Open-source hardware
Open source hardware is computer hardware that is designed in the same fashion as open source software. One example of this is the Simputer. Open source hardware is part of the Open source culture that takes open source beyond just software. Some of the impetus for the development of open source hardware was initiated in 2002 through the Challenge to Silicon Valley issued by Kofi Annan.
One key website for online collaboration for open source hardware is ThinkCycle. There people share ideas they have for a large number of open ideas about hardware. It is primarily directed towards the development of inexpensive systems for the third world.