By Courtesy of Autonomous Manufacturing Lab / UCL
Researchers have carried out a unique experiment turning drones into flying 3D printers. The goal is to one day construct or repair buildings in remote areas thanks to a swarm of drones working together in a similar way to a group of bees or wasps.
Researchers have carried out a unique experiment turning drones into flying 3D printers. The goal is to one day construct or repair buildings in remote areas thanks to a swarm of drones working together in a similar way to a group of bees or wasps.
In the building industry, 3D printing is already a strong trend, usually involving very large printers working on the ground. However, researchers have tested a different approach by studying the use of unmanned aerial devices to create new constructions and potentially even homes. Indeed, this research, published in the journal Nature, focused on drones equipped with mini 3D printers.
To carry out this experiment, it was necessary to use a special material created for the occasion, with properties close to those of cement, but light enough to be easily transported by the drones. It was also necessary to develop a print head capable of adjusting to compensate for the machines' movement in the air, for millimeter-level precision. Finally, so that several drones can work simultaneously on the same project, but in a perfectly autonomous way, the researchers were inspired by the organization of bees and wasps when they build their nests, for example.
This type of technology could have many advantages in the future, and prove to be a more economical and ecological alternative to current standards. Plus, drones, which are relatively compact, could reach areas that are difficult for humans to access. They could, for example, one day be used to rapidly build emergency shelters in remote areas.
