Ethical hardware

[Stefanie]

Hi,
I would like to design a game to get younger people (12-14) interested in ethical hardware, in particular from a feminist perspective. Conceptualising critical making through environmental activism, we try to focus on the ethical entanglements of Open Hardware manufacturing, DIY culture and sustainability.

We want to encourage young citizens (aged 12 - 14) to tinker with electronics through and with rhizomatic plant structures. Because our background is in arts-based research we choose to introduce participants to this field through interactive storytelling. In a 2D game, similar to an animated graphic novel, the users can creatively speculate upon future open hardware.

I would like to make animations that portrait different activist’s work. In the game players could meet them (you) as animated avatars and learn about their (your) work. Would you be curious to contribute?

[jpearce]

Hi Stephanie - cool idea - happy to contribute both with sustainability tech examples we have done in our lab over the years if it is inclusive for males.

[Jay_ozone]

How can I contribute to the project.

[Stefanie]

Wow, yes, I would be so excited to hear about these. Are the already documented? Have you thought about making manuals? Thank you so much for your positive response!

[Stefanie]

Hi,
Thank you so much for your openess. Well, we are trying to find circuits that can be build from either fair traded electronic components or components that are easy to find (like graphite, etc…) and conductive/resistive/isolating to build circuits from that are sustainable.
But it would already be a great contribution if we could just start a conversation on your experience or expectation towards “ethical hardware” and electric components that are build from materials that are not mined in mines sponsoring civil war (conflict materials).

[Chardso]

I am so interested since the field is similar to what I am doing,here is mine.

Yeah I made mine on the plastic and just wired from the base to obtain the circuit lines.
But on the vero board it could be so nice

[Chardso]

Unfortunately I never managed to extract my image but get it from this link

building-an-fm-radio-transmitter
Aah, you mentioned something about manual,I haven’t produced any manual yet but with your support,we can collaborate and produce some to be used in guiding communities interested in the initiative.

[Stefanie]

Wow, this is great! So you only used parts from other (old) hardware? And it’s a functional radio transmittor? Really great. Yes, we can collaborate on doing a manual. I would like to do one that works digital and analog. To have it on a website, but also as pdf that can be printed on a large size paper, folded and used as a small booklet.

[Chardso]

my radio project

• Obtained some Vero boards and now working on it by printing electronic components on it such that it is easier for anyone to follow the writings and fix the components to it.
• Though I dropped for some weeks but I am hopeful to catch up.
• I will be doing that as I note down for easy writing of the manual.

[m0ss]

Thanks for bringing this up Stefanie! I am super interested in joining this conversation.
I have been experimenting with these ideas myself and also want to learn a lot more.
So far I’ve been working with various types of carbon, especially DIY activated charcoal electrodes from locally sourced biomass, along with biopolymers (banana, oats, gluten, whatever was in the dumpster that day…), clay/ceramics for various uses, various types of biomaterials + biolastics for housing and insulation, homemade conductive ink from graphite for screen printing circuits, even fungal rhizomorphs for cables. And of course a lot of e-waste upcycling / above-ground mining, especially components that are problematic to ‘recycle’ (imo all e-waste is problematic to recycle and has a massive socio-ecological footprint). Currently working on a project for easy-to make locally sourced / grown energy sources, and how to run electronics off such low and unstable power sources.
Everything is very much in experimental phase though. But I would love to talk more about these kinds of things!