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The US Army Research Laboratory has carried out flight tests of 3D-printed unmanned aircraft systems that were created on-demand for specific missions. The technology is called the On-Demand Small Unmanned Aircraft System.
Soldiers often have to carry an arsenal with them into the battlefield, which can include equipment such as UAVs. With the on-demand system, once a patrol requires UAV support, soldiers input all their requirements into mission planning software. The system then knows the optimal configuration for the aerial vehicle and it is printed at a base and delivered within 24 hours.
John Gerdes, an engineer on the project, said: “Drones are really big right now. The commercial and hobby markets have shown what can be done with a small amount of money. Additive manufacturing or 3D printing has also become huge. So we figured let’s assemble these two technologies and provide a solution for soldiers that need something right now and don’t want to wait for it.”
The team spent several hours flight testing and verifying the designs to ensure the UAVs were working as expected, and could fly at up to 55mph.
Eric Spero, team leader and project manager, said that, based on feedback from army leaders, the team will work on improving low noise, long stand-off distance, heavier payload capacity and better agility.
The researchers also successfully printed a Picatinny rail, a bracket used to mount accessories on a small arms weapon, to demonstrate the system. In about two and a half hours, they had a rail that adequately fit the soldiers’ weapons.
The Royal Navy launched a 3D-printed on-demand UAV in 2015. Researchers believe barrels of powder and 3D printers could replace UAVs on board ships for cheaper and more efficient missions.
The US army engineers collaborated with Georgia Tech’s Aerospace Systems Design Lab and will continue to refine these technologies for soldiers.