Other+Project+Candidates

1) OpenSource Automation @http://www.opensourceautomation.com/

One of our team members, Scott, has been installing home automation systems for a while now. These systems allow a home owner to control anything they want in their house. The problem with these systems is that they are very expensive. OpenSource Automation aims to bring this cost down considerably. This project appeals to us because of its physical nature. Most of what we do throughout our time here only shows output of some form to your screen. This project would output to a light, toaster, or any other electrical device that is compatible with the OpenSource Automation system.

The way that we could contribute to this project is to develop a plugin for it.

2) Arduino @http://arduino.cc/

Arduino is an open source platform that includes a variety of different models. There are many different Arduino boards that can be purchased. A few examples of the different capabilities of the boards are Bluetooth capable, wireless capable, mini boards, and USB boards. The software that is written to control an Arduino board is open source.

We were very interested in Arduino because, like OpenSource Automation, the output of the system was something that you could interact with in a physical sense. The problem is that we couldn't find any open source projects that were built on top of Arduino. It is easy to find DIY instructions for a project using Arduino, like a remote control car, but no projects that use Arduino in some way that are open source.