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3.4 Relevant innovative technologies that inspire

3.4.    Relevant innovative technologies that inspire

Currently there is a growing trend towards upgradable units for devices and houses to enhance a product's lifetime. One of the technologies that is a good example for this is the growing demand for products like phonebloks. Phonebloks is a phone that can be adjusted to wishes over time. It takes the core technology and offers greater usage by offering upgrades from off the shelf elements.

 

Within this same direction lies the shift towards a knowledge, do it yourself, society in which technology is within easy reach of online communities. Examples of this is open source minicomputers are the Arduino and RaspberryPi. They enhance the user's’ knowledge and supply the user with additional knowledge by open source platforms. This can often be combined with the already ongoing trend of 3D printing. It enables a complete society to adjust and create technologies/services for their own needs.

 

This whole movement in which users gain control over personalized structures is beginning to show in more and more sectors. Therefore, when these elements are evaluated into the sector of accommodating a community it offer opportunities. It is already mentioned that building techniques start to rise which make modular housing with the intention to personalize accommodations during their lifetime.

 

But still, nowadays the movement of adjustability and personalization lies at the early adopters. Many users are too weary about the concept and the perception of complexibility is relatively high. Therefore, this niche market is expected to grow, and will eventually also influence the way in which accommodate community can take its form.