The Sky is the Limit for SelectTech Geospatial, Stratasys, and SolidWorks

The future is now; the days of the unarmed vehicles and advanced flight technology are no longer just something for the big screen. Perhaps, one day, you will be able to get inside your car or board a plane that won’t have a driver or pilot but it will still get you from point A to point B safely, a concept that Google is currently exploring, according an article in Popular Science.

SelectTech Geospatial Advanced Manufacturing Facility Flight Team

Embracing the new wave of innovation, SelectTech GeoSpatial Advanced Manufacturing Facility, a defense contracting firm working with the US Department of Defense (DoD), is using Stratasys 3D printing technology and SolidWorks 3D CAD software to deliver their command and control, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems to the DoD on time and on a budget. With limited resources and a tight deadline, SelectTech Geospatial used the Stratasys Dimension FDM (fused deposition modeling) 3D printer in tandem with SolidWorks Premium to show that they could design complex systems and manufacture in less than a month without sacrificing quality. The success of the aircraft’s flight marked the first time that a 3D-printed UAV took off and landed successfully.

SelectTech Geospatial's 3D-printed UAV on the runway — SelectTech Geospatial’s 3D-printed UAV on the runway

With SelectTech Geospatial’s plane paving the way for unmanned 3D printed vehicles and planes, one can only dream of the possibilities that lie ahead. Maybe one day, we will be able to fully customize and print out our own cars and planes using a 3D printer and SolidWorks. Until then, we have to rely on innovative firms like SelectTech Geospatial, for whom the sky is the limit, to bring us into the future.

See how SelectTech Geospatial using 3D design and printing techology to build their UAV, read the case study.