Jubilee: A Case Study of Distributed Manufacturing in an Open Source Hardware Project

Abstract

Manufacturing machines is a challenging task. High-volume sales can offset costs of production, but niche products struggle with viability. Distributed production—having people build their own niche products—is a possible alternative. We examine the Jubilee project, an Open Source Hardware machine with tool changing capability and multiple end effectors designed for distributed production using off-the-shelf and digitally fabricated parts. Since Jubilee’s 2019 release, we track its adoption, its online community, and people who have successfully built it. Through analysis of the Jubilee project including 170+ Jubilees built in the wild, interviews with 12 Jubilee builders, and its Github, Discord server, and Wiki, we investigate what aspects helped people produce complex hardware on their own and how they strengthened the design of the product in turn. We find that while self-production is challenging, it can be a viable alternative to traditional hardware manufacturing. Finally, we discuss recommendations for self-produced Open Source Hardware projects.