3D Printed Vortek Speedboat Now Available in Dubai

Dubai-based company Innoventive 3D has released the Vortek, a 3D printed speedboat. The same firm previously made the Cyberfin, reportedly from marine waste. The Vortex looks kind of like it would suit Batman, but it even looks more like a dog head robot from a Japanese cartoon that at any moment is likely to flip and join five other robots in a giant mechatronic Spot the Dog. Certainly futuristic, the boat is now commercially available, and you can order one today.

The boat is made in Dubai, and the hull, deck, and superstructure were made using Material Extrusion. You can customize your boat, and they are built to order. Reportedly, the build time is in weeks, and it costs a third of a traditionally made speedboat of the same size.

Innoventive makes scale models, 3D printed sculptures, 3D printed booths, and signage. By being a hub for printing, the firm showcases just how versatile the large-format world is becoming. We’re not sure what 3D printers the company has, but they have images of what looks like a Massivit, a few robot arm-based systems, and an Ingersoll Masterprint. Boats are a big potential application for 3D printing. The UAE has shown a lot of interest in the technology, with another company, Al Seer, buying a large CEAD system to print boats. Al Seer is to 3D print the electric Abras, small public transport boats, and also an unmanned surface vessel, the Hydra.

I don’t know how many people are speedboat shopping in Dubai at the moment, eager to take a spin out on the Gulf. But I’m sure that there could be some. There are always optimists, or we wouldn’t have convertibles, speedboats, cryptocurrency, NFT’s, bread-baking machines, and a $285 plastic Hermes frisbee, the Wouf. That frisbee is explicitly meant for dogs, by the way, just like a new dog perfume, or rather, Dolce & Gabbana Fefé Fragrance Mist for Dogs. To apply, “Spray Fefé on your hands or on a brush and proceed by rubbing or brushing your dog’s fur from the middle of the body towards the tail to give them a moment of scented pampering.” Also, “Fefé marks the brand’s inaugural alcohol-free fragrance mist tailored specifically for dogs. It’s an olfactory masterpiece featuring the cocooning and warm notes of Ylang, the clean and enveloping touch of Musk, and the woody, creamy undertones of Sandalwood.” Was I the only one who had to recoil and shiver a bit at the “enveloping touch of Musk?”

But, while there are always optimists and they do drive some kind of innovation, I’m going to hazard a guess and say that this is perhaps not the best time ever to launch a speedboat. But the Vortek could be made as a one-off, and the company can produce on demand. That could be a portend of the ability of 3D printing to make boats in a less capital-intensive way, with better economics.

But, rather than more pleasure craft, it may be more expedient for the UAE to see if they can turn the Vortek into a go-fast with an M2 on it, kind of a sea-going autonomous technical, the Hilux for the seas. Now that is something that a lot of people would be very interested in right now. Again, the versatility of 3D printing could play a part here and let this be easily adapted to remote operations or for weapons stations. Maybe something to talk to the people at the Edge Group about.

The UAE has taken a real interest in boat building to augment its shipping and port industries over the years. It is also striving to become an Additive hub. In this case, with its national defense being an immediate priority, 3D printing can make a real difference in quickly building an inexpensive craft to suit a particular purpose. It would be lovely to live in a world where speedboats were the logical choice, but unscrewed surface vessels could be a very meaningful investment for the UAE at the moment.