MIT develops a ship that can automatically navigate cheaply using 3D printers, making mass production possible

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which can be manufactured with 3D printers and can autonomously navigate in an unmanned stateMIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL)The research team of Daniela Luz and others, who is the director of the company, developed it. By developing the ship to practical use,AmsterdamAndBangkok,VeniceIt is expected to alleviate congestion in cities where waterways have developed as shown in Fig.

Fleet of autonomous boats could service some cities, reducing road traffic | MIT News
http://news.mit.edu/2018/fleet-autonomous-boats-service-cities-reducing-road-traffic-0523

MIT Develops Fleet of 3-D Printed Autonomous Boats
http://compositesmanufacturingmagazine.com/2018/05/mit-develops-fleet-of-3d-printed-autonomous-boats/

As of 2018, the waterway is mainly responsible for transporting goods in order to reduce road traffic volume. However, even if it is a waterway, as traffic increases, traffic jams occur, so we have the problem that goods can not be transported smoothly.

Therefore, the research team started developing the boat that can autonomously navigate, thinking that the unmanned boat can carry the goods at night by thinking that traffic congestion on the roads and waterways can be further alleviated.

The boat developed by the research team is a rectangular hull of 4 m × 2 m, and all the parts necessary for making the hull are made with a commercially available 3D printer. Note that it takes about 60 hours to create parts with 3D printers,Glass fiberIt is said that it is used.

The boat has a power supply, a Wi-Fi antenna,Real-time kinematic GPSmodule,Inertial measurement device (IMU), Minicomputer,MicrocontrollerAre mounted and it is possible to recognize the position in 1 cm increments. In addition, four boatsThruster(Red frame) is located at the center of each side of the hull, and the research team explains that fine control becomes possible.


Also, in order to autonomously navigate the boat, it is necessary to program according to the intended use, but by doing work of about several hours, it is said that navigation at a level that can withstand actual operation becomes possible.

The way the boat actually is running can be checked with the following movie.

Printable autonomous boats - YouTube


The boat in the movie is programmed to advance the position of the dotted line. When actually sailing is started ...


Along the designated course, we will proceed while turning.



It is possible to navigate to the designated course not only in the flowing pool but also in the flowing place.



The boat developed this time shows that autonomous navigation is possible only, and can not actually transport goods and people. Therefore, as a future step, the research team says, "We will begin to develop controllers that can respond to mass changes when people and goods are loaded."