Case Study: Xinix AI builds an all-terrain rainforest exploration robot with Protolabs 3D printing

Xinix AI creates an all-terrain robot to explore tropical rainforests

Xinix AI, a team developing an all-terrain robot to explore and map tropical rainforests for the XPrize competition, faced the challenge of manufacturing a large, complex, and immediately functional 3D printed part for the robot's body on a tight timeline and budget. They required a part with a 32 cm diameter that had a complex internal structure for a pressurized system and needed to withstand harsh environmental conditions.

Protolabs provided a solution using their expertise in Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) 3D printing and technical support. Their team advised on material selection, manufacturing tolerances, and part orientation, and applied a post-manufacturing surface treatment to ensure robustness and impermeability. The result was a perfectly fitting robot body right from the first iteration, saving the Xinix AI team precious time and preventing potential assembly failures, which allowed them to successfully prepare their innovative robot for the competition.

Xinix AI

Eric Herrero Torrellas

Xinix AI