A Mobile Hops Harvester: User-based, Open Source Design and Shared Infrastructure in an Emerging Agricultural Sector
Christopher W. Callahan, Heather M. Darby · 2014 ASABE Annual International Meeting · 2014
Abstract. The development of a mobile hops harvester is used as a case study to explore trends toward increased open source equipment development. Theory of intrinsic and extrinsic motivators of innovation are explored alongside current understanding of incentives for participation in open source design practices. Incentives for open source participation are varied and participants in a single product development project may come to the project for very different reasons. The concept of a “design-use community” is introduced as a way of articulating and emphasizing the blurred line between innovation and adoption in the agricultural technology community which the open source movement has highlighted. The authors provide observations of open source modalities in use through a case study of the mobile hops harvester which provides a specific example of when an open source design approach can be successful in developing new agricultural equipment. The harvester has a demonstrated capacity of 120 bines per hour compared to 1 bine per hour per person for manual picking. This rate enables the harvest of a 1 acre yard within 8 hours resulting in optimal harvest timing and improved quality. Assuming a harvest team of 4 people in either case, this translates to a harvest labor cost savings of 97% or $3,120 per acre at $15 per hour wage (approximately $2 per lb of dried hops (10-20% of retail price)).