I'm a big believer in good enough tech: simple, low cost products that emerge from below to dominate or shake up a market segment. I've designed lots of products in that category (I also design products that ruthlessly rethink the assumptions of established product lines, to radically improve them and deliver them at a fraction of the cost/time of competitors). Here's a Wired article from Robert Capps that details the features of "good enough" products (which applies from Predator drones to Flip video cameras to Web apps):
- Significantly less expensive than existing full featured products. 1/5 of the target price for the full featured product is a good rule of thumb.
- Easy to use. Easy to network.
- Flexibility. Small size. Rapid configurability. Lack of specialization.
Good DIY (do-it-yourself) weapons, draw on the good enough thread. However, most DIY weapons are still single use hacks, but with a little redesign work (think 3D fabs and easy to use product design software) they can become systems that change warfare...
Think what a DIY design for a low cost and portable HERF box would do: hit button and lights, computers, cars, phones, RFIDs, security systems, CCTVs, etc. sizzle. I'd like one with a car recharger. ;->