3D-printed driverless car gets its own drone

Mouser Electronics and Local Motors have partnered with celebrity engineer Grant Imahara to develop a 3D-printed vehicle with drone-launching technology.

In a video showcased on Mouser’s YouTube channel, as part of its Empowering Innovation Together program, Imahara introduced the world to Mouser’s 3D-printed version of the Local Motors Strati. Not only is the vehicle self-driving, but it also comes with its own drone as part of ‘Fly Mode’ — a feature designed by the winner of the Essence of Autonomy design contest, Finn Yonkers.

Once launched from the rear of the vehicle, the drone gives the driver and passenger a birds-eye view of the surroundings. Both can watch the drone’s footage on dashboard-mounted viewing screens, providing a 360° perspective. This is in keeping with the project’s aim to explore the options available once self-driving vehicles become the norm.

“The main thing with Fly Mode is I wanted to kind of flip the notion of autonomy on its side,” said Yonkers. “So by introducing the element of flight, you’re actually increasing the sensory experience of travel, giving you a viewpoint that’s out of context. So you’re not really inside the vehicle anymore — you’re outside of it, and it gives you plenty of opportunities to expand on the experience.”

Fly Mode is designed to be useful in plenty of real-world scenarios, besides just providing entertainment for the car’s passengers. For example, noted Imahara, it could be deployed during a traffic jam, so the driver could look ahead to see what was happening. Other applications could be in farm vehicles, allowing the driver to check on the growth of their vegetation, or by utility companies, removing the need for a worker to climb up a high-voltage tower.

The co-founder and CEO of Local Motors, John B Rogers Jr, said he was “thrilled” to see the Mouser Strati come to life.

“This partnership is an example of the unprecedented speed at which innovative vehicles can come to life through the combined power of cutting-edge suppliers, advanced manufacturing and co-creation,” he said.

The video can be viewed in full below.