Adafruit Weekly Editorial Round-Up: NPR Talks to 6 Marchers from the 1963 March On Washington, CLUE Rock, Paper, Scissors Game using Bluetooth & more!

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ADAFRUIT WEEKLY EDITORIAL ROUND-UP


We’ve got so much happening here at Adafruit that it’s not always easy to keep up! Don’t fret, we’ve got you covered. Each week we’ll be posting a handy round-up of what we’ve been up to, ranging from learn guides to blog articles, videos, and more.


BLOG

NPR Talks to 6 Marchers from the 1963 March On Washington

We’re very thanks to the folks at NPR and to A. Peter Bailey, Courtland Cox, Sondra Hassan, Todd Endo, Daniel Serwer, and Edith Lee-Payne for sharing their experiences and memories. Read more.

More BLOG:


LEARN

CLUE Rock, Paper, Scissors Game using Bluetooth

This project features three versions of a rock, paper, scissors game in CircuitPython. The first is a very simple, single-player text game showing the basic logic of the game. The second is a two-player game using Bluetooth Low Energy advertising to exchange the players’ choices. The third is a multi-player game building on the foundation of the second version, adding displayio graphics and sound. It has been tested with six players and potentially can work with far more. Read more.

More LEARN

Browse all that’s new in the Adafruit Learning System here!

5 Next-Level 3D Printed Drones That Are Pushing the Industry Forward

As the applications of drones varies and grows, it becomes more and more important to develop specific designs that are based on its particular function. A drone built for delivery requires different specifications than a drone built for surveying or image capture. 3D printing is driving this evolution of drone technology by providing access to affordable rapid prototyping and customization and allowing faster innovation to occur. Whether it’s for disaster relief, mapping, or carrying heavy payloads, a drone can better serve its function with the time and cost efficiency and attention to detail that 3D printing provides.

Here are 5 drone projects that have pushed the
boundaries with the help of 3D printing:

Disaster
Relief X VEIN Drone by Team ROK

After the Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami brought disaster on a massive scale in 2011, Yuki Ogasawara and Ryo Kumeda of Team ROK were inspired to create a drone built especially for disaster relief and search and rescue. A few years later they used 3D printing and generative design to create their x-shaped X VEIN drone. Because disaster aid presents its own specific set of challenges, the team used 3D printing to be able to customize their drone based on their exact needs.

The design features freeform curves, and a 3D printed lattice-patterned body for maintaining minimal weight while still giving it the strength required to operate in difficult conditions. X VEIN is able to fly within a 500 meter range and can be equipped with thermographic and infrared-imaging and capture images that can be viewed in real time to access remote or obstructed areas and help locate survivors. Because many of its parts are 3D printed, if they are damaged on a mission they can be re-printed and replaced on site. 3D Printing was a crucial tool to be able to have the level of design freedom necessary to build a drone with these specific needs and it ensures that the drone can be further customized in the future depending on the situation at hand.

CargoCopter
by KU Leuven Researchers

Built to deliver payloads over long distances, KU Leuven research team created the 3D printed CargoCopter, a hybrid drone that combines fixed wings and multi-rotors so that it can take off vertically, hover and then fly horizontally. It was designed to expand the range and speed of traditional multi-rotor drones and thanks to its hybrid nature can efficiently transition from take-off to long-distance flight. It can carry up to 5kg, has a range of 60km and can fly up to 100km/hour. The team used 3D printing to rapidly prototype over 3 years to arrive at this model and their designs were able to quickly evolve. Thanks to the customization flexibility of 3D printing they are able to optimize each new CargoCopter design based on the needs of its particular mission.

BLUEROV2
Submarine Drone by Blue Robotics

Aerial drones are not the only ones making use of 3D printing. When Blue Robotics set out to build their underwater drones, they needed parts that could withstand the harsh conditions of the ocean and had trouble sourcing ones that were durable enough and weren’t overly expensive. They then turned to 3D printing to be able to prototype their own parts at a much more affordable rate. Using 3D printing to prototype also led them to customize parts to fit their exact needs. The BLUEROV2 comes with a high definition, wide-angle low-light camera with two or four lights to illuminate the ocean around it. It can travel to a depth of up to 100 meters and is built to withstand currents. The ROV is designed with expansion and modification in mind, and is fitted with a customizable frame to accommodate a range of functions.

The tiny drone named Piccolissimo. Image source: PennToday

Piccolissimo
The Tiny Drone by Matt Piccoli from UPenn

In 2016, Matt Piccoli from UPenn’s School of Engineering and Applied Science designed the world’s smallest steerable drone “Piccolissimo”. The tiny drone comes in two sizes: one weighs 2.5 grams and is the size of a quarter, and the other steerable version is 2 grams heavier and a centimeter wider. It was 3D printed using lightweight plastic. It has two moving parts, the robot’s body and motor, which spins one way 40 times per second, and its propeller spinning 800 per second in the opposite direction. Its motion is determined by how quickly the propeller and body are spinning, which can be controlled by infrared signals. The drone can carry a load of up to one gram, like a small camera or sensor. Its size suggests that it would be a fitting model for surveying or search and rescue missions, as a few hundred could be used to cover more ground than a single larger sized drone.

The
Int-Ball by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

The Int-Ball, or JEM Internal Ball Camera was built using 3D printing to float aboard the International Space Station taking video and photo documentation. The spherical drone arrived on the ISS in June of 2017 and weighs 1kg, has a 15cm diameter and moves with 12 propellers. The Int-Ball features both internal and external components produced using 3D printing and is designed to float in a zero-gravity environment with the ability to move autonomously or be maneuvered by operators on Earth. It is set to reduce the crew’s workload by 10% by taking on image capturing duties.


3D printing helps to redefine what is possible when it comes to exploring and achieving innovation in drone technology. Its efficiency in prototyping and customization make room for a higher level of productivity and imagination, improving the way drones are designed and manufactured. If you are looking to create the next innovative drone, 3D printing is essential to facilitating the most efficient and flexible production process.

See how Shapeways can help your drone business transition to 3D printing!

The post 5 Next-Level 3D Printed Drones That Are Pushing the Industry Forward appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Customize Drones with 3D Printing to Suit Your Business

Drones, or UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), are a growing technology used in many different sectors and their designs must suit their specific application. 3D printing facilitates drone innovation by enabling design freedom, as well as fast and affordable prototyping and printing of parts. It is possible to 3D print many of a drone’s parts including the frame, propellers, the landing gear, protective equipment and casings for the electronic components.

With the cost and time efficiency that 3D printing offers, each of these parts can be optimized, customized and upgraded to suit the exact needs of the business it is serving. If you are using or considering using drones for your business, 3D printing has the potential to substantially enhance your drone’s function.

Cut
Time and Costs By Turning to 3D Printing for Customized Drones

Commercial drones can be highly expensive and out of reach for smaller businesses that rely on the use of drones to grow their business. 3D printing cuts costs in many different areas including prototyping, customization and manufacturing and therefore makes specialty drones more accessible. It also speeds up the design and prototyping process so that changes can be implemented and the design can evolve more quickly. Kespry, a company that specializes in drones for mapping and surveying, were able to successfully grow their business thanks in part to the affordability of 3D printing their drone parts. Prototyping and printing the covers for their drones’ electronic components cost substantially less than traditional manufacturing methods like injection molding.

Design
a Drone that Suits Your Business Perfectly

Even with the wide range of drones already out there, why rely on a ready-made drone that only suits some of your needs? If you need drones to transport supplies and other cargo, to perform reconnaissance in tight spaces or remote areas, or to catch stunning video footage from the sky, 3D printing can allow you to upgrade drones to suit your business specifically.

Optimize Your Drone Based on its Function

A drone transporting cargo would need a much sturdier, reinforced frame, for example, whereas an FPV drone carrying a small camera might benefit from a more lightweight body. Perhaps your drone needs to be weather resistant and be able to continue flying in unpredictable conditions. No matter what your business’s unique set of needs is, 3D printing allows you to make specific design choices.

Take Advantage of a Higher Level of Geometric Complexity

3D printing technology allows designs to incorporate a higher complexity, allowing parts to be produced more efficiently. Using 3D Printing, companies like Quantum Systems are able to consolidate their drone parts by taking advantage of the ability to produce more complex designs that integrate multiple functions into one part. This not only saves time and materials but also gives them the opportunity to add any needed features to their designs without compromising on the drone’s weight.

Prototype
Your Drone Parts

Prototyping with 3D printing helps make customizing drones accessible even to smaller businesses. The process allows for unprecedented speed and cost reduction in making sure your drone is the best it can be. Instead of waiting months to test new iterations, changes can be made to 3D designs within hours, then printed and shipped to you in days. Implementing changes quickly allows for a faster evolution of a design and to find exactly what is right for your business.

Print
Your Parts with the Appropriate 3D Printing Method and Materials

Selecting the right 3D printing technology and materials will depend on the drone. SLA printing provides a high level of precision and a wide range of materials to choose from. The material should be tough and versatile and be able to handle stretching, bending and impact. Nylon is another option as it is strong, temperature resistant and is also good for printing drone fuselages that resist collision damages.

Partner
Up with a Service To Achieve the Highest Level of Quality

For the most efficient printing process, it is important to have dedicated support and access to the highest quality results. Our services at Shapeways enable businesses of all sizes to develop specialty drones without incurring high equipment startup costs and navigating the trial and error of adapting to a new technology. That way your focus can be on your needs and your unique drone design while the production of prototypes and parts is taken care of.

            Drones are used for such a wide range of projects and functions that having specific enhancements to suit its purpose are hugely beneficial. Traditional manufacturing methods would have made unique alterations inaccessible to many smaller businesses but thanks to 3D printing, updating a drone’s design has limitless opportunities. Whether your business uses or produces and sells drones, customization will become more and more important and 3D printing is the best suited technology to facilitate it.

See how Shapeways can help you produce the best drones to grow your business.

learn more

The post Customize Drones with 3D Printing to Suit Your Business appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Drone Deliveries: Wilhelmsen Turns to F-drones to Deliver 3D-Printed Spare Parts

Wilhelmsen, one of the world’s largest maritime companies, is making continual progress in the field of 3D printing for its sector. The latest news from the firm is that it will begin using drones to deliver 3D-printed spare parts to its off-shore customers via a partnership with Singapore’s F-drones.

The announcement comes after Wilhelmsen launched its early adopter program for 3D printing spare parts in the maritime industry in December 2019. In February 2020, the company performed its first delivery of 3D-printed spare parts to a Berge Bulk ship. Now, the delivery of 3D-printed spare parts is going to be performed by unmanned aerial vehicles from F-drones, the only drone delivery business that has been authorized by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore to perform deliveries Beyond-Visual-Line-of-Sight to vessels.

A Series 1 Pro 3D printer printing a part for Wilhelmsen’s spare parts program. Image courtesy of Wilhelmsen Group.

While there has been a great deal of hype around giants like Amazon using drones to drop items off to ordinary consumers, F-drones is demonstrating the viability of such a technology for hard-to-reach locales, such as oil rigs and ships. With electric drones able to carry 5 kg across 50 km, F-drones will be partnering with Wilhelmsen to perform last-mile deliveries with a future goal of delivering up to 100 kg across 100 km. The firm suggests that the use of drones for such operations can reduce costs, time, labor and carbon emissions by 80 percent compared to boats and helicopters.

So far, Wilhelmsen has six customers in its early adopter program, including, in addition Berge Bulk: Carnival Maritime, OSM Maritime Group, Thome Ship Management, its own Wilhelmsen Ship Management, and Executive Ship Management. Involved in the spare parts printing program is the Ivaldi Group, a startup founded by former Type A Machines CEO Espen Sivertsen and invested in by Wilhelmsen. Also linked with the maritime giant is German steel leader thyssenkrupp. All of this activity is located in Singapore, which obviously has an ideal location for seafaring activities, but has also established itself as center of additive manufacturing (AM) activity. Combined, we may see Singapore as becoming the hub for maritime AM.

3D-printed spare parts for maritime. Image courtesy of Wilhelmsen.

As 3D-printed spare parts become established within this sector, we may also see the additive production of replacement components take off in other industries, where the promise of such a scheme has long been touted. Virtual inventory and spare parts 3D printed on-demand seem to make sense on paper, particularly for segments where individual components are specialized and high cost, like heavy equipment, industrial manufacturing, and energy. In the case of the maritime sector, perhaps all that will be needed to push 3D printable spare parts across that last mile is a drone delivery service.

[Feature image courtesy of F-drones.]

The post Drone Deliveries: Wilhelmsen Turns to F-drones to Deliver 3D-Printed Spare Parts appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing.

Replacing Your Drone With 3D Printing

While drones have been used by the United States military since practically the start of the century, they’ve become increasingly popular amongst average consumers only in recent years. In fact, different variations of drones can be found for sale online or even in local malls. So it’s no surprise really that the 3D printing community is trying to find ways to take drones to the next level.

If you’re a proud drone owner, you probably know how easy it is for something to go wrong or malfunction—or it may simply just fly into something you didn’t see—leaving you with having to find a way to replace certain parts of it. Thankfully, because of 3D printing, you can easily replace and repair your own drones. Here are a few ways how. 

3D printing will cut costs drastically

First off, if you’re not swayed enough quite yet to use 3D printing to replace your drone, consider this: Doing so cuts cost heavily. While some smaller drones may be easy to put together, many of them are complex and because of that, can quickly rise in price. 3D printing will help you cut down the costs associated with replacing your drone parts or repairing it when needed. 

It allows you to customize 

In addition, 3D printing allows you to customize your drone to your own liking. And when you want or need to make adjustments, you don’t need to reach out to a manufacturer to do it—which can be a lengthy, stressful process. Instead, you can can make all changes, adjustments and repairs on your own, at your own pace and to your own liking. 

3D printed drones are faster and lighter

Two qualities that consumers always want to improve when it comes to drones: speed and weight. Obviously the lighter a drone is, the faster—and easier—it can fly. And with 3D printing, you can accomplish just that

You can easily repair many drone parts

When something malfunctions or breaks, it’s important to first figure out what part of your drone needs to be replaced. It’s likely that you’ll be able to easily replace that piece using 3D printing. Here are a list of pieces that can easily be repaired through 3D printing: propellers, drone frames and equipment housing, landing gear, protective guards, exoskeleton attachments, antenna holders, and mounts for cameras and other payloads. 

You can 3D print accessories for your drone

And when it comes to customization, here’s a list of the accessories you can easily 3D print for your drone: Carrying cases, radio signal enhancers, targets, landing pads, and cones, tables and displays, repair tools, sun shades for mobile device controllers, remote control unit housings, and landing gear extenders.

Ready to take your drone to the next level? Find out how we can help support your next project and bring the power of industrial 3D printing to your drones.

The post Replacing Your Drone With 3D Printing appeared first on Shapeways Magazine.

3D Printed Drones are Making Drones More Affordable

Kespry drones for aerial intelligence

Kespry provides drone-based aerial intelligence for industrial use; drone parts 3D printed with Shapeways.

Sometimes referred to as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), drones have been in use by the United States military since the turn of the century. Nowadays, manufacturers around the world are mass-producing drones for intelligence, security, parcel delivery, and even leisure.

But commercial-grade drones are prohibitively expensive. Many are still in the prototype phase. Those that are available are proprietary and are dependent upon long and costly supply chains. Thankfully, 3D printed drones are quickly becoming a reality — and they’re a significant opportunity for drone-based businesses to cut costs without cutting corners.

Cutting the Costs of Drones

Many consumers can readily afford miniature drones — some even sell for under $50. But drones capable of commercial applications have been out of reach for most businesses.

With the integrated technologies they need to function and the power to carry payloads like cameras and packages, commercial-grade drones can cost in the tens of thousands of dollars.

Thankfully, 3D printed drones are a solution to the cost problem. Instead of paying a premium for a finished product, businesses can print parts using a printing service and assemble drones to save substantially on costs.

3D Printing Goes Mainstream

3D printer sales have skyrocketed, and they’re only growing. By 2030, experts expect at least 100 million 3D printers to have been sold. Soon, 3D printers will be available in libraries and other public spaces, and people who can afford them may even have 3D printers in their homes. With the advent of mainstream 3D printing, devices like drones will be more accessible than ever.

3D printed drones can be constructed in parts by hobbyists. But 3D printing promises to deliver even better results for businesses. According to one study, 70% of the companies surveyed had increased their investments in 3D printing in 2018. That, compared to just 49% in 2017.

Businesses interested in expanding their drone capacities through 3D printing technology must measure the costs and benefits before investing. This technology is advancing rapidly every year.

Regardless, healthcare providers, delivery companies, energy producers, retailers, real estate firms, and even agribusinesses can all benefit from drone technology. Those that invest in 3D printed drone technology early will reap the benefits and gain an edge over their competitors.

Furthermore, most businesses won’t need to install 3D printing technology on-premises. Instead, they can rely on a 3D printing service to deliver all the products they need.

The Benefits of 3D Printed Drones

With so much attention being paid to drone technology, one would expect more business to be incorporating drones into their operations. But drone technology has been inaccessible for most businesses, especially small and medium-sized companies that already have heavy investments in their legacy operations.

The most significant barrier is the cost. Despite miniature drones becoming affordable for consumers, most businesses still need more advanced drone technology to harness any benefits. Advanced drones come with a hefty price tag.

3D printed drones stand to change all that.

Here are a few of the many benefits businesses can enjoy because of the combination of 3D printing and mainstream drone technology:

Cost Savings

First and foremost, 3D printing will help businesses save dramatically on costs, regardless of how they apply it. In one use case, a developer of automated water sensor systems reached a total savings of 86% in time and 95% in cost by leveraging 3D printing technology.

Construction companies, car manufacturers, and engineering firms are all realizing cost savings, as well. For companies that need a drone fleet to streamline their operations, there’s no better technology to employ to help the bottom line.

Customization, Modification, and Upgrading

When you order drones directly from a manufacturer, you get what you pay for. They may have a variety of models and some elements of customization, but you are still beholden to their offerings and their processes.

If you need to fix, upgrade, or modify your drone, you must reach out to the manufacturer and pay for it.

With 3D printing, you can customize, modify, and upgrade your 3D printed drones as much as you like. You can obtain 3D printing blueprints through numerous sources. Some are proprietary, but there are open-source files available as well.

Fast and Easy Repairs

If you’ve ever taken your care to the shop and been told they need to order a part to fix it, you can understand why businesses struggle when their commercial technology requires the same service.

When you 3D print drones, you typically do it in phases, printing each part and assembling the device afterward they are completed. Because of this process, you never have to order parts to fix your drones. Simply print a new part and fix the machine as necessary, saving your businesses time and money.

A Multitude of Materials

There is a wide range of materials available to use with 3D printers. Some of them are appropriate for drone technology, while others are best used for other applications.

For industrial 3D printing, some of the best materials are:

  • Plastics (PET, Nylon, ABS)
  • Resin
  • Gold and Silver
  • Titanium
  • Aluminum
  • Stainless Steel
  • Ceramics
  • Graphite and Graphene

 

Naturally, the types of materials you can use will depend on your project and the availability of the right printing technology. Drones, for example, can be made with plastic, aluminum, and other metals.

Because of their complexity and fragility, you may not be able to print some drone parts using these materials, especially if you intend to incorporate advanced computing systems into your drones.

Quantum-Systems drones for mapping, surveying and security applications; parts printed by Shapeways.

Quantum-Systems develops technologically advanced drones for mapping, surveying and security applications; parts printed by Shapeways.

The Commercial Applications for 3D Printed Drones

Once printed and assembled, the commercial applications of drones are almost limitless. Some entrepreneurs are making a killing as drone photographers. But on a macro-economic scale, drones could change the way we shop, buy, communicate, and stay safe.

After the FAA opened its drone registration website, 300,000 drones were registered within the first month. Some were registered by consumers, but many more were registered by businesses looking to capitalize on the technology.

Here are just a few of the possible commercial applications of 3D printed drones:

Agriculture

Drones have the potential to revolutionize agriculture, but farmers must always be concerned about the bottom line. Now that 3D printed drones are becoming widely available, more and more farmers can save money in the investment.

Farmers can use drones to survey and inventory their crops, spray pesticides, spread fertilizers and seeds, and even monitor livestock. Essentially, drones can make time-consuming farm activities much more efficient.

Construction

Architectural and construction firms can use drones to create 3D models of a landscape. The architect can then use that model to design their building with complete accuracy. What architects could once only do with an expensive helicopter ride can now be done remotely with a small device.

On the construction side, drones can be used to monitor construction sites and deliver parts and products to workers high in the air, among other tasks.

Delivery

The prospect of drone delivery is perhaps the most explored application of this technology. With so many consumers shopping online, ground-based delivery is struggling to keep up with demand.

Amazon may be able to afford a proprietary fleet of delivery drones, but small businesses need a more cost-effective option. Whether it’s a new fuse, a local magazine, or even a pizza, 3D printed drones can enable any business to deliver its services.

Emergency and Healthcare Services

Drones have the potential to save people’s lives. They can deliver medical supplies to people in remote areas and surveil dangerous situations before emergency personnel move in.

With advanced computing technologies, drones can even be used to locate criminals on the run and people in distress.

Media and Photography

Photography and videography are two applications for drones that are already widespread. Consumers use drones to create amazing videos and photographs. But businesses can use them to create advertisements and video marketing content.

Wireless Internet

In areas that are hit by disasters, and in rural areas where robust internet infrastructure is lacking, drones can be employed to deliver wireless internet services quickly.

Internet service providers can 3D print a drone fleet and outfit them with broadcast technology in case of emergencies. Of course, they can also print drones on demand and offer emergency Wi-Fi as a service.

Adopting 3D Printed Drones

There are still some barriers to the widespread application of 3D printed drones.

Regulations are still being weighed and measured, and the public still has both safety and ethical concerns surrounding drone technology — but because of 3D printing, drones will only become more commonplace as more and more businesses adopt them.

 

The post 3D Printed Drones are Making Drones More Affordable appeared first on Shapeways Magazine.

3D Printing Industry News Sliced: AMUG, Protolabs, Essentium, Renishaw and more

In this week’s edition of the 3D Printing Industry News digest Sliced, 3D printing forays into the world of food art; drone deliveries; white-collar boxing and art sculptures. We also cover the latest advancements and updates from the likes of Protolabs, GE Aviation and Renishaw. There are also updates regarding exhibitions and speakers for the […]

Material of the Month: Versatile Plastic

Versatile Plastic is a durable nylon plastic that can be used for a wide range of applications, both for prototyping and for end products. Printed using Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), when thin, it’s flexible enough for hinges and springs and when thick, it’s strong enough for structural components. ​

Ideal Applications Include:

  • Robotics
  • Drones
  • Medical & Prosthetics
  • Installation & Exhibits
  • Education
  • Consumer Products

EOS Selective Laser Sintering

We print all of our Versatile Plastic on EOS P770, P396, and P110 machines which are Laser Sintering Systems. The largest machine is able to print parts over half a meter in length.

Materials

Polyamide 12, PA 12 & Nylon 12

Colors

 

 

.

Features

  • Heatproof to 175C/350F
  • Good Chemical Resistance
  • Skin-Friendly
  • Dishwasher Safe

.

 

 

Technical Documents

Check out the Material Data Sheet and the Material Safety Data Sheet for Versatile Plastic.

Upload Your File

Ready to get started? Upload your file now for an instant quote.

 

 

Grow Your Business

Learn how you can utilize SLS technology to expand the manufacturing capabilities of your business.

 

 

 

We hope you enjoyed this first installment of our Material of the Month: Versatile Plastic series. Stay tuned for more in-depth look into business applications and material demonstrations later this month. Got a question about this material? Drop us a line here and we’ll provide answers in a future post.

The post Material of the Month: Versatile Plastic appeared first on Shapeways Magazine.

Self Repairing Cities Project Continues to Make Progress with Flying Road-Fixing 3D Printers

The holiday season is here…and so is the season for terrible roads. Snow and ice will be ruling the roads for the next few months, and when they go, they will leave behind them potholes and cracks. Time to get the road crews out, resulting in further frustration as traffic flow is disrupted to fix the damage.

It’s a cycle that most people are used to, but it may not be the case forever. The Self Repairing Cities project is working to create a future in which drones repair road damage, using attached 3D printers to deposit asphalt into cracks and holes. The University of Leeds has already created a prototype of a road repair drone, and researchers at University College London have developed the world’s first asphalt 3D printer.

“Our 2050 vision is to have zero-disruption road works,” says Richard Jackson, a research associate at UCL who developed the asphalt 3D printer. “It will be quieter, so we can do it at night and the goal is to have no human input at all.”

Before the project reaches that stage, it may be deployed in a semi-automated version of the process, which several road contractors have already expressed interest in. For example, a logistics app could direct a small repair crew to crack locations, possibly in an automated vehicle, optimizing the work schedule, timing and routes. The crew would bring a “black box” which would use computer vision technology to position a 3D printer over the crack and fill it.

Not only would using drones to repair roads be less disruptive to traffic, it would be much less expensive than using human crews, according to Jackson. The idea is to repair small cracks before they can develop into full-blown potholes. Road surfaces would be continually scanned, using devices attached to the underside of municipal vehicles such as garbage trucks, and cracks would be treated soon after being identified. Using GPS, drones could be deployed to the sites of cracks, equipped with exactly the right amount of asphalt to treat each crack.

More research is required, according to Jackson, to figure out how the crack would be prepared for repair; it would need to be cleaned out and some sort of agent applied to help form a good bond between the repair material and the road surface.

“As scientists, we like to ask questions like ‘could we put a flame thrower on a drone?’” says Jackson. “And after the asphalt has been printed, are we going to compact it, or will each function be carried out by a different drone?”

The 3D printer that Jackson designed is a three-axis system with individual stepper motors that move the printer nozzle, which is made up of an auger screw, a stepper motor to drive the screw and a pellet hopper that feeds the asphalt pellets. The pellets are warmed by heating resistors and turned into liquid as they pass through the nozzle.

When Jackson tested the 3D printer, he compared 3D printed bars of asphalt to cast ones and discovered something surprising: the printed bars had up to nine times the ductility of the cast ones, with similar fracture strengths. Under closer observation, it was discovered that the 3D printed asphalt had a stretchy brown substance throughout its cross-section, unlike the cast samples. Jackson thinks that that the brown substance is composed of a lighter saturated faction of the asphalt that formed due to the way various sizes of particles move during heating and extrusion process.

“I have done some other work involving nano-fibres and the printing process influences the fibres quite strangely too,” he said.

Jackson is now working on 3D printing asphalt mixes, and while there is some trouble printing aggregate material at a small scale, mixtures of sand and asphalt can be printed. 3D printing would allow the material to be varied over the depth of the crack, with feedstock switched out to apply a different material at the bottom and the top. Jackson is also adding nanomaterials such as titanium dioxide nano particles. This will allow for printing materials to be customized for different locations. The operating parameters of the 3D printer could also be adjusted.

“There is an argument for machine learning in the design,” said Jackson. “We need a factory to make the 3D printing robots with different properties depending on the materials used in the road.”

In a separate project, researchers at Texas A&M have been working with 3D printing to repair spall damage, which happens when lumps of concrete in concrete roads break off around cracks. Jaeheum Yeon from the university’s Department of Engineering and Technology said that he and colleagues Julian Kang from the Department of Construction Science and Wei Yan from the Department of Architecture were inspired by dental technology to 3D print concrete patches for the spall damage.

“The use of laser scanners and 3D printers to treat cavities also has implications for engineers in concrete road maintenance,” said Yeon. “This method of treating cavities using 3D printers can be used to repair spall damage on concrete roads.”

The researchers used photogrammetry software to create a computer model of the spall damage, which was then used to create a plastic formwork into which concrete was poured. The patch was then glued into the hole. This technique has been used for two holes in the university’s parking lot. The longevity of the technique still needs to be proven before using it on roads, but the researchers believe that it could be used to repair holes in two days rather than the usual seven, as well as reducing costs from $140,000 to $1,700.

Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below.