Case Study: Old Dominion University achieves a competitive edge in autonomous boat design with Stratasys 3D printing

Old Dominion University Uses 3D Printing to Complete at National Competition

Old Dominion University needed a way to compete in the national Robonation autonomous-surface-vehicle competition despite limited resources and a slow, centralized prototyping process. Stratasys stepped in, giving the senior engineering team access to two uPrint 3D printers and GrabCAD Print software so students could print directly from their own computers and monitor filament usage to stay on budget.

Using Stratasys equipment and software, the team printed more than fifty custom parts for their vessel—compared with just two vents and four ultrasonic cases the year before—cut prototyping and build time in half, and eliminated a potential one- to two-week printing bottleneck. The faster, lower-cost custom fabrication from Stratasys also helped team lead Daniel Failach showcase his work at career events and secure a job offer before graduation.

Old Dominion University

Daniel Failach

Senior at Old Dominion University, and Team Lead