Making hardware startups becomes easier.
The computer revolution, without changing Moore’s law, has changed our world over the past three decades . Computing technology continues to turn our ideas about what should be work, rest, communications, the economy and in general our entire civilization. However, the “useless” services have recently appeared more and more (photocams with geolocation), and for me this is a sign that the marginal utility of computer technology is beginning to decrease.
Is it not time for the next technological order, which will bring the civilization of humans to a new level? Judging by the interest on the part of states and large corporations (aka Google ), and simply from the point of view of personal convictions, bioengineering and robotics can become the basis of a new technological order. Unless, of course, a technological singularity suddenly comes!
')
Computers and the Internet are well able to automate human brain activity, and, where possible, they can even replace it. The task of robots in our understanding is to transfer this automation to the real world in order to save man from unnecessary physical labor.
In the narrow sense, a robot is a human - like device, possessing intelligence or capable of replacing a person when performing certain actions.
In a broad sense, a robot is an automatic autonomous machine capable of independently making and implementing decisions at a physical level in certain classes of situations for which it is intended to function. If simpler, then the robot is any machine that
a) makes decisions
b) embodies them in the real, physical world
Smart home is a robot. Home robot vacuum too. Autopilot on the plane, robotic gearbox, cruise control - all these are robots.
In this terminology plug (I foresee a lot of holivars!) There is a philistine middle - the word “robot” most people understand is a physically autonomous device. That is, cruise control is not a robot, but Curiosity, iRobot, Aibo, Terminator - of course, robots.
There is another interesting tendency in robots surrounding objects: if the device has become undoubtedly useful and firmly used, it starts to lose the prefix "robot". So, for example, iRobot products are already called simply “vacuum cleaner”, and no “robot vacuum cleaner” at all. If this is easier and still robots replace conventional vacuum cleaners, why suffer?
Robots have existed for a long time, but they have not yet become the basis of our technological structure. This will happen when, by analogy with computers, robots will become widespread and begin to significantly change everyday life and business. Any idea of a robot can be physically embodied, but usually it is a complex, expensive and lengthy process.
Fortunately, the world is changing and changes have come to the sphere of robotics, which allow us to quickly create new products:
I, a member of several of the web startups, obviously work with iron has become lean . It is no longer necessary to write and refine TZ for months, register the technical process, look for “windows” in the machine tool busy schedule and only receive a result a year later. It still seems incredible, but just think about it - nothing prevents you from taking and prototyping almost all the details of a car, plane or even a spacecraft in terms that you have never dreamed of!
The beauty of today's situation is that version after version can improve your product by collecting feedback from the market and testing it on the go instead of a long and often inefficient process of thinking through all the little things . And if nutrient broth for startups appeared in various coworkings, hackspaces become the centers of iron start-ups (the most famous graduate of the first American hackspeys is MakerBot , recently sold for $ 403 million ). Here is another good hackspace video on TEDe.
For nearly a decade , hackerspaces have been spread all over the world, and their number on the official website of the movement has exceeded 1,100 (here is the map ). If you digress once again to terminology, then it should be noted that hackspaces are also called makerspaces or makerlabs, FabLabs and TechShop's, there are not many differences between them .
Our contribution to the achievement of technological singularity
Next, I will talk about our fully private project Navigator campus , so who is not going to do hardware startups can scroll to the last paragraph, the rest, it seems to me, would be useful. We built the first phase of the campus with our own money during the fourth quarter of 2013 and the other day (in the fair) we open the doors for the first tenants.
In short, the first stage is a large (1200 sq. M.) Hakspace with offices, parking, cafes and space for events. When designing it, we focused on the fact that every detail of a hackspace worked to speed up the process of creating new iron startups:
The campus has an angel fund Gravizapa, which invests in iron start-ups, that is, for the very best, the campus acts as a hardware accelerator. You can agree on investments, come for half a year, work with the whole team in hardcore intensive mode (nothing distracts) and get the maximum result. Some come without investment, because the change of scenery, unique communication and infrastructure are attractive in their own right, and the cost of travel / accommodation in Kazan is quite low. We placed the campus on the border of the sleeping area precisely for reasons of transport accessibility and low cost of living in the immediate vicinity.
I have seen many hackspaces in which the word “startup” is considered abusive, so the development goes “to the table” and, at best, becomes an article in the blog. This is not about us! Want to put your product in every home - sell! If you do what you love, then chances are that someone else will like it. And in a market economy, you get paid for doing things that are popular with other people!
In general, now there are two options for how to make your hardware startup. “Themselves with a mustache,” long, boring and with ordinary chances for a result, or on campus, quickly, intensively and with the support of the same entrepreneurs from iron, due to which the chances of success, of course, increase.
A few more renders from this fantastic place:
In the next posts we will talk about our projects and projects of companies that have already joined us. Now more than half of the campus is already taken, but we will always find some room for cool guys, even if our team will have to work on the floor because of this!
And finally, a little futuristic. Our world of the future is a world in which robots make robots and faithfully serve people building houses, paving roads, mining ore, producing goods and food. Physical labor will become something like the maintenance of your own vegetable garden, that is, an activity for the soul and, an opportunity to train your temporal body. We are moving to this world and doing a lot to bring it closer.
I recommend reading by sabzh:
Who and when will blow up the robotics market
Wearable electronics
Campus is first of all a community, therefore, those who did not dare to immediately accept our invitation and come, I urge you to join our Vkontakte , Facebook groups, and also subscribe to our new blog on Habré
Is it not time for the next technological order, which will bring the civilization of humans to a new level? Judging by the interest on the part of states and large corporations (aka Google ), and simply from the point of view of personal convictions, bioengineering and robotics can become the basis of a new technological order. Unless, of course, a technological singularity suddenly comes!
')
Computers and the Internet are well able to automate human brain activity, and, where possible, they can even replace it. The task of robots in our understanding is to transfer this automation to the real world in order to save man from unnecessary physical labor.
In the narrow sense, a robot is a human - like device, possessing intelligence or capable of replacing a person when performing certain actions.
In a broad sense, a robot is an automatic autonomous machine capable of independently making and implementing decisions at a physical level in certain classes of situations for which it is intended to function. If simpler, then the robot is any machine that
a) makes decisions
b) embodies them in the real, physical world
Smart home is a robot. Home robot vacuum too. Autopilot on the plane, robotic gearbox, cruise control - all these are robots.
In this terminology plug (I foresee a lot of holivars!) There is a philistine middle - the word “robot” most people understand is a physically autonomous device. That is, cruise control is not a robot, but Curiosity, iRobot, Aibo, Terminator - of course, robots.
There is another interesting tendency in robots surrounding objects: if the device has become undoubtedly useful and firmly used, it starts to lose the prefix "robot". So, for example, iRobot products are already called simply “vacuum cleaner”, and no “robot vacuum cleaner” at all. If this is easier and still robots replace conventional vacuum cleaners, why suffer?
Robots have existed for a long time, but they have not yet become the basis of our technological structure. This will happen when, by analogy with computers, robots will become widespread and begin to significantly change everyday life and business. Any idea of a robot can be physically embodied, but usually it is a complex, expensive and lengthy process.
Fortunately, the world is changing and changes have come to the sphere of robotics, which allow us to quickly create new products:
- Components are easily available and cheap and the alibaba.com range will satisfy almost any component need.
- New ideas are quickly embodied , incredible 3D printing possibilities for prototyping have appeared, cheap and simple CNC machines, any subject literature is available.
- Virtually any necessary competencies have become available , the Internet helps to reach a person with the most exotic knowledge, local communities are created and a global exchange between them is established.
- Production capabilities are easily scaled , the Chinese will produce 100, 1000 or 100 000 copies of the device, there would be money.
- The market is easily tested , we throw an application for a kickstarter and collect millions. Or we fail and do not waste our life on an unnecessary product.
- Promotion channels work faster , order from the website via the Internet can be obtained on the very first day, partnership with other Internet companies is developing quickly and easily.
- Newbies get a bonus , because from the point of view of the average person, hard-hander startups are obviously well done and should be supported!
I, a member of several of the web startups, obviously work with iron has become lean . It is no longer necessary to write and refine TZ for months, register the technical process, look for “windows” in the machine tool busy schedule and only receive a result a year later. It still seems incredible, but just think about it - nothing prevents you from taking and prototyping almost all the details of a car, plane or even a spacecraft in terms that you have never dreamed of!
The beauty of today's situation is that version after version can improve your product by collecting feedback from the market and testing it on the go instead of a long and often inefficient process of thinking through all the little things . And if nutrient broth for startups appeared in various coworkings, hackspaces become the centers of iron start-ups (the most famous graduate of the first American hackspeys is MakerBot , recently sold for $ 403 million ). Here is another good hackspace video on TEDe.
For nearly a decade , hackerspaces have been spread all over the world, and their number on the official website of the movement has exceeded 1,100 (here is the map ). If you digress once again to terminology, then it should be noted that hackspaces are also called makerspaces or makerlabs, FabLabs and TechShop's, there are not many differences between them .
Our contribution to the achievement of technological singularity
Next, I will talk about our fully private project Navigator campus , so who is not going to do hardware startups can scroll to the last paragraph, the rest, it seems to me, would be useful. We built the first phase of the campus with our own money during the fourth quarter of 2013 and the other day (in the fair) we open the doors for the first tenants.
In short, the first stage is a large (1200 sq. M.) Hakspace with offices, parking, cafes and space for events. When designing it, we focused on the fact that every detail of a hackspace worked to speed up the process of creating new iron startups:
- We make the component base more accessible , we create an online store for robotics , and we place the warehouse directly on campus, so that delivery across Russia is possible within a couple of days. Here in this post , for example, the author writes that he had been waiting for a package with components for a whole month, which, of course, affected the development timeframe. The cost of components for tenants will be reduced almost to cost.
- Accelerate prototyping , laser cutting machine available, 3D ABS FDM printers (Replicator, Up !, Nova3 development), 3D photopolymer printers (Form, own development), 3D scanner (Digitizer), SMT installer, SMT shareholder and a lot tools.
- Competences are more accessible , because a hackspace center is a big table for 10 people + 6 separate workplaces in rooms + 120 specialists of different profiles (from entrepreneurs and designers to highly specialized electronics engineers) in the office center. Ask any questions and be sure to get answers to them.
- Production is closer , every company that rents premises to us produces something. We are establishing contacts with production sites and now we can quickly start production in Perm, Tomsk, China. Here in this post covers the process of removing the product into production.
- Testing the market can be carried out on kickstarter and analogues, our partners will help to make everything faster and cheaper!
- Sales channels more affordable. We know how and where to start supplying iron products, on campus we can help you make landing pages, reach distributors, electronics stores, online stores, and so on.
- A novice team with an interesting project can get two weeks of free rent (up to 4 jobs) to assess the campus infrastructure (you can live in a hostel nearby). By the way, this is a serious offer;)
The campus has an angel fund Gravizapa, which invests in iron start-ups, that is, for the very best, the campus acts as a hardware accelerator. You can agree on investments, come for half a year, work with the whole team in hardcore intensive mode (nothing distracts) and get the maximum result. Some come without investment, because the change of scenery, unique communication and infrastructure are attractive in their own right, and the cost of travel / accommodation in Kazan is quite low. We placed the campus on the border of the sleeping area precisely for reasons of transport accessibility and low cost of living in the immediate vicinity.
I have seen many hackspaces in which the word “startup” is considered abusive, so the development goes “to the table” and, at best, becomes an article in the blog. This is not about us! Want to put your product in every home - sell! If you do what you love, then chances are that someone else will like it. And in a market economy, you get paid for doing things that are popular with other people!
In general, now there are two options for how to make your hardware startup. “Themselves with a mustache,” long, boring and with ordinary chances for a result, or on campus, quickly, intensively and with the support of the same entrepreneurs from iron, due to which the chances of success, of course, increase.
A few more renders from this fantastic place:
In the next posts we will talk about our projects and projects of companies that have already joined us. Now more than half of the campus is already taken, but we will always find some room for cool guys, even if our team will have to work on the floor because of this!
And finally, a little futuristic. Our world of the future is a world in which robots make robots and faithfully serve people building houses, paving roads, mining ore, producing goods and food. Physical labor will become something like the maintenance of your own vegetable garden, that is, an activity for the soul and, an opportunity to train your temporal body. We are moving to this world and doing a lot to bring it closer.
I recommend reading by sabzh:
Who and when will blow up the robotics market
Wearable electronics
Campus is first of all a community, therefore, those who did not dare to immediately accept our invitation and come, I urge you to join our Vkontakte , Facebook groups, and also subscribe to our new blog on Habré
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/209594/
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