Digital Twin Platform for Open Source Ecology Machines
Principal Investigator: name
Institution: Waterside Cooperative Technologies
Contact: info@watersidetech.org | www.watersidetech.org
Date: May 4, 2025
Proposed Sponsor: Open Source Ecology, National Science Foundation, or USDA SBIR/STTR Program
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Executive Summary
Waterside Cooperative Technologies proposes the development of a Digital Twin Platform tailored to Open Source Ecology (OSE) machines. This platform will create real-time, interactive virtual models of sustainable, open-source machinesβsuch as tractors, brick presses, and solar concentratorsβthat enable decentralized engineering, remote diagnostics, and collaborative R&D. Addressing a critical gap in open-source hardware, this initiative will drastically accelerate development cycles, reduce manufacturing errors, and democratize engineering knowledge globally. By combining open-source principles with digital twin simulation technology, we offer a scalable, replicable infrastructure to strengthen local manufacturing, ecological resilience, and global cooperation.
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Introduction / Background
Open Source Ecology (OSE) has championed the creation of low-cost, sustainable machines that can be built and maintained locally using widely available tools. However, the lack of advanced modeling and feedback systems impedes replication, iteration, and education. Unlike proprietary manufacturers, open-source developers lack access to real-time digital twins that simulate wear, efficiency, diagnostics, and energy flow. In a time of climate crisis and supply chain instability, this limits community resilience and technical sovereignty.
Major institutions including the NSF and the EUβs Horizon initiatives have recognized digital twins as a strategic frontier for industrial innovation, education, and decarbonization. This project aligns squarely with those goals.
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Purpose / Need Statement
There is currently no dedicated, open-source digital twin platform for sustainable, modular, open hardware like OSE machines. This absence stifles peer collaboration, slows innovation, and increases cost and complexity during fabrication. Our project fills that gap with a turnkey, interoperable system that integrates IoT, CAD, and simulation layersβwhile staying true to open knowledge and ecological ethics.
This project is timely due to:
β’ The rise in DIY/local production movements
β’ Advances in low-cost sensors and cloud infrastructure
β’ Strategic interest in open-source manufacturing for resilience
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Project Goals and Objectives
Primary Goal:
To build and pilot an open-source digital twin platform that enables simulation, monitoring, and lifecycle management of OSE machines.
Objectives:
1. Develop modular digital twin templates for at least 5 key OSE machines.
2. Integrate open hardware sensors for real-time feedback.
3. Create a web-based interface for visualization, simulation, and community input.
4. Establish API standards for interoperability with platforms like FreeCAD and KiCad.
5. Launch a knowledge commons for publishing, versioning, and teaching with twins.
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Proposed Solution / Project Description
Overview:
The platform will offer real-time simulations of open hardware toolsβsynchronized with sensor data from physical devices. Designed to be deployable in disconnected, rural, and co-op environments, it will use a modular architecture built on open standards.