If we can track a missing smartphone to a location virtually anywhere, it would make sense that we might figure out how to find missing people more easily as they are separated from boats and planes, although the idea of being equipped with a GPS device is not something any of us want for ourselves as independent adults always hoping to avoid the Big Brother scenario.
The idea of drones that would be alerted to individuals who fell overboard or were stranded on an island or floating object, working in tandem with rescue teams, sounds like something quite worth
In a project regarding drones that are more of a friendly nature than the cold steel military variety, Zortrax has come onto the scene collaborating with Polish team AeroAtena and their Robolifeguard project, which served as a finalist in the ‘Drones for Good’ competition sponsored in the United Arab Emirates. The idea for those who entered the contest was to come up with more common, civilian uses for drones.
“We began as a tech startup, so we want to continue to support similar initiatives. We accepted the proposal by AeroAtena right away because this was a unique opportunity [to] participate in a fascinating project that explored new, life-saving applications for both drones and 3D printing,” said Karolina Bołądź, Zortrax’s COO. “Not only did we prepare the print itself, but we also provided the help of our designers in the model’s processing.”
AeroAtena, made up of Tomasz Muszyński, Ilona Muszyńska, Kaja Muszyńska, Andrzej Majka, Rafał Nowak, and Karol Borys, invited Zortrax to help them with the 3D printing of their lifeguarding drone, meant to land on water in the vicinity of those thrown overboard, offering them a buoyant item to grasp onto while also allowing constant contact with rescue teams until their arrival.
What do you think about the potential for this 3D printed drone lifeguard device? How do you think it could be turned into a reality across the board for identifying and saving those who have fallen overboard or been stranded? Can a 3D printed item hold up to the elements? Tell us your thoughts in the Zortrax 3D Prints Drone to Save Castaways forum thread over at 3DPB.com.
Zortrax, based in Poland, has won multiple awards for their efforts as 3D printer manufacturers, offering a streamlined, quality product for designers and engineers. Their 3D printers also feature a very pleasing design aesthetically. The company, receiving its initial boost from Kickstarter, also opened the first retail 3D printing store in Kraków, Poland.