Science & Technology: This 3D-Printed Sub Could Be the Future of Undersea Warfare

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At a passing glance, this submarine looks like any other.

It stretches a few feet longer and can putz around the ocean a bit farther, but its bulbous torpedo-shaped design is familiar to the first robotic subs that’ve plied the waters for decades. But a closer look at Dive Technologies’ new sub reveals a quiet revolution—from how it works to how it’s made.

This unassuming sub is a new breed of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles, or AUVs, future subs that are bigger, smarter, and can travel farther than ever before. They are changing the rules for underwater military, commercial, and scientific operations, and instead of building these water-delving behemoths in a traditional shipyard, ship makers are 3D printing them.

“Large AUVs will change everything,” says Sam Russo, COO of Dive Technologies. “They bring an enormous payload capability and energy capacity that allows the vehicles to operate on their own in the ocean for days on end.”

But Dive isn’t using your run-of-the-mill MakerBot. Using large scale 3D printers, the Boston-based startup can slash costs, speed up production, and create any submarine imaginable in just a few weeks—from idea to fully-functioning prototype.

Source: Popular Mechanics