Open source hardware for better science

Online talk given at OpenFest 2023: Online symposium ‘New Perspectives on Open Research’ on 7 September 2023 organised by the University of Sheffield, United Kingdom. Forked from an earlier talk on the same topic.

Abstract

Physical hardware underpins much of scientific research. From computing devices, instrumentation, and biological reagents, to satellites in orbit, researchers rely on hardware to explore and understand the world. However, research equipment is typically closed source (i.e. proprietary), whose designs are legally restricted, preventing others from studying, building, or modifying them. These restrictions cause several problems such as: lack of reproducibility; duplication of effort; forced obsolescence; and higher costs, all of which reinforce global inequities.
Building on the success of open source software, open source hardware is defined as any physical artefact whose “design is made publicly available with explicit, legally binding freedoms for anyone to study, modify, distribute, make, and sell the design or hardware based on that design”. In 2021, it was formally recognised as a key component in the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science. Open science hardware (i.e. open source hardware in scientific contexts) provides many benefits compared to its proprietary predecessors. These can include cost savings of up to 87% proportional to how often it is replicated (Pearce, 2020); quicker iteration of designs; and adaptation to local needs in underserved communities.
Since the 2010s, open science hardware has been developed and used in diverse domains from environmental monitoring, lab automation, to microscopy. In addition to academics, open science hardware is commonly built by citizen science communities and adapted for different purposes. Other practitioners of open science hardware include educators, social innovators, or artists.
In this talk, we will provide an overview of the above and provide successful examples of open source hardware projects that enable better science. The talk will also highlight international communities working towards the adoption of open source hardware in science, such as the Gathering for Open Science Hardware.

CRediT contributor roles

• Pen-Yuan Hsing - Conceptualization; Visualization; Writing (original draft); Writing (review & editing)
• Brianna Johns - Conceptualization; Resources