Many thanks for providing this opportunity!
1. Name of applicant
Apertus - Association supporting open and free audiovisual media and technology / Verein zur Förderung offener und freier audiovisueller Medien und Technologie
We are a non profit association.
2. Email address (or preferred and reliable way of official contact)
team [at] apertus [dot] org
3. What track are you applying to? (select one):
Established Project Track (complete questions 4-18)
4. Tell us about your project in one or two sentences
AXIOM is an open hardware (OSHWA certified: AT000001) and free software modular high end imaging platform that allows high performance image acquisition, image analysis and recording for cinematography, scientific imaging, computational photography, industrial vision, etc… The electronics are finished and in production - in the scope of this project we want to elevate the aluminum camera enclosure from prototype to production stage.
5. Describe your project goals and how you expect to achieve them
Background
AXIOM is a community project and was born by users fed up with proprietary black box solutions. That community formed to create radically different philosophy tools that are accessible and adaptable. Applications range from professional film production to research and development purposes as well as industrial vision and computational photography - projects that require high resolution, high performance imaging and image analysis/processing. See further case studies: AXIOM Beta/Case Studies - apertus wiki
This particular project
AXIOM Beta Compact Enclosure
Concept: https://www.apertus.org/sites/default/files/AXIOM%20Beta%20CP%20Enclosure_0.png
Actual prototype:
We have a second generation prototype of the AXIOM Beta Compact camera enclosure ready (see prototype here: https://www.apertus.org/axiom-team-talk-15-1-axiom-beta-compact-enclosure-cnc-milled-metal-prototype-article) and want to now design the last remaining components and apply the remaining finishing touches and optimizations to the existing ones with the help of an experienced precision mechanical engineer to prepare for and to start a small volume production of the enclosure and release all files and documentation. We have a manufacturing partner already at hand that also built the two prototype generations. The enclosures produced in the small volume production run will be handed out to early adopters and community members to collect feedback and derive potential improvements. After they have received the enclosures we want to learn what users were able to do with their AXIOM Betas.Collected feedback will be evaluated to improve the enclosure design or add new components/accessories to it.
DIY Injection Molding
We also want to improve a DIY manufacturing approach evolving around making injection molding more accessible to maker communities with high temperature resin 3d printed cast molds. Normally injection molding is only viable for industrial high volume productions because the casting molds are very expensive to produce. By using an SLA 3D printer and a high temperature resin we were experimenting with producing molds for injection molding for a fraction of the price already.
Image:
https://www.apertus.org/sites/default/files/Injection_Moulding_02-small.jpg
We already prototyped this and shared the progress in a previous AXIOM Team Talk episode: https://www.apertus.org/axiom-team-talk-14-3-injection-moulding-axiom-remote-socials-metal-smelting-article where we showed how we injection molded a custom heat sink with a special heat-conducting graphite-compound-plastic but in the end had to use a CNC milled aluminum cast mold because the 3D printed one could not withstand the full pressure of the injection mold process (and this particular material required even more injection force than softer plastics). Now we want to return to improving the strength/stability of the 3D printed mold approach.
6. Approximately how many people would be working on your project?
2-3 (Phase 1)
4-6 (Phase 2)
7. Describe how your oranganisa will create and manage collaboration with others.
We run a number of communication platforms and channels to encourage collaboration and contribution but also to update community members and contributors on recent progress, next steps and lessons learned and provide a platform for individual meetings and chats as well.
For example we run weekly IRC team meetings on our public channel where everyone is asked to share progress and next steps. Everyone can participate and ask questions. We also use phabricator for task and issue management and communication related to these topics. We use several mailing lists (general team, community and topic related sublists) and social media platforms (mastodon, twitter, etc.).
8. Does your project have representation for a marginalized demographic due to factors such as race, ability, place of birth, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic class situation or other identification? If so, how?
No, but we generally do not discriminate based on any of the above mentioned terms in our community.
9. What resources / infrastructure do you currently have to support your project?
We use:
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wiki to share and edit technical documentation collaboratively: https://wiki.apertus.org/
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task/issue management system to organize tasks and projects: https://lab.apertus.org/
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onshape.com for collaborative CAD editing and sharing of CAD models/drawings
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github as code repository: https://github.com/orgs/apertus-open-source-cinema (some developers also use it for issue tracking and releases) and also to store/share hardware design files (also 3d models) and drawings/CAD models of mechanical parts
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a custom developed browser based CAD component viewer to make looking at parts more enjoyable: AXIOM 3D Viewer (sources: https://github.com/apertus-open-source-cinema/cad-3d-viewer)
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IRC for weekly team meetings and live chat: https://www.apertus.org/irc-chat
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our main website where we share projects news posts and development updates https://www.apertus.org/
10. What will you use the funds for? Describe your budget. List what you are going to spend it on and how.
Phase 1:
Our team members will design the last remaining mechanical parts (eg. connector side plate) and have everything reviewed by an experienced precision engineer professional we will hire. Once all the drawings and manufacturing instructions are approved we will send off the manufacturing order to our chinese CNC manufacturing partner. Production will typically take 5-6 weeks, then we will receive parts back and evaluate their quality and test-assemble a few camera enclosures.
In parallel we will pursue the DIY injection molding tasks and create new fixtures for allowing the 3D printed mold shapes to withstand higher pressure, we can do this entire process inhouse and do not require new equipment, just new high temperature SLA resin.
| Cost Category | Details | Estimated Cost in USD | Why it’s needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| personnel | hire experienced precision engineer for CAD drawing review & finishing touches | $ 800 | to prepare all designs for manufacturing |
| subcontracts | mechanical production (materials, small volume CNC milling, anodizing and sandblasting) | $ 3,500 | to manufacture the mechanical components |
| supplies | high temperature SLA Resin, raw material and parts for the mold shell | $ 300 | to 3D print injection molds and prepare injection mold process |
| total | $ 4,600 |
11. How will you share the outcomes of your project? What documentation will you provide so that it will benefit the community as a whole? (videos? photos? a how-to?)
We will document all enclosure parts (with photos & drawings) and the assembly process/how-to on our wiki.
We will do a new AXIOM Team Talk video episode about the progress of the enclosure, the GOSH grant and the changes/additions (see previous episodes here: AXIOM Team Talk Episodes - apertus wiki)
In AXIOM Team Talk episode 15.1 we covered the first enclosure prototype: AXIOM Team Talk Volume 15.1 - YouTube
The new team talk episode will also be released in an accompanying news post on https://www.apertus.org/ also featuring more photos and explanations.
12. How will your project address GOSH’s values of diversity and inclusion?
We seek to democratize film-making and the technology for film-makers as well as science with open hardware tools and the modular approach to extend and adapt the AXIOM for any digital image acquisition and image processing approach. We believe we enable many people to work in these fields and on such projects that way - finding new ways to approach creative expression and scientific applications/challenges.
The AXIOM Beta enclosure we want to push from prototype to small batch production in this particular project adds an extremely important protection layer around the electronics which allows the AXIOM to become a field device instead of a lab equipment. This opens up the usage in many new applications and projects.
We are constantly encouraging female and non binary developers/students from all social backgrounds to do remote internships no matter where they are located in our organization. Fruitful collaborations have already happened that way participating in Google Summer of Code and independent remote internships. We regularly do outreach related activities in this regard as well (eg. student unions, local or topic related online communities). In general we are very interested in how we can encourage and ensure more diversity in our community and participated and ran several workgroups and events in this regard (e.g. at the Google Summer of Code mentor summit or surrounding events). We tour Maker Faires or maker oriented events in central Europe where we particularly also offer hands-on-workshops to get females and non binary people interested in soldering SMT electronics.
13. Are there any conflicts of interest that you wish to declare?
no.
14. Describe your experimental plan, including any new technologies or tools to be developed.
For the AXIOM Beta Compact enclosure finishing touches and manufacturing no new technologies or tools need to be developed.
For the DIY injection molding method we are pioneering a new way how makers and small businesses can produce plastic and plastic compound parts in low volumes at low cost. Something that was not possible before and required high cost tooling and considerable large volume productions for injection molding to become economically viable for makers and small businesses.
We will publish lessons learned, best practice guides and progress reports about the method and make them publicly available, no new software tools are required.
15. How will the work you describe be performed within the budget and time period allocated for the initial Phase I award? This should include project work time, ramp up and required reporting.
Core team members will cover finishing the CAD designs of the missing mechanical components in the first of three months phase 1 length. The reporting, creating and releasing of documentation and promotion material will be done in the last of the 3 month phase 1 grant period and will also be covered by the core team in their volunteering time. The review of the CAD drawings and models will be done by a hired professional precision engineer who estimated the required work to be in the range of 10h and charges 80$/h. This will happen right at the beginning for the finished CAD designs and after the first month when the last parts are done at the latest to leave enough time for manufacturing.
The cost estimate for the manufacturing subcontracting is based on the experience and cost of previous orders at that particular company for prototypes we had manufactured there (if the new order price turns out to be higher we will cover the difference with our own funds). This manufacturing run typically takes 3-4 weeks until we have the finished parts in hand.
Pushing the DIY injection mold method and creating documentation and sharing it will also be covered by core team members in their volunteering time and the required expenses here are only for material and supplies. This will probably take 2 to 3 intensive work sessions of one day each and can happen in parallel to any of the before-mentioned tasks/work.
16. What essential milestones will you generate during your Phase I award?
Milestone 1: enclosure CAD designs finalized and reviewed (ready for production).
Milestone 2: Enclosure component production complete and component shipped/received
Milestone 3: DIY injection mold process tested, reviewed, documented and shared
17. If Phase I is successfully completed, what are the next steps?
We will improve the designs of the Compact enclosure part designs based on the collected early adopter feedback (phase 1). Phase 1 therefore significantly allows us to grow our community and bring new collaborators and contributors into the project.
Next we want to design an enclosure for the AXIOM Recorder and a few more accessories to mount both devices together. The AXIOM Recorder enables recording of uncompressed 4K raw footage to solid state media and integrates a Linux embedded device and M.2 PCIe SSD. Ergonomics play a key role here with the enclosure and mount points as well as weight distribution.Previous ergonomics workgroup meetings have laid a foundation for the work to be conducted now: https://www.apertus.org/node/484 .
Image: https://www.apertus.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/ergonomics-workshop-nov2017-8.jpg
Image: https://www.apertus.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/ergonomics-workshop-nov2017-6.jpg
Here are previous concepts for the AXIOM Recorder and the combination with the AXIOM Beta, the hardware for the AXIOM Recorder is much more concrete now and slightly smaller than originally anticipated so a slightly smaller/lighter recorder enclosure is possible, cooling and ventilation need to be considered and addresses though in Phase 2.
Image: https://www.apertus.org/sites/default/files/image2_0.jpg
Phase 2 would allow us to undertake the CAD design, create 3D printed prototypes and once validated start a small volume production to distribute the AXIOM Recorder and accessories to community and early adopters. Again this is a major driving factor for the project as handing out hardware invites, encourages and enables new people to contribute as they now have hardware to do so.
In addition we also want to finished the electronics, software and enclosure for the AXIOM Remote (AXIOM Remote - apertus wiki): An open hardware human interface device to control the AXIOM and also potentially many other USB connected devices (everything is designed to be as compatible and generic as possible). Current AXIOM Remote enclosure concept is shown in the following image and we already developed 2 generations of electronics hardware that go into the AXIOM Remote. We have written software for GUIs and button/knob interaction and external interfaces and also collaborated with international students in Google Summer of Code on this software development in and around the AXIOM Remote.
Image: https://www.apertus.org/sites/default/files/images/image4.jpg
Here is an interactive web-based 3D representation of the AXIOM Remote:
https://apertus-open-source-cinema.github.io/AXIOM-Remote/
The same firmware running on the actual embedded device is also driving the LCD and button interactions and GUI menus in this online simulator.
In phase 2 we want to finish the CAD designs of the aluminum CNC milled 2 part enclosure assembly, review the CAD drawings and designs and manufacture a small volume batch. The semi transparent button caps used in the above concept would be envisioned to be made from silicon rubber through the DIY injection mold process we want to pioneer in phase 1. In phase 2 we also want to finish the electronics hardware design adaptions to fit the enclosure. Again we want to produce a small batch of AXIOM Remote hardware and enclosure mechanical parts and distribute them to early adopters and community to collaboratively work on the firmware/software and incorporate improvements iteratively. This again grows our community and enables new developments and contributors.
18. Please include a brief breakdown of allowable direct costs under the following categories: personnel, supplies, subcontracts, travel, and other expenses (equipment).
| Cost Category | Details | Estimated Cost in USD | Why it’s needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| personnel | hire experienced precision engineer for CAD drawing review & finishing touches | $ 800 | to prepare all designs for manufacturing |
| subcontracts | mechanical production (materials, small volume CNC milling, anodizing and sandblasting) | $ 3,500 | to manufacture the mechanical components |
| supplies | high temperature SLA Resin, raw material and parts for the mold shell | $ 300 | to 3D print injection molds and prepare injection mold process |
| total | $ 4,600 |