LAUSR

Networked systems, artificial intelligence, and an engaged public can enable mass customization of local products Distribution and democratization represent two complementary paradigms that are gaining increasing attention in manufacturing. Distributed manufacturing (DM) allows for geographically dispersed production, often at small scales and near the end user. Democratization enables large populations to engage in manufacturing. Massively distributed manufacturing (MDM), which combines these paradigms, is performed on demand by a large network of people located anywhere. Rather than rely on mass production in centralized factories, MDM promises to improve the responsiveness and resilience of manufacturing to urgent production demands (such as emergencies like pandemics); promote mass customization and cost-effective, low-volume production; gainfully employ many informally trained citizens in manufacturing (such as through the gig economy); and reduce the environmental footprint of manufacturing by producing items near their points of use. The Fourth Industrial Revolution will play an important role in enabling MDM by way of cyber-physical operating systems (CPOSs).