Journal Article

Open-Source 3D-Printable Optics Equipment

Zhang, Chenlong, Faria, Rodrigo P., Pearce, Joshua M., Anzalone, Nicholas C.

2013

Overview

Just as the power of the open-source design paradigm has driven down the cost of software to the point that it is accessible to most people, the rise of open-source hardware is poised to drive down the cost of doing experimental science to expand access to everyone. To assist in this aim, this paper introduces a library of open-source 3-D-printable optics components. This library operates as a flexible, low-cost public-domain tool set for developing both research and teaching optics hardware. First, the use of parametric open-source designs using an open-source computer aided design package is described to customize the optics hardware for any application. Second, details are provided on the use of open-source 3-D printers (additive layer manufacturing) to fabricate the primary mechanical components, which are then combined to construct complex optics-related devices. Third, the use of the open-source electronics prototyping platform are illustrated as control for optical experimental apparatuses. This study demonstrates an open-source optical library, which significantly reduces the costs associated with much optical equipment, while also enabling relatively easily adapted customizable designs. The cost reductions in general are over 97%, with some components representing only 1% of the current commercial investment for optical products of similar function. The results of this study make its clear that this method of scientific hardware development enables a much broader audience to participate in optical experimentation both as research and teaching platforms than previous proprietary methods.

• Publisher: Public Library of Science,Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subject: 3-D printers / CAD / Computer aided design / Computer engineering / Computer Science / Computer-Aided Design - economics / Computer-Aided Design - instrumentation / Costs and Cost Analysis / Engineering / Engineering Sciences / Equipment costs / Experimentation / Hardware / Internet / Laboratories / Magnetics / Manufacturing / Materials science / Mechanical components / Medicine / Nanotechnology / Open source software / Optical equipment / Optics / Optics and Photonics - economics / Optics and Photonics - instrumentation / Photonic / Physics / Printers / Printing - economics / Printing - instrumentation / Prototyping / R&D / Research & development / Science education / Science Policy / Source code / Sustainability / Teaching methods / Thermodynamics / Three dimensional printing