Flying 3D Printers Remove Toxic Waste, Build Nests

May-08-14 Flying 3D printers could one day be used to remove toxic waste from disaster areas or help repair damaged buildings, as well as give drones a place to rest.

The quadcopter drones were inspired by the swiftlets—birds that build their nest out of their own saliva. Created by a team from Imperial College London, the flying printers can mix their polyurethane foam while in flight and then extrude it onto a specific target—such as an object contaminated with radioactivity. Once the foam has been applied, a hexacopter could land on the foam, wait for it to harden, and then fly away with the object. The task can be carried out almost autonomously, once the object's coordinates have been programmed into the drone's GPS.

The goal of the project is to increase the range of drone missions, particularly in challenging environments, "through the adaptable construction of recharging platforms or monitoring stations." The team believes the technology could be used to allow drones to build platforms and deploy solar panels so they can charge themselves in the field.

More Info about this Invention:

[NEWSCIENTIST.COM]
[IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON]

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