3 D ▁printing ▁as ▁an ▁open - source ▁student ▁project . ▁ ▁Education ▁and ▁research ▁▁▁ 3 D ▁printing , ▁and ▁open ▁source ▁ 3 D ▁printer s ▁in ▁particular , ▁are ▁the ▁latest ▁technology ▁making ▁in ro ads ▁into ▁the ▁class room . ▁ 3 D ▁printing ▁allows ▁students ▁to ▁create ▁pro tot ypes ▁of ▁items ▁without ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁expensive ▁tool ing ▁required ▁in ▁subtract ive ▁methods . ▁Stud ents ▁design ▁and ▁produce ▁actual ▁models ▁they ▁can ▁hold . ▁The ▁class room ▁environment ▁allows ▁students ▁to ▁learn ▁and ▁employ ▁new ▁applications ▁for ▁ 3 D ▁printing . ▁Rep R aps , ▁for ▁example , ▁have ▁already ▁been ▁used ▁for ▁an ▁educational ▁mobile ▁robot ics ▁platform . ▁ ▁Some ▁authors ▁have ▁claimed ▁that ▁ 3 D ▁printer s ▁offer ▁an ▁un pre ced ented ▁" re volution " ▁in ▁S TE M ▁education . ▁The ▁evidence ▁for ▁such ▁claims ▁comes ▁from ▁both ▁the ▁low ▁cost ▁ability ▁for ▁rapid ▁pro tot yp ing ▁in ▁the ▁class room ▁by ▁students , ▁but ▁also ▁the ▁fabric ation ▁of ▁low - cost ▁high - quality ▁scientific ▁equipment ▁from ▁open ▁hardware ▁designs ▁forming ▁open - source ▁l abs . ▁Engineering ▁and ▁design ▁principles ▁are ▁expl ored ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁architect ural ▁planning . ▁Stud ents ▁re create ▁duplicates ▁of ▁museum ▁items ▁such ▁as ▁foss ils ▁and ▁historical ▁artifact s ▁for ▁study ▁in ▁the ▁class room ▁without ▁possibly ▁dam aging ▁sensitive ▁collections . ▁Other ▁students ▁interested ▁in ▁graph ic ▁design ing ▁can ▁construct ▁models ▁with ▁complex ▁working ▁parts