Recently, a test drone was launched from the Royal Navy ship HMS Mersey. The drone was printed using a 3D printer and assembled on deck.
The drone was launched using a catapult, after which it autonomously flew to a few preprogrammed spots before being flown to a landing spot on the beach. The point of all this? To prove how cheap, disposable drones can be built and flown in a heartbeat on a ship, and how they are able to adapt to new missions as needed.
Using 3D printing rather than more conventional methods of building drones could significantly reduce costs and offer the Navy drones whenever it needs them. The cost is reduced by so much because the number of drones needed isn't high enough to offset things like setup costs.
The test was very successful, with those involved being unsure how the drone would be able to handle the windy conditions at sea prior to the test. This particular drone model could eventually find its way into commercial use and even civilian use. Known as Sulsa, the drone is printed in four parts that are then clipped together. Even things like the rudders and other hinged parts are built using the printer. To complete the drone, a battery, control electronics, motor and propeller are latched onto it. Finished, the drone can fly at up to a massive 100 mph.
Drones that can be launched from ships aren't new, but the ones that already exist are far more expensive, costing millions of dollars. The Sulsa drone can be built for only a few thousand dollars.
Of course, there is a tradeoff for the low price. The drone is only able to fly for up to 40 minutes before the battery needs to be recharged. Forty minutes, however, could be enough time to respond to things like reports of piracy, with the drone flying out and being able to check out a vessel while the ship is able to stay as far back as 10 miles.
Jim Scanlan, a researcher from Southampton who worked on the drone, envisages parts on a ship to build as many as 50 drones as well as a 3D printer to handle printing the parts needed. There are still steps to take before printing drones at sea makes sense, though. Printing the necessary parts to build a drone takes hours. Not only that, but 3D printers would need to be modified so that they can stay level despite the rolling waves at sea.
