open source 3D printers

 

Education sector

3D printing, and open source 3D printers in particular, are the latest technology making inroads into the classroom.^{[164][165][166]} Some authors have claimed that 3D printers offer an unprecedented "revolution" in STEM education.^[167][168] The evidence for such claims comes from both the low-cost ability for rapid prototyping in the classroom by students, but also the fabrication of low-cost high-quality scientific equipment from open hardware designs forming open-source labs.^[169] Future applications for 3D printing might include creating open-source scientific equipment.^[169][170]

Replicating archeological artifacts

In the 2010s, 3D printing became intensively used in the cultural heritage field for preservation, restoration and dissemination purposes.^[171] Many Europeans and North American Museums have purchased 3D printers and actively recreate missing pieces of their relics^[172] and archaeological monuments such as Tiwanaku in Bolivia.^[173] The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the British Museum have started using their 3D printers to create museum souvenirs that are available in the museum shops.^[174] Other museums, like the National Museum of Military History and Varna Historical Museum, have gone further and sell through the online platform Threeding digital models of their artifacts, created using Artec 3D scanners, in 3D printing friendly file format, which everyone can 3D print at home.^[175]