A revolution in open source AMS? or Just another company abandoning a dream?

Last month the world of 3D printing was sent reeling at news that long-awaited Chameleon Automated Material System (AMS) had shifted status to open source. Reactions from the makers community are passionately split. It is either a democratization of high-technology or the backing-out quietly of a firm in possession of a highly ambitious venture going bust?The Chameleon AMS: An Abridged History

For the uninitiated, the Chameleon AMS was created as an answer to one of 3D printing's most long-standing issues: multi-material printing. Built to plug into the vast majority of FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) printers, the system was supposed to manage up to eight distinct filaments without so much as lifting a finger. The system was initially previewed at the 2023 Maker Faire with a prototype that generated a lot of buzz for its smart filament detection, heavy-duty material handling, and low filament waste relative to other AMS solutions.

The firm behind it, PrintVision Technologies, had invested three years in R&D prior to the initial announcement. Their marketing was assertive, their demos were impressive, and their waitlist soon swelled to thousands of enthusiastic makers and professionals alike.

The Move to Open Source

The February announcement was a shock for many. PrintVision Technologies announced that they were "transferring the Chameleon AMS to an open source community project" immediately. The hardware designs, firmware, and control software were all released under permissive licenses (MIT for the software, CERN OHL for the hardware). The GitHub repository came online the same day with detailed documentation.

What wasn't explicitly stated—but was quickly noted by community members—was that this announcement coincided with the quiet removal of pre-order options from PrintVision's website.

The Technical Marvel That Is Now Community-Owned

Before diving into the implications, it's worth appreciating what exactly has been given to the community. The Chameleon AMS is no simple device:

A sensor-laden material handling system capable of detecting material type, remaining quantity, and potential jams

Sophisticated firmware that manages real-time material switching with minimal waste

Proprietary processing unit that communicates with nearly any 3D printer's control board

Modular hardware architecture that can be easily expanded from 2 to 8 channels of materials

Smart purge management that balances speed and thriftiness of material use

The most groundbreaking aspect of the system is likely its "predictive preparation" algorithm. It examines future print layers and pre-positions the next needed filament, significantly cutting both print time and the usual stringing problems inherent in multi-material printing.

The Community's Response

The reaction has been, inevitably, diverse. Open source hardware enthusiasts are over the moon, with notable makers already forking the repository and suggesting enhancements. Within a matter of days, a Discord server for Chameleon development boasted more than 2,000 members.

Liam Williams, a popular YouTuber focused on 3D printing, caught the upbeat perspective: "This is arguably revolutionary. Commercial AMS systems cost $800+ and are bound to particular printers. Now we have something that's arguably greater than commercial-grade that anyone might build or work on."

Others are more doubtful. Forum postings note that the hardware is relatively high-tech to manufacture. Although the control boards may be outsourced to ordinary PCB manufacturing services, the thinly machined filament path components cannot easily be replicated without access to CNC mills or expensive high-end 3D printers.

"This feels like abandonware masquerading as a gift to the community," said one Reddit poster in a post that picked up strong momentum. "If they weren't able to make it profitable as a business, what leads them to believe the community will be able to?" 

The Business Reality

PrintVision's press release highlighted the potential for community innovation, but industry observers have a different opinion. The 3D printing industry has experienced a great deal of consolidation over the last few years, with bigger companies buying up promising startups or pushing them out of business with predatory pricing.

Sarah Chen, a research analyst with TechFuture Research, adds: "The multi-material print market is tough. The costs of development are high, yet the customer base is relatively narrow. It's possible PrintVision confronted the reality that their go-to-market approach wasn't viable in today's economic environment."

Financial reports indicate that PrintVision had raised $4.2 million in venture capital but had apparently been having difficulty closing their Series B round in recent months. This background indicates the open source shift might have been more fiscal need than benevolent vision.

Technical Challenges and Community Opportunities

What is of technical interest in the Chameleon AMS is the way it attempted to overcome problems that have vexed other material switching systems:

Filament Contamination: The system features an innovative "micro-purge" system that purifies the nozzle with very little waste

Detection Accuracy: Special optical and pressure sensors confirm material presence and flow with stunning accuracy

Universal Compatibility: The fact that the control system utilizes common communication protocols allows it to be compatible with nearly any printer that is operating Marlin, Klipper, or RepRapFirmware

The repository of code shows advanced engineering—embedded C++ for the real-time control systems and Python for the coordination software at the higher level. The modular structure makes it highly suitable for community development, with good separation of hardware abstraction layers and application logic.

Some early forkers have already suggested several improvements:

Integration with OctoPrint and Mainsail interfaces

Soluble support support for dual-extruder printers

Optimizations for material preheating based on print previews

The Broader Implications for Open Source Hardware

The Chameleon AMS scenario is indicative of both the potential and the danger of the open hardware movement. On the one hand, advanced technology that could otherwise be lost is now up for grabs to anyone who wants to build, adapt, and enhance it. On the other, there is the fact that complicated hardware systems take more than just design files to make them accessible.

Tom Harding, founder of OpenFab Initiative, notes: "What we're experiencing with Chameleon is the pains of growth of the open hardware ecosystem. Software is comparatively easy to distribute—everyone has computers. But hardware is physical manufacture, supply chains, and often specialized gear." 

This indicates a new trend among open source hardware: successful projects are those that take into consideration community manufacturing capacity, and not theoretical openness.

So Which Is It? Revolution or Abandonment?

The reality, as is frequently the case, is somewhere in the middle between the optimistic and negative extremes. PrintVision most likely did experience unovercomable business challenges, and the open source migration was likely not their initial dream. Yet, the quality of what they have put out and the diligent documentation indicate true concern for the project's future.

To the 3D printing community, the Chameleon AMS is both opportunity and challenge. The technical designs are remarkable, the code base is robust, and the idea fills a genuine need. But getting this complicated system in front of the typical maker will take a lot of community work.

One thing is for sure: the next half-year will be revealing. If groups of community members can create simplified versions, coordinate group purchases of complicated components, or produce detailed build instructions for various skill levels, we might very well witness a revolution in affordable multi-material printing.

If, on the other hand, the repository experiences a burst of early activity followed by waning interest as the reality of complexity dawns, the naysayers will have been vindicated.

The Path Forward

For the time being, anticipation remains high. A number of maker spaces have indicated they will be hosting Chameleon build workshops, and at least two small companies have shown interest in selling kit versions of the hardware.

The most promising indicator is likely the range of backgrounds represented among those taking an interest. Beyond the traditional 3D printing community, the project has interested mechanical engineers, embedded systems engineers, and even supply chain managers looking to solve the manufacturing accessibility problem.

Whether you see this as a revolution or an abandonment will ultimately come down to your view of open source hardware in general. Is it first and foremost a pragmatic method of production, or is it a technology development philosophy that prioritizes accessibility and community ownership over commercial viability?

One thing is for sure: the Chameleon AMS project is now all ours. Its final destiny will not be decided by venture capital calculus or corporate vision, but by the collective labors of makers, engineers, and enthusiasts around the globe. And that, no matter how you perceive PrintVision's intentions, is a mighty thing.