How to connect "Worlds"?

I’m nearly done with a grant to make a 8-16mm scanner with “redacted” software, etc. “for profit”
I also want to help the community. I want to help where I can. Does anyone know how to reasonably do both? My hardware has no secrets, but the AMIA thinks hardware is “impossible”. I’d like, at the end of my project to have an open source hardware mated to a closed source custom-AI(money), with the option of using whatever software for scanning. Can this idea make money, or will it get cut down?