Qi Hardware

Qi Hardware was an open-hardware organization and company that sought to extend the copyleft principles associated with free software into the physical design of electronic devices. Its approach emphasized publishing schematics, bills of materials, printed-circuit-board layouts and related project information so that others could study, modify and redistribute the designs. The project used the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license for hardware documentation and design data, reflecting an effort to apply a share-alike model to hardware rather than treating device designs as closed intellectual property. The organization emerged from the now-defunct Openmoko project, an initiative associated with open mobile-device hardware and software. Former Openmoko participants and related open-source developers established Qi Hardware as both a community-oriented project and a company. Its identified founders were Steve Mosher, Jon Phillips, Wolfgang Spraul and Yi Zhang. The organization connected a group of open-hardware websites, developers and experimental product efforts rather than operating like a conventional mass-market electronics manufacturer. Qi Hardware's best-known product was the Ben NanoNote, a small open handheld computer designed as an accessible platform for experimentation with open hardware and software. The project also supported the Milkymist One, an open video-synthesis and digital-visual-performance device, and the Ben WPAN project, which aimed to create an openly designed wireless platform. The Elphel 353 video camera is also cited as an example of hardware associated with the broader Qi Hardware ecosystem. These projects illustrated the organization's focus on developer-accessible electronics, embedded computing, digital media and wireless experimentation. Qi Hardware was most active from approximately 2009 through 2011. Its work was significant within the early open-hardware movement because it combined physical products with the publication of the underlying design materials. Rather than positioning hardware solely as a finished consumer product, Qi Hardware treated devices as platforms that could be examined, rebuilt and extended by a wider community. The resulting products were consequently more closely associated with technical experimentation and maker or developer communities than with mainstream retail electronics. After its initial period of activity, the project became dormant. It was revived in 2019 and was subsequently renamed Qiware. In 2024, its assets were acquired by Phi, described in the reference material as a similar organization. The available material does not establish a current operating structure, headquarters, financial profile, public listing or continuing product-sales operation for Qi Hardware. Its historical importance lies primarily in its attempt to institutionalize open, shareable hardware design and to demonstrate that principle through real electronic devices.

Qi Hardware developed out of the Openmoko community and its associated open mobile-hardware work. After Openmoko became defunct, several members established Qi Hardware as an organization and company devoted to applying free-software concepts to physical electronics. The founders identified for the project were Steve Mosher, Jon Phillips, Wolfgang Spraul and Yi Zhang. The central idea was to make hardware designs available under a copyleft-style framework. Qi Hardware used the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license for key design materials, including schematics, bills of materials and printed-circuit-board layout data. This was intended to allow people to inspect, modify and redistribute the designs while requiring derivative documentation to remain available under compatible share-alike terms. The project therefore treated openness as applying not only to software running on a device but also to the physical architecture and manufacturing information needed to reproduce or adapt it. Qi Hardware operated as both a community of open-hardware websites and a producer of physical products. Its most prominent device was the Ben NanoNote, a compact pocket computer intended for open development and experimentation. The organization also released or supported the Milkymist One, an open video synthesizer aimed at digital visual performance and video-processing applications. The Ben WPAN project pursued an openly designed wireless platform, while the Elphel 353 video camera is cited as another example of hardware connected with the Qi Hardware project or ecosystem. The organization's main period of activity was approximately 2009 to 2011. During this period, Qi Hardware represented an early attempt to move open-hardware ideals beyond individual prototypes and into a coordinated product program. Its devices were aimed primarily at developers, technically sophisticated users and open-source communities rather than the mass consumer market. The projects demonstrated how openly documented hardware could serve as a platform for modification, education and further development. Following its initial active period, Qi Hardware became dormant. The project was revived in 2019 and later renamed Qiware, indicating an effort to continue or reorganize the work under a new identity. In 2024, its assets were acquired by Phi, another organization described as operating in a similar area. The available reference material does not provide enough information to determine whether Qi Hardware remains an independent operating entity, whether all projects continued after the acquisition, or what products or services are currently offered. As a result, its present corporate status is best treated as unknown.

• 2024

  Assets acquired by Phi

  [1]Qi Hardwareen.wikipedia.org

  Phi acquires Qi Hardware's assets; the reference describes Phi as a similar organization.

• 2019

  Project revival

  [1]Qi Hardwareen.wikipedia.org

  Qi Hardware is revived after its earlier dormant period.

• 2011

  Initial active period ends

  [1]Qi Hardwareen.wikipedia.org

  Qi Hardware is described as primarily active between 2009 and 2011 before becoming dormant.

• 2009

  Qi Hardware is established

  [1]Qi Hardwareen.wikipedia.org

  Former members of the Openmoko project, including Steve Mosher, Jon Phillips, Wolfgang Spraul and Yi Zhang, establish Qi Hardware as an open-hardware organization and company.

• 2009

  Copyleft hardware model is adopted

  [1]Qi Hardwareen.wikipedia.org

  The project applies a share-alike licensing approach to hardware documentation and design data, including schematics, bills of materials and PCB layouts.

Developer-oriented open hardware combining publicly shareable electronic designs with free and open software principles.

• Pocket computer

  Ben NanoNote

  The Ben NanoNote was Qi Hardware's best-known handheld computing product. It served as a compact, open development platform built around the project's broader objective of making hardware designs and software more accessible for inspection and modification. The device was aimed at open-source developers and technically oriented users rather than mainstream consumer computing markets.

• Video synthesizer

  Milkymist One

  Milkymist One was an open video synthesizer designed for digital visual performance and related video-processing experimentation. It demonstrated Qi Hardware's interest in specialized creative electronics and in publishing the design information needed for a community to study or adapt the platform.

• Wireless development platform

  Ben WPAN

  Ben WPAN was a project intended to create a copyleft wireless platform. It extended Qi Hardware's open-design approach into wireless personal-area networking and represented an effort to make the underlying wireless hardware and software more accessible to developers.

• Video camera

  Elphel 353

  The Elphel 353 video camera is identified as an example of hardware associated with the Qi Hardware project or its open-hardware ecosystem. The available reference does not establish that Qi Hardware manufactured the camera itself, so it is best understood as a related example rather than a confirmed core Qi Hardware product line.

• 2024

  Transfer of assets to PhiM&A

  Background

  Qi Hardware's assets were transferred in the context of the project's later reorganization.

  Action taken

  Phi acquired the assets of Qi Hardware.

  Aftermath

  The available reference does not specify the transaction terms, transferred projects or the resulting legal status of the Qi Hardware name.

  Source

• 2019

  Revive and rename the projectStrategy

  Background

  After becoming dormant following its initial activity, the project was revived.

  Action taken

  Qi Hardware was later renamed Qiware.

  Aftermath

  The available material does not describe the scope of the revived operation or the extent to which earlier projects continued.

  Source

• 2009

  Adopt a copyleft approach to hardwareStrategy

  Background

  Qi Hardware was formed to extend free-software-style sharing and modification principles to the physical design of electronic devices.

  Action taken

  The organization published or intended to publish schematics, bills of materials and PCB layout data under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike framework.

  Aftermath

  The model underpinned a portfolio of open hardware projects, including the Ben NanoNote, Milkymist One and Ben WPAN.

  Source

1. 1Qi Hardwareen.wikipedia.org