(Video) When Open Source Works In The Offline World

The introduction of open source processes continues to re-invent innovation as far as software culture is concerned, but can we see this seeping into the analogue world? Cesar Harada‘s research centers on this process. His most recent project Open Sailing explores developing a sustainable architecture for research and eventually future living conditions in the oceans.

The catch in this project is that while Harada is one of the creators of the project, many of the related projects (like Open Cooking developed in tandem with Open Sailing) have not originated from his team; their ability to collaborate (by losing certain aspects) to sustain the life of this project speaks to the very logic of those looking to adopt an open source business model.

While Harada’s work still skews to more academic and research fields, he has managed to actually give form to his research and inspire others with his ideas, so it constantly feeds into his system. The question is: can companies sustain themselves this way, and could this attitude help to provide the elasticity needed to maintain innovation during rough economic times? That is, could the borders of companies and who they collaborate with move into blurrier zones, whereby proprietary laws and ownership take a backseat to a common goal?

Below is a trailer for the project:

Open Sailing