Spotted on the web today, a new electronic design automation (EDA) tool promises a new approach to collaboration on open source hardware projects.

The tool, called Upverter, is a cloud-based schematic editor for creating electrical schematics. Users can edit schematics for their own projects and projects developed by other users (via a forking system). It even allows users to integrate with existing github accounts and share further. From their blog, it appears that the Upverter team will be attending the Open Source Hardware Summit in New York, so that is a great time to go find them and share your reactions, if you happen to be attending.

While it will not replace Eagle and other contemporary EDA tools currently (it appears to lack PCB layout functionality at this time and after previous attempts with mbed I am personally still apprehensive about having to do any of my engineering work in the cloud), this is an interesting, fresh approach to electronic design automation. Give it a try, and, if you do, share your experiences in the comments below!

(Thanks Sam!)