This week’s selection is the 3D Printed Radio Controlled Drink and Snack Boat by Alister Laidlaw of electrosync.
Laidlaw’s YouTube channel hosts a series of videos featuring him designing and using a wide variety of 3D printable gadgets. Some are pretty outrageous, like the “Giant AirPods”:
Or a 3D printed defense system for swooping magpies. You the idea: Laidlaw produces some outrageous items, often using 3D printing.
His latest venture is an incredible radio controlled drink and snack boat for pools. The gadget is essentially an RC boat, but with special attachments to securely hold drink bottles and a bowl of snacks. It can be quickly sailed by remote control to any location in a pool to deliver drinks to thirsty swimmers.
While the basic functions of sailing and drink delivery via remote control are easily handled by the boat, Laidlaw decided to amp up the design by adding some rather unusual features, including:
- FPV mode
- Water cannon
- MP3 player
- Powered flag
That last item, the powered flag, allows the RC operator to raise a pirate flag, thus putting the boat into “pirate mode”. I presume this is normally done prior to using the water cannon on unsuspecting swimmers.
It’s clearly an over-the-top project, and would require a bit of RC expertise to complete. However, Laidlaw said he would consider posting complete instructions to the Instructables site at a future date when he has finished refined the 3D models.
Assembling the 3D printed RC Drink and Snack Boat [Source: electrosync / YouTube]
To print the parts for the boat, Laidlaw used three different 3D printers and modes:
- CR-10 with 0.6mm nozzle for larger parts
- Ender 3 Pro with 0.6mm nozzle
- Ender 3 with 0.4mm nozzle for smaller parts
- Creality LD-002R resin 3D printer for detailed parts
All parts were printed in PLA material, and received two coats of polyester resin to seal them against water.
This video from electrosync documents the project from start to finish, including a spin around a pool:
The boat’s stability during rapid turns is quite amazing, and it can keep you hydrated and fed, too.
When the plans for the boat are released publicly, it should be clear there is considerable effort required to produce it. You must have access to different types of 3D printers, electronics, finishing products and more.
But the results could be worth the effort.
Via YouTube
