Willie Winkler
patreon
Golden Tickets update
🕑 Added 2023-04-09 10:57:33 +0000 UTCHello Patrons,
Here’s a little update about the EXIT SUIT and the release of the Golden Tickets.
As the suit is still a working prototype, we do not feel it is ready for a general open-source release quite yet. If we did, there would be a chaos of badly made, unfinished suits and grumpy people. As a result the project will suffer. The Golden Ticket system aims to encourage only competent makers and University departments to build the first suits. We hope to grow an international community and network, make progress with the design itself and improve our instructional aids for making the suit through this process.
We now do not think there will be a cost to the Golden Tickets.
I remain focused on the mission to open-source the project for individuals to produce and develop the design, and for EXIT SUIT Ltd. to retain a voice of the general direction of travel. We feel that a first round of selected ‘Golden Tickets’ are the best way to achieve this and progress the project. We hope to make subsequent production more open. Consider this first round a test run.
EXIT SUIT Ltd would like to remain with some control about the development of the project as we make it open-source, and to retain the rights to our intellectual property. Standard open-source licenses are usually created for software and are not a perfect match for our approach. We have previously applied for patent to the design and are patent pending. The plan is to be able to credit contributors to the design as it evolves.
I'm currently getting advice on some other legal implications. It would be a shame to develop something groundbreaking at my own expense, release it for free and then be held responsible for injury caused by the suits.
I do recognise it is important to act quickly. Thrill’s unexpected video generated a lot of enthusiasm and exposure for the project, and we would be wise to take advantage of it. It has jolted things into action and dramatically shortened our schedules.
While I’m finding the current delays painful, I’m confident we have the correct approach. I’ve been waiting for a long time to get this out.. Please bare with me.
Comments
While I'm sure there are going to be lots of the community developing 3D printed parts, I'm planning to push forward with ply for the main structure at the mo. Just a better material for strength, weight and the environment. Once we're past the first stages we will look at 3D printing as a way to prototype for some of the production versions of the suit.
Exactly! A very careful, step-wise release is a much better approach for something so complex and challenging like this. Can you by chance share the minimum requirements for the 3D printer? I would have the leather suite covered, because my wife is a fashion designer, who created a ton of leather bags and clothes for a high street brand in the past :-) But I am not sure about the printer yet.
