Future vision: Swarms of drones could also be used in space, for example on a future Mars mission. Image: Yusuf Furkan KAYA, Aerial Robotics Laboratory, Imperial College London / Empa
Future vision: Swarms of drones could also be used in space, for example on a future Mars mission. Image: Yusuf Furkan KAYA, Aerial Robotics Laboratory, Imperial College London / Empa An international research team led by drone expert Mirko Kovac of Empa and Imperial College London has taken bees as a model to develop a swarm of cooperative, 3D-printing drones. Under human control, these flying robots work as a team to print 3D materials for building or repairing structures while flying, as the scientists report in the cover story of the latest issue of Nature. 3D printing is gaining momentum in the construction industry. Both on-site and in the factory, static and mobile robots print materials for use in construction projects, such as steel and concrete structures. A new approach to 3D printing - led in its development by Imperial College London and Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratories of Materials Science and Technology - uses flying robots, known as drones, that use collective building methods inspired by natural builders like bees and wasps. The system, called Aerial Additive Manufacturing (Aerial-AM), involves a fleet of drones working together from a single blueprint.
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