if the product is feasible or not ?

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adafruit
 
Posts: 12151
Joined: Thu Apr 06, 2006 4:21 pm

Re: OSHW Company Concept Feasibility

Post by adafruit »

Rami wrote:I have been inspired to start up an open source hardware company but I need feedback on its feasibility.
Please read the concept below and answer the questions below it! I would really appreciate it!
just a quick update, limor and i are talking about this, and thinking, we'll post soon :)

cheers,
adafruit support, phil

adafruit
 
Posts: 12151
Joined: Thu Apr 06, 2006 4:21 pm

Re: OSHW Company Concept Feasibility

Post by adafruit »

thanks for posting, here are some thoughts on this…

first up, i think it's wonderful you're considering doing this, spending your time on it and thinking about open-source along the way. projects and efforts can change, but your intentions and spirit are fantastic.

i'm not familiar with the assistive device market for the blind. you mentioned there are rules and regulations for approval and release, i'm not sure if doing a kit or just releasing the plans gets around that if that is the goal. for the team you might want to add someone who works within the regulatory agencies or has experience with that. for funding you wrote you will seek sponsorship and advertisers to provide free detailed tutorials and training programs to the product developers. this means you'll want to add a sales person, or someone with online sponsorship and ad sales experience. for selling in to the edu market or getting grants, that's another person to consider for the team.

it's a little unclear to me what the BVP exactly is, what it does, what sensors and platform it uses and the cost of it. you wrote the BVP is constructed with commonly available electronic components utilizing open-source principles, but that's pretty general.

what current devices do this? where are they sold? for how much, etc?

cheers!
pt

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jim123e
 
Posts: 38
Joined: Sat Jan 29, 2011 12:30 am

Re: OSHW Company Concept Feasibility

Post by jim123e »

I'm not sure if this helps, but local non-profit provides radio services for the blind/disabled. http://www.mindseyeradio.org/ They xmit an encrypted signal to the blind who can then listen to the paper, grocery ads, magazines etc. I think they would be a great resource to ask what kinds of other services/technology/inventions the disabled need. This radio service is not only used for the blind, but other who can't read a paper on their own. I would imagine that such a non-profit would be able to get you in touch with some disabled people and start asking them some questions on their wants.

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