A reference portal for students, mentors, and ATL in-charges. Data has been filtered & names have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.
Rapid advances in technology has brought down the cost of technology based products and tools during the last decade. This has made such products & tools lot more affordable for the common man today. Technology has also become highly prevalent in people's lives and more and more people have access to technology tools than ever before.
For e.g., about 10-12 years ago when smartphones were still far and few, and most people didn't own one, people needed to have a camera to take photos, or a camcorder to shoot videos. However, with the advent and wide-spread adoption of smartphones today, one can take photos and videos with just their camera phones. Not only can they take photos, but they can also edit them, add frames and borders, create a collage of photos, etc. People can also stitch their video clips to create short movies that have voice-overs, sub-titles and background music. They can also share their creations with their family and friends through E-mail, Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, and other mobile apps. The smartphones have made it possible for people to create and share personalized content easily and at an affordable cost than every before.
Similarly, availability of open source hardware tools and toolkits involving Raspberry Pi and Arduino boards (credit-card sized microprocessor boards) during the last few years have made it possible for hobbyists, including school children to build interesting technology-based applications involving sensors and actuator devices very easily.
Similarly, high-end technologies as varied as Robotics, Internet of Things and Drones are becoming democratized due to greater affordability and availability of tools and toolkits that enable a layman to readily build interesting applications involving robots, sensors & actuators, and drones without having to understand how the underlying technologies work.
Likewise, manufacturing of goods and products, which was the sole domain of industrial houses is now accessible to the common man - thanks to 3D printers, laser cutters, engravers and other power tools- whose cost have fallen so drastically over the years that individuals can readily afford them and build interesting products on their own.
In addition, Internet based communication and collaboration tools have connected people from different parts of the world together and has made it possible for sharing knowledge widely with each other. This has led to the rise of do-it-yourself (DIY) culture among the tech-savvy population, who, armed with knowledge of technology and access to powerful technology tools are able to tinker with technologies, experiment and build or customize products, solutions and services on their own, which hitherto was the sole domain of high-tech firms. These DIY enthusiasts and innovating individuals are popularly called "Makers", and their do-it-yourself culture is called the "Maker Movement".
Today, the Maker Movement is dominated by the millennial generation youth with rising income levels, and who have the passion and resources to indulge in their creative interests and pursuits. These innovating users - both individuals, and organizations often share their innovations widely with other people, creating a virtual community of innovators. These people have also come together to set-up innovation eco-systems made up of Maker Spaces (centers where creative individuals come together to innovate with other individuals, often in an open and social environment), tools, resources, mentors, investors, and other essentials to make innovating accessible, affordable and easier for many others. In effect, this has led to the democratization of Innovation – by the people and for the people.
A cursory glance for the term "Maker Culture" on Wikipedia helps us understand this movement better:
"The maker movement is a contemporary culture representing a technology-based extension of DIY culture and revels in the creation of new devices or products as well as tinkering with existing ones.
Maker culture emphasizes learning-through-doing in an informal, networked, peer-led, and shared learning environment motivated by fun and self-fulfilment.
Maker culture is seen as having the potential to contribute to a more participatory approach to learning and doing that will make them more alive and relevant to participants.
The maker culture in general supports use of open-source hardware and software tools."
As we speak, several Maker Spaces are sprouting up in all major cities across the world, including in India. They are opening up a whole new way to work & innovate in an informal social setting than ever before. Anyone can join a maker space and become a maker.
True democratization is when everyone has an opportunity to participate and contribute to innovation.
If we are to take innovation and make it participative, popular, and accessible to all members within a community or an organization (democratizing in the process), it is essential to keep in mind the following aspects:
Innovating is a creative process that is at the core of our living and experience of a better life.