Josh Pearce, one of the founding editors of opensource.com, introduced that Elsevier, the world's largest academic publisher, announced a new open access journal, HardwareX, to help develop low-cost, high-quality open-source scientific software and hardware. He demonstrated how to use various 3D-printable shared devices to benefit general classrooms and research laboratories. Since then, there has been a strong interest in 3D printing open-source scientific tools. The customization and low-cost potential offered by 3D printing have driven this interest. For example, hundreds of articles this year have covered open-source RepRap 3D printing projects (up to 894 last year).
Open-source hardware has become mainstream – even the authoritative US National Academy of Engineering dedicated their special issue magazine last year to strategically teach how to develop valuable equipment to make it more accessible to others, as society can provide feedback to accelerate and improve research and development.
Scientists have focused on creating their own open-source equipment and even established fully open-source laboratories. This not only reduces scientific costs and accelerates technological development, but if you have a 3D printer, you can also print these high-value, complex tools yourself.
But what can you, as a scientist (professional or hobbyist), do with a 3D printer? We'll present three examples from HardwareX as an initial experience with 3D printing and science.
．Lab Vibration Rotator, which consists of two different parts:
1. Rotator: It can mix samples by tumbling and gentle mixing in horizontal, vertical, or any intermediate positions, for various tube sizes; changing the mixing angle is quick and convenient, without requiring any other tools. The device is battery-powered and can be easily transported to various locations in the lab, including benchtops, benches, clean hoods, chemical hoods, cold rooms, glove boxes, incubators, or biological hoods.
2. Combined with an Arduino microcontroller, to increase the functionality of the vibrator; these devices can be mechanically and functionally improved or customized, as users can simply select the operating mode or change the code to perform custom experiments. This vibration rotator can be manufactured by non-professionals for less than $30, and shaking functionality can be added for less than $20; these open-source devices are technically superior to commercial devices on the market, while saving over 90% of the cost. (Shared link)
．Open-Source 3D Printed 1,000μL Micropipette
The 1,000μL 3D printed micropipette is a practical and simple design inspired by pipettes. This design is produced using a 3D printer and easily assembled with common tools. When comparing the performance of the micropipette, it exhibited systematic errors between 1.4% and 3.8% of the volume and random errors between 0.38% and 9.5% of the volume. This pipette can be printed for less than $44, replacing commercial laboratory pipettes worth hundreds of dollars. (Shared link)
．Robot Shybo
Not all 3D printed hardware has to be used in traditional laboratories; Shybo is an open-source robot designed for children's needs, which can be 3D printed for children, serving as both a research tool and a toy. The robot is a combination of open-source hardware and software, capable of sensing sound and reacting through two non-verbal behaviors, such as the movement of its hat and lighting. (Shared link)
There are now hundreds of free and open-source 3D printed scientific tools – the speed of updates shows that the scientific community is taking off. Whether you are a professional scientist, researcher, or simply curious about science, these 3D printed tools can help us explore and understand the world.
We are happy to share all developments related to 3D printing, whether in science, medicine, or education; you can find more and more 3D printing footprints. If you also have original parts that need to be made, we also provide high-quality printing services, or you can refer to other articles on the website for more related knowledge.
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