Case Study: Advanced Aerials achieves rapid, affordable UVS development with 3D Systems' Quickparts SLS service

Advanced Aerials removes the mystery from Unmanned Vehicle System development with an assist from Quickparts

Advanced Aerials is a small, open‑source-focused developer of unmanned vehicle systems (UVS) that crowdsources prototypes to meet real user needs—from military intelligence to first responders. The company’s challenge was manufacturing: traditional tooling and injection molding were too costly and owning in‑house printers wasn’t economical, leaving them unable to quickly iterate robust, field‑ready parts for programs like the Miniature Surveillance Expendable Vehicle (MSEV).

Advanced Aerials solved this by using 3D Systems’ Quickparts on‑demand SLS service to produce durable Duraform components. With turnaround measured in days and annual spend of roughly $3k–$10k, they gained fast iteration, crash‑worthy parts deployed in real missions, and the ability to scale development for GPS‑denied and counter‑IED applications while advancing an affordable, open‑source approach to UVS design.

Advanced Aerials

Bert Wagner

Founder