This week’s selection is the Regent Seaglider by Proto21.
Prot21 is a Dubai-based 3D print service that has undertaken a range of extraordinary projects in the region, including what apparently is the world’s largest (by volume) 3D printed structure.
Their latest project is a full-scale mockup of the Regent Seaglider.
Hold on, what is the “Regent Seaglider”? It is a product of startup company Regent that is developing a unique transportation system that is part boat, part hydrofoil, and part aircraft: the Seaglider.
Electrically powered, the vehicle has a hull like a boat, but wings like an airplane. It can travel on the water, but at the right speed, can gain flight, too. While on the water, it can act as a hydrofoil, with underwater “wings” lifting the hull right out of the water for greatly increased speed. The
Seaglider could be a useful option for transportation in cities with open water nearby. Regent believes the Seaglider could cut transport time between Dubai and nearby Abu Dhabi to only 30 minutes. Remember, there’s no airport involved: the Seaglider can just pull up to a dock right downtown.
The Seaglider is still under development. In the meantime, however, you can visit a full-scale replica of the proposed vehicle in Dubai.
The project involved 3D printing most of the structure for the 12-person vehicle using robotic 3D printing gear from Caracol by Proto21, as well as FFF and SLA technologies from Prusa Research and Bambu Lab.
They say the project required printing of a massive 3,200 parts, which required 29,600 hours of print time. In total, 2.2t of polymer materials were required to complete the project, and it took only three months to do the entire project.
This is quite a project, and I’m sure it was expensive to complete. However, once done, Regent has at their disposal a true-life, walk-through replica of their proposed vehicle that can be shown to investors and potential customers.
