Off the shelf parts and open source designs are the antidote. Something like the defunct Local Motors was just a bit early for helping solve a problem like this. Having a factory or workshop for those without the infrastructure themselves to build their own solution would have been a major boon to giving alternatives to the “you will own nothing and be glad for it” mentality all manufacturers seem to be taking nowadays.
The stupid chips can phone home to somewhere else other than a manufacturer. They can talk with something like my self hosted home assistant instance through a VPN instead. The chips are just a tool for doing a job. Best to make them do work for you instead of a data grabbing, rent seeking manufacturer.
Off the shelf parts and open source designs are the antidote. Something like the defunct Local Motors was just a bit early for helping solve a problem like this. Having a factory or workshop for those without the infrastructure themselves to build their own solution would have been a major boon to giving alternatives to the “you will own nothing and be glad for it” mentality all manufacturers seem to be taking nowadays.
The stupid chips can phone home to somewhere else other than a manufacturer. They can talk with something like my self hosted home assistant instance through a VPN instead. The chips are just a tool for doing a job. Best to make them do work for you instead of a data grabbing, rent seeking manufacturer.