# Key Ideas from #hplusroadmap IRC Discussion

• Open source hardware development was a central topic, with participants discussing funding models that compared bounty/prize systems (payment after completion) to partial payment approaches like Google Summer of Code, with estimated researcher costs of $50-100k/year.

• Kanzure shared a comprehensive document listing DIY transhumanist projects with funding estimates totaling $1.7 million (http://diyhpl.us/~bryan/papers/diytranshuman_projects.v4.html), demonstrating the scope of grassroots transhumanist initiatives.

• Participants explored developing an open-source Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) for approximately $2,500 (versus $20,000+ commercial versions), highlighting the potential cost savings of open hardware approaches.

• The Open Source Ecology project and Global Village Construction Set by Marcin Jakubowski was discussed as a practical approach to developing open-source industrial machines, with resources available at http://openfarmtech.org/.

• A research paper on transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) was shared as a potential "thinking cap" technology that could enhance creative development: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0016655.

• The group discussed SKDB (a package management system for hardware) and its relationship to enterprise resource planning systems, debating whether to integrate with existing systems or focus on core functionality.

• Historical parallels were drawn with the printing press, noting that its key innovations remained trade secrets for nearly a century until the first manual was published in 1540, potentially informing open-source development strategies.