Joshua M. Pearce is an academic engineer at Western University and

Michigan Tech Michigan Technological University (Michigan Tech, MTU, or simply Tech) is a public research university in Houghton, Michigan, founded in 1885 as the Michigan Mining School, the first post-secondary institution in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. ...

known for his work on

protocrystallinity A protocrystalline phase is a distinct phase occurring during crystal growth which evolves into a microcrystalline form. The term is typically associated with silicon films in optical applications such as solar cells. Applications Silicon sola ...

photovoltaic technology A photovoltaic system, also PV system or solar power system, is an electric power system designed to supply usable solar power by means of photovoltaics. It consists of an arrangement of several components, including solar panels to absorb and c ...

, open-source-appropriate technology, 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 ...

including 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 ...

. Dr. Pearce received his Ph.D. at The Pennsylvania State University, where his work on

helped develop low-cost amorphous silicon solar photovoltaic technology. His solar research continues. For example, his research group published a levelized cost of electricity study on solar energy showed solar electricity was economically competitive with fossil fuels over wide geographic regions. His research into BDRF modeling of reflectors showed potential solar systems output increases of 30%. However, he is also a vocal advocate of an

open-source Open source is source code that is made freely available for possible modification and redistribution. Products include permission to use the source code, design documents, or content of the product. The open-source model is a decentralized sof ...

approach to technical development. For his work related to open-source nanotechnology, Ars Technica compared him to American software freedom activist Richard Stallman. He applied open-source 3-D printing and electronics to scientific equipment design, where he has claimed both superior innovation and lower costs. Reviewing his book ''Open-Source Lab'', ''3-D Printing Industry'' wrote, "This is a manual that every scientist should read and it holds a message so powerful and disruptive that the The Anarchist Cookbook, Anarchist Cookbook is a fairy tale in comparison." His research has shown that printing household items with a RepRap is less costly and better for the environment than purchasing conventionally manufactured goods. Similarly, his group developed the recyclebot, a waste plastic extruder, which drops the cost of 3D printing filament from $35/kg to ten cents per kg while making recycling even more environmentally beneficial. In 2013 his group released an open-source 3D printer capable of printing in steel, which cost less than US$1,200. in order to encourage more rapid technological development according to ''Scientific American''. This cost reduction was significant as the ''New York Times'' reported commercial metal printers at the time cost over US$500,000. He further developed inexpensive methods such as SODIS to disinfect drinking water in the developing world, using sunlight, water bottles, and salt. Recently, the ''MIT Sloan Management Review'' reported that Dr. Pearce has combined many of his research areas developing solar powered 3-D printers to drive sustainable development.

Bibliography

*''Open-Source Lab (book):How to Build Your Own Hardware and Reduce Research Costs'' (2014) * David Denkenberger and Joshua Pearce, Feeding Everyone No Matter What, ''Feeding Everyone No Matter What: Managing Food Security After Global Catastrophe'', Academic Press (2015).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pearce, Joshua M. Living people Michigan Technological University faculty Pennsylvania State University alumni American materials scientists Sustainability advocates 21st-century American writers Open-source hardware people Year of birth missing (living people)