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Makani source code released

github.com

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Re: Makani source code released

#2

Post by purpleidea »

I guess this means that this project is dead or not viable for some reason, and they're being nice and releasing their work. Good job Google!

As an aside, it should be law to release any firmware, code, and backend services code for any device that is no longer fully supported by the manufacturer.

Let other people play with your dead things and reduce the barrier for new innovation on top of them.

Re: Makani source code released

#3

Post by UncleOxidant »

It's cool that they open sourced this, but as someone who worked at a kite power company (a much smaller company with a much smaller kite) I'm not sure much here will be transferable to other companies. Makani was making a huge 2000 lb "kite" turbine. That requires the kind of money that Google could back them with - and since Google isn't funding this anymore I just don't see where this can go as none of the remaining kite power companies have much funding (ours ran out of money late last year).

Re: Makani source code released

#4

Post by UncleOxidant »

purpleidea wrote: post #2

I guess this means that this project is dead or not viable for some reason, and they're being nice and releasing their work. Good job Google! As an aside, it should be law to release any firmware, code, and backend services code for any device that is no longer fully supported by the manufacturer. Let other people play with your dead things and reduce the barrier for new innovation on top of them.

Google stopped funding Makani several months back.

I'm not sure how applicable most of this code will be for other kite power companies. The Makani "kite" turbine was 2000 lbs. It definitely required Google-level funding to develop which is now gone. None of the remaining kite power companies that I'm aware of have the kind of significant funding required to develop this - ours ran out of money late last year.

Re: Makani source code released

#6

Post by asdfasgasdgasdg »

UncleOxidant wrote: post #3

It's cool that they open sourced this, but as someone who worked at a kite power company (a much smaller company with a much smaller kite) I'm not sure much here will be transferable to other companies. Makani was making a huge 2000 lb "kite" turbine. That requires the kind of money that Google could back them with - and since Google isn't funding this anymore I just don't see where this can go as none of the remaini…

I don't think the goal here is to help other kite power companies. If google thought there was still something there they'd still be funding the project in all likelihood. But who knows what this might teach someone trying to move into a related space? Also it's just freaking cool that this stuff is available.
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