Case Study · Academia & R&D
Autoabode × IIT — Equipping Research Labs for 3D Printing & UAV R&D
How Autoabode supplied industrial 3D printers and UAV platforms to IIT research groups for sponsored defence, aerospace and medical projects across India.
Client
The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) are autonomous public technical institutes across India, home to some of the country’s most advanced engineering research programmes. Groups at IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, IIT Madras and IIT Kanpur run sponsored research in additive manufacturing, UAV design, composites and biomedical engineering.
The Challenge
IIT research groups needed industrial-grade 3D printing and UAV hardware that could handle:
- • Functional end-use parts for sponsored DRDO, ISRO and MoD projects — not just desktop-grade PLA prototypes
- • A range of engineering materials including PEEK, CF-Nylon, PA12, TPU and photopolymer resins
- • UAV platforms open enough for student researchers to modify the airframe, flight controller and payload bay
- • Local service, training and warranty coverage from an Indian OEM
The Autoabode Solution
Autoabode supplied a modular research stack combining the Duper XL industrial FDM 3D printers for large-format engineering thermoplastics, the SinterX Pro SLS printer for end-use Nylon 12 components, and a range of BotBit UAV and FPV research platforms. Each installation was paired with student training, material starter kits and direct engineering support.
Outcomes
- • IIT-led FPV payload research platforms used Autoabode flight controllers and airframes to deliver sub-kilo precision-drop missions
- • Student projects leveraged on-site SLS to iterate UAV airframes in days rather than outsourcing to Europe
- • Sponsored defence research spun up a full drone innovation lab built around the Autoabode hardware stack
- • Indigenous equipment with Indian-language training and CAPEX that fit within standard university procurement budgets