Flying 3D printer spots and removes hazardous waste
A quadcopter with on-board 3D printing capabilities has been developed by scientists at Imperial College London.
The prototype micro aerial vehicle (MAV), which could be used to protect people from nuclear waste, mimics the way tiny birds called swiflets build their nests using their own saliva.
The device is made from off-the-shelf components and has four blades that enable it to fly and hover.
It carries in its underbelly two chemicals that create polyurethane foam when mixed, and a printing module to deliver the foam.
The quadcopter uses GPS to direct itself to the target. Once it has landed on it, it prints out the sticky polymer foam, waits a few minutes for it to set, and then flies off with the object attached to its underbelly.
As well as removing hazardous waste and bombs, the researchers believe the drone could be used to repair bridges and other construction works from the air.
Currently, the MAV can only fly in a controlled environment, using external sensors that feed information to a laptop. These process the information and send flight instructions back to the MAV via an on-board processor.
The next step for the team is to enable the vehicle to fly autonomously in any environment.
They plan to incorporate high speed cameras and sensors on-board the MAV, which will act like a satellite navigation system for tracking and controlling of the flight trajectory.
