The 3D Printing Material Use Optimization project allows engineering and computer science students to gain research experience. The project, which has been undertaken in conjunction with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), involves working to develop support structures that will reduce the amount of filament used for 3D printing objects. This is in contrast to many existing support structure algorithms that are primarily concerned with optimizing print quality. The idea behind this shift of focus is to accommodate situations where filament is far more expensive than typical - such as on the International Space Station (ISS), in deep space or on another Planet's surface. This paper provides an overview of this project and the work of the students participating in it. It also assesses the educational benefits provided by the project and the correlation between project activities and the educational benefit produced.
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