Open source 3D printing advocate and Michigan Technological professor Dr. Joshua Pearce wanted to figure out how cost-effective and practical it was for the average consumer to invest in a desktop 3D printer and use it at home. In a study, titled "Emergence Of Home Manufacturing in the Developed World: Return on Investment for Open-Source 3-D Printers," that was recently published in MDPI's international open access Technologies, he was able to determine that when consumers buy a low-cost, open source 3D printer and use it at home to create household items, over a five-year period, they can actually earn an almost 1,000% return on their investment. To help him compile research data, Dr. Pearce tapped an undergraduate student, majoring in both engineering and materials science but inexperienced in 3D printing, to use a low-cost 3D printer right out of the box, without receiving any instruction first. She 3D printed 26 items over a six-month period, and the results may shock you. Read more at 3DPrint.com: http://3dprint.com/165246/mtu-at-home-3d-printing-study/