This post isn’t about the democritization of programming bugs in software. That’s already easy to do. Let me know you how quickly I can bring down my own WordPress installation with just a couple pecks on the delete key in my config file… <eerrr.>
BUGbase with keyboard and display modules
No, this is about the BUG do-it-yourself gadget from BUG Labs.
From their site:
BUG is a collection of easy-to-use electronic modules that snap together to build any gadget you can imagine. Each BUGmodule represents a specific gadget function (ex: a camera, a keyboard, a video output, etc.). You decide which functions to include and BUG takes care of the rest, letting you try out different combinations quickly and easily. With BUG and the integrated programming environment/online community (BUGnet), anyone can build, program and share innovative devices and applications. We don’t define the final products – you do.
BUG debuted around CES 2008, and this year, at CES 2009, they announced five new BUGmodules. The BUGprojector sounds awesome, enabling the projection of a 480×320 screen (using DLP® Pico™ technology from Texas Instruments) anywhere. Another new module is BUG3g GSM, adding phone functionality and SIM card input. So, you can basically build your own custom phone with off-the-shelf hardware.
The BUGbase is an ARM-based computer running a Linux kernel and all the software is open-source. I know what you’re thinking… “An open-source, Linux-based phone. Are we talking about Android here?”
No, this is separate from Android, although there has been talk on the BUG boards about modding Android and running it on the BUGbase. But there is definitely some crossover in possible applications and customizability with important implications for the BUG Labs team and the future of their product.
Now that developers can buy an Android Dev Phone (or use a normal T-Mobile G1), many of the hobbyist applications that might have been created on the BUG can be built on Android instead. The G1 has many of the same features out-of-the-box that BUG provides in BUGmodules, including: touchscreen, keyboard, accelerometer, camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, microphone, and speaker. Of course, the G1 doesn’t have a video projector yet, but the aforementioned features cover the most common use-cases for a handheld gadget.
The BUG product initially struck me as a great toolkit for college students studying computer and electrical engineering and computer science, or even mechanical engineering. The platform is entirely open and documented, including the electrical and mechanical CAD files. As someone who studied engineering, I can say that the BUG sounds like a more exciting project than the usual programmable rolling robots I played with in school. All those robots could do is run into walls.
With the BUG, I can build a gadget that hangs around my neck, detects when I’m walking, pulls my GPS location, and searches the internet (via Wi-Fi or 3G) for nearby ice cream shops. (This search behavior is based on the following logic: if I’m moving, I’m burning calories, so I’m probably hungry, so I definitely want some ice cream.)
But with Android and the G1, we can do the same thing (at least in theory), and the phone is smaller and cheaper than a BUGbase with all the necessary modules. Plus, if I write this application and other people like it, too, I can share it with thousands, or millions, of other Android users. The Android userbase is undoubtedly many times larger than the BUG community.
It seems that BUG is up against some serious obstacles, so what do they do to carve out their own niche?
I love ideas like this that encourage creativity, play, and learning, so I hope that the BUG is successful. Here’s a few stratey suggestions:
Evolve the BUG developer environment to a point where someone like me, a non-programmer, can handle creating simple applications. At that point, the device will be accessible to kids and can serve as a enriching learning environment. This puts BUG in the neighborhood of toys like LEGO Mindstorm. Android is focused for use by professional programmers, so BUG won’t have the competition in this market segment.
Create lower-cost components. This corresponds with the above recommendation. If there were a BUGbase with a reduced feature set and a lower cost, it could be used by children and by schools.
Focus on gadget applications not served by Android and smartphones. As a generalized and versatile platform, the BUG won’t be able to compete directly against devices designed to be phones and mobile internet browsers. So, focus on the capabilities that the Android and G1 can’t touch. This includes applications using the projector module and… well, I’m not sure what else. But I’ll keep my eyes open for cool ideas and add them when I find them.
That’s all for now. Do you have any more ideas? How does the BUG stand out against Android as a platform for gadget experimentation?
