3D printing has the advantage of producing a real object in a relatively short period of time and "cost". Pushing the limits of this technology, engineers at the University of Sheffield have created a drone with the same print.
This 3D printed UAV is the work of the scientific research center of advanced manufacturing (CDMA). Taking the form of a flying wing, the prototype has been developed to best reduce the amount of materials needed for its construction. Thus, the unmanned craft 1.5 m wingspan was made from a Stratasys 3D printer using FDM technology. This extruded ABS plastic melt by depositing the layer by layer. In the end, the nine pieces that make up was created in less than 24 hours. For ease of transport, the apparatus can be disassembled into two. So this method opens the way to cheap and disposable but may also be able to fly over the sky drones.
For now, the prototype drone officiates as glider but its designers intend to equip a propeller propulsion system. A larger and more powerful model is also planned, carrying a GPS, an independent operating system and data recording.
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