The ''Open-Source Lab: How to Build Your Own Hardware and Reduce Research Costs'' by
Joshua M. Pearce
Joshua M. Pearce is an academic engineer at Western University and Michigan Tech known for his work on protocrystallinity, photovoltaic technology, open-source-appropriate technology, and open-source hardware including RepRap 3D printers.
Dr. ...
was published in 2014 by
Elsevier.
The academic book is a guide, which details the development of
free and open-source hardware
Open-source hardware (OSH) consists of physical artifacts of technology designed and offered by the open-design movement. Both free and open-source software (FOSS) and open-source hardware are created by this open-source culture movement and a ...
primarily for
scientists and university
faculty
Faculty may refer to:
* Faculty (academic staff), the academic staff of a university (North American usage)
* Faculty (division), a division within a university (usage outside of the United States)
* Faculty (instrument)
A faculty is a legal in ...
. It provides step-by-step instructions on building
laboratory hardware and
scientific instruments. It also provides instructions on digital design sharing,
Arduino microcontrollers,
RepRap 3D Printers
3D printing or additive manufacturing is the construction of a three-dimensional object from a CAD model or a digital 3D model. It can be done in a variety of processes in which material is deposited, joined or solidified under computer co ...
for scientific use and how to use
open-source hardware
Open-source hardware (OSH) consists of physical artifacts of technology designed and offered by the open-design movement. Both free and open-source software (FOSS) and open-source hardware are created by this open-source culture movement and a ...
licenses. ''
The Guardian'' discusses how ideas in the ''Open-Source Lab'' could enable 3D printing to offer
developing-world
A developing country is a sovereign state with a lesser developed industrial base and a lower Human Development Index (HDI) relative to other countries. However, this definition is not universally agreed upon. There is also no clear agreem ...
scientists savings on replica lab kits. The Open-Source Lab book has been covered extensively by the media. It was one of the top books chosen by Shareable for "New Books About Sharing, Cities and Happiness".
The book itself is not open source and is sold under copyright by Elsevier.
Claims
The author claims the method enables researchers in every discipline to develop research tools at low costs following his previous research in open-source hardware published in ''
Science''. These claims have been generally supported by others using the techniques, such as those in the
DIYbio
Do-it-yourself biology (DIY biology, DIY bio) is a growing biotechnological social movement in which individuals, communities, and small organizations study biology and life science using the same methods as traditional research institutions. DI ...
community. While discussing the book in an interview with ''3-D Printing Industry'', Pearce has claimed to save thousands of dollars in his own lab, and his various studies on the economics of printing lab equipment, such as a ''
PLOS ONE'' article on open-source optics have generally found over 90% savings. A study on the use of 3D printing in this context cited this book as also being good for the environment.
Chapters
# Introduction to Open-Source Hardware for Science
# The Benefits of Sharing—Nice Guys and Girls do Finish First
# Open Licensing—Advanced Sharing
# Open-Source Microcontrollers for Science: How to Use, Design Automated Equipment With and Troubleshoot
# RepRap for Science—How to Use, Design, and Troubleshoot the Self-Replicating 3-D Printer
# Digital Designs and Scientific Hardware
# The Future of Open-Source Hardware and Science
Uptake
Copies of ''Open-Source Lab'' were a prize in an
Instructables "Build My Lab" Contest sponsored by
Tekla Labs
Tekla Labs (TeklaLabs.org) is a non-profit organization of researchers, educators and hobbyists committed to developing do it yourself (DIY) science infrastructure. Tekla Labs objective is to "enable scientists to construct their own high qualit ...
.
See also
*
List of open-source hardware projects
This is a list of open-source hardware projects, including computer systems and components, cameras, radio, telephony, science education, machines and tools, robotics, renewable energy, home automation, medical and biotech, automotive, prototy ...
*
Open-notebook science, an open science technique
References
External links
* {{Official website
*
''Open-source Lab'' at Appropedia
2014 non-fiction books
Computer science books
Elsevier books
Free culture movement
Open-source hardware