3D printed unmanned aerial vehicle successfully tested by T-Works

HYDERABAD: In a development that could later have numerous applications in areas such as farming and surveying, T-Works on Thursday successfully tested its first 3D printed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

Speaking to Express, Anand Rajagopalan of T-Works said, “The first UAV flew beautifully with an estimated take off at around 80 km/hr and cruise at 140 km/hr. It had a smooth flight for 2 minutes before we lost radio control”.

Rajagopalan also explained the challenges that they faced while embarking on the project. “We started out by choosing a few well-proven 3D printable designs from the Internet and modified them for the propulsion systems we already had. It was not a smooth transition from design to prototype,” he added. For Rajagopalan and his team, this has been a learning experience. “The lessons helped us know about material properties, characteristics of 3D printed parts and how they could be improved. We are building better airframes now, specifically designed for 3D printing and, in the process, standardising the processes for amateur aeromodellers and professionals for designing their own planes at low cost,” he said.

However, what does the future hold for 3D printing and UAVs made from such technology? He said, “From farming to delivery to surveying, there are a plenty of use cases to build applications around UAVs. However, getting an aircraft to test and further develop these applications is proving to be a challenge. We hope to eventually lower this barrier by sharing designs, technologies, and best practices for anyone to build a UAV quickly at a low cost”.

IT Minister KT Rama Rao congratulated T-Works and said, “Fabulous job team @TWorksHyd. India’s largest prototyping lab to be launched within next couple of months”.