Breaking news: Lego only days aways from launching Mindstorms as open source (CustomerMade liveblogging # 7)
The software behind the new Lego Mindstorms NXT are only “days aways” from being published as open source. Apparently Lego is right now in the final phase of finding out precisely which of the public domain licenses to use.
When released, devellopers around the world will be given the possibility of modifying the software themselves. For example, the Mindstorms software is by default only able to coordinate two of the motors of the robot at the same time. This could be changed by clever users.
Lego excepts users to be able to make considerable improvements to the software, and to implement such modifications in future official releases.
All this according to Søren Lund of Lego at the CustomerMade conference today.
About Søren Lund and Lego Mindstorms
The official conference presentation of Søren Lund and Lego Mindstorm reads: Few companies have realized the significance and potential of a product’s development sequence like LEGO has. The users were involved in earnest when the ground-breaking Mindstorm NXT robots were in the making. LEGO approached dedicated fans and asked for their help in developing the next version of the robot toys. Not alone did the users submit suggested designs, they also developed the hardware that ended up being implemented. Søren Lund will describe a development process with the users as designers; he will outline what future perspectives LEGO sees in ordinary people co-producing products, and which problems that might occur in the pipeline.
Live blogging from CustomerMade
This post is brought to you live blogging (well, this particular paragraph was actually written in advance just yesterday evening) from the The CustomerMade conference - one day of focus on usergenerated content, products and services: about how “the market itself is taking over all phases of production, from concept development and design to finished product” as the official website reads. Arranged by O’Reilly Media and Innovation Lab in corporation with Foreningen af Danske InternetMedier (my organisation) – the IAB Denmark, among others.
More posts from CustomerMade
Here’s my other posts written during the day from CustomerMade:
- Live blogging from CustomerMade (CustomerMade liveblogging #1)
- Conference webcasted (CustomerMade # 2)
- “Wellcome - and introduce yourself…” (CustomerMade liveblogging #3)
- Counterstrike: User-created versions of “Half-life” game kicks ass - popularity outnumbers official version by a factor 100+! (CustomerMade liveblogging #4)
- Lightning Talk: In for a robot-fight (CustomerMade liveblogging #5)
- Users give Mindstorms new Sensor (CustomerMade liveblogging #6)
- Breaking news: Lego only days aways from launching Mindstorms as open source (CustomerMade liveblogging # 7)
- Honey I’m on Ohmynews! (CustomerMade liveblogging # 8 )
- If American Airlines paid Steve Jobs to get ideas… (CustomerMade liveblogging # 9)
This makes no sense:
«The software behind the new Lego Mindstorms NXT are only “days aways” from being published as open source. Apparently Lego is right now in the final phase of finding out precisely which of the public domain licenses to use.»
How can it be public domain and have a license? You don’t know what you’re talking about. Free Software (also known as Open Source Software) is definitely not Public Domain. Sure they’re available to the public under certain conditions that respect users of said software, but that’s different than being in the Public Domain where anyone can grab a copy and make it proprietary.
Lego people could use the GNU GPL and GNU Lesser GPL to make it be Free Software without placing themselves at the hands of no-fair-play competitor.
The hypothetical competitor would be unable to participate without giving back
Comment by Rui Miguel Silva Seabra — Sunday, 23-04-2006 @ 01:01
Hi Rui,
Thanks a lot for your comment! Actually I wasn’t quite sure how to put the part about Public Domain, I expect you’re right in your remarks.
What Søren Lund of Lego did say was that Lego were only days away from an official announcement, that they’d make the Lego Minstorms sofware “open source”.
He lateron also told me, that the reason they hadn’t already announced it was that they still worked on figuring out what license to make it available under.
He didn’t mention what licences they are considering, but I got the understanding that
1. they’d like to “make everything available”. Remember: as long as people buy the Lego Mindstorms bricks Lego is making money. They don’t have a need to own the software all the while you really can’t use it without buying Legos bricks.
2. They might incorporate future improvements made by users in future official realeses of their software.
Best regards
Jon Lund
Comment by Jon Lund — Sunday, 23-04-2006 @ 13:52
Finally we might see mindstorms on linux. thanks lego
Comment by Nikhil — Monday, 24-04-2006 @ 04:59
You will definately see the Lego Mindstorms System’s software spreading to all sorts of OS’s.
The only thing that scares me about Lego going open source is that another offshore company will follow the schematics and design and start making a knock-off version.
Jacool
http://mindstormsnxt.blogspot.com
Comment by Jacool — Monday, 07-08-2006 @ 05:56
can you please make lego mindstorms 2.o for free download
Comment by udit — Saturday, 14-10-2006 @ 13:30