Why Use 3D-Printed Drones? | National Geographic

if you were to go out today and fly the

if you were to go out today and fly the plane and it comes down hard and you

plane and it comes down hard and you

plane and it comes down hard and you break a piece we can come back here we

break a piece we can come back here we

break a piece we can come back here we can hit print get the piece out of the

can hit print get the piece out of the

can hit print get the piece out of the printer snap it into place

printer snap it into place

printer snap it into place and we’re ready to fly again immediately

right right

right right so the razor is a fully 3d printed UAV

so the razor is a fully 3d printed UAV

so the razor is a fully 3d printed UAV designed from the ground up to take

designed from the ground up to take

designed from the ground up to take advantage of 3d printing technology its

advantage of 3d printing technology its

advantage of 3d printing technology its full airframe everything including the

full airframe everything including the

full airframe everything including the skin is 3d printed we’ve gone through a

skin is 3d printed we’ve gone through a

skin is 3d printed we’ve gone through a few iterations on this aircraft not only

few iterations on this aircraft not only

few iterations on this aircraft not only structurally but also aerodynamically

structurally but also aerodynamically

structurally but also aerodynamically and the 3d printing process has allowed

and the 3d printing process has allowed

and the 3d printing process has allowed us to do that very rapidly and very

us to do that very rapidly and very

us to do that very rapidly and very easily we can design the system on the

easily we can design the system on the

easily we can design the system on the computer we can analyze it we can do

computer we can analyze it we can do

computer we can analyze it we can do flight simulations we can model that in

flight simulations we can model that in

flight simulations we can model that in a CAD program and then that model

a CAD program and then that model

a CAD program and then that model transfers directly to the 3d printer 3d

transfers directly to the 3d printer 3d

transfers directly to the 3d printer 3d printing is a very interesting process

printing is a very interesting process

printing is a very interesting process and the best way to think about this or

and the best way to think about this or

and the best way to think about this or visualize it is to think of your normal

visualize it is to think of your normal

visualize it is to think of your normal inkjet printer at home when it goes back

inkjet printer at home when it goes back

inkjet printer at home when it goes back and forth it’s dropping little drops of

and forth it’s dropping little drops of

and forth it’s dropping little drops of ink to create a 2-dimensional image now

ink to create a 2-dimensional image now

ink to create a 2-dimensional image now imagine that it drops little drops of

imagine that it drops little drops of

imagine that it drops little drops of plastic instead now when it goes back

plastic instead now when it goes back

plastic instead now when it goes back and forth it’s actually creating a

and forth it’s actually creating a

and forth it’s actually creating a three-dimensional object

if we tried to build this airplane five

if we tried to build this airplane five or ten years ago without the

or ten years ago without the

or ten years ago without the capabilities of 3d printing we would be

capabilities of 3d printing we would be

capabilities of 3d printing we would be building a conventional aircraft and

building a conventional aircraft and

building a conventional aircraft and they are usually all hand-built

they are usually all hand-built

they are usually all hand-built they’re very labor intensive 3d printed

they’re very labor intensive 3d printed

they’re very labor intensive 3d printed airplane can truly be built completely

airplane can truly be built completely

airplane can truly be built completely autonomously we’ve simplified the

autonomously we’ve simplified the

autonomously we’ve simplified the assembly process so it’s really a matter

assembly process so it’s really a matter

assembly process so it’s really a matter of clicking together a couple of parts

somebody asks you what are you doing

somebody asks you what are you doing this summer and I get to tell them I’m

this summer and I get to tell them I’m

this summer and I get to tell them I’m working on developing a fully autonomous

working on developing a fully autonomous

working on developing a fully autonomous drone and guess what we 3d printed it

drone and guess what we 3d printed it

drone and guess what we 3d printed it and that’s just a really cool thing to

and that’s just a really cool thing to

and that’s just a really cool thing to say because it’s on the cutting edge of

say because it’s on the cutting edge of

say because it’s on the cutting edge of so many different technologies all at

so many different technologies all at

so many different technologies all at the same time