RoBoat 3D printed autonomous boats in Amsterdam

A team of researchers at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) are working with the Institute of Advanced Metropolitan Solutions in Amsterdam on a project called RoBoat. The goal is to create a system of autonomous boats that could serve as water taxis in a city where there are more than 100 km of canals. These small prototypes have been designed using 3D printing and could revolutionize transport in the Dutch capital.

The Netherlands is particularly fond of additive manufacturing; the country has developed several initiatives that combine 3D printing such as the famous bridge created by MX3D or the development of a research center dedicated to 3D technologies. The transport issue is of great interest to the country, which is now seeking solutions to optimize the network. It seems that they have found another solution with 3D printing to respond to this growing question of the future of transportation.

In 2016, both partners presented their RoBoat project

RoBoat: A freestanding, 3D printed boat

We talk a lot about autonomous cars but imagine a boat without a captain that could bring you to work every morning. This is the idea behind the RoBoat project, a project that centers around freeing up the roads and making better use of the city’s canals. In 2016, they presented their project to the city; 2 years later, they presented their prototype designs of more advanced boats, boats whose hull were 3D printed.