Centre for Intelligent Transport
Research Impact
Autonomous Aerial-Additive Manufacturing (Aerial-AM): a framework for realizing construction using collective multi-robot AM systems
Researchers have created a team of drones that can print 3D constructions while they are flying. These flying robots can coordinate and make decisions about how to print objects that are bigger than themselves – expanding the horizons of the construction industry.
Nature: Wasp-inspired drones can 3D print a building
Teams of aerial robots mounted with 3D printers could work together to build emergency shelters and greener homes.
- AlphaGalileo 'Bee-like drones ready to print buildings' 21 Sept 2022
- Swissinfo 'Scientists develop swarm of 3D printing drones' 22 Sept 2022
- Institution of Mechanical Engineering 'Autonomous drones work together to 3D print cement structures' 23 Sept 2022
- MIT Technology Review 'Watch this team of drones 3D-print a tower' 21 Sept 2022
- Advanced Science News 'A swarm of flying 3D printers inspired by bees' 10 Nov 2022
Personal mobility: assessing and improving the mobility of wheelchair users
Dr Ildar Farkhatdinov (Senior Lecturer in Robotics, SEMS, QMUL Queen Mary University of London) and Dr Stuart Miller (Lecturer in Sports and Exercise Medicine, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry) explain their project on assessing and improving the mobility of wheelchair users funded by Getamoveon network.
Creating visors urgently needed by frontline NHS staff
A team of engineers and clinicians from SEMS, EECS and Royal London Dental Hospital won a QMUL Engagement and Impact Award. The team was awarded the Local Impact Award for their efforts to provide hospital staff with urgently needed personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 crisis.
Under the leadership of Dr Ildar Farkhatdinov and Prof Kaspar Althoefer, members of the Centre for Advanced Robotics @ Queen Mary (ARQ) and the Blizzard Institute developed visors urgently needed by frontline NHS staff at main London hospitals. In collaboration with clinicians from the Royal London Dental Hospital, Prof Shakeel Shahdad and Ahmed Din, ARQ took on the mammoth task of fabricating visor frames using the 3D printing facilities available within ARQ and members' own 3D printers. Having made a great start using all the 3D printers available within the team, the team managed to provide hospital staff with the needed visors in a very short time. Later, the visors were produced using injection moulding to be able to keep up with the continued demand for this type of protection.
The work was financially supported by the QMUL IAA COVID-19 Rapid Response Impact Acceleration Fund and won a QMUL Engagement and Impact Award.