NODE, a multidisciplinary student team from the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC), has announced the successful completion of Asket, its first autonomous surface vessel (ASV), which will compete in the Njord 2025 Autonomous Ship Championship.

The innovative craft was realized in collaboration with Lam quina s large-scale 3D printing center in Barcelona. Built with fiberglass-reinforced PETG using a CEAD E25 pellet extruder on a KUKA robotic arm, Asket was printed in a single piece in under 10 hours, achieving full watertightness without postprocessing or assembly.

Measuring 141 cm in length, 67 cm in width, and 28 cm in height, the vessel incorporates a custom solid infill base to enhance buoyancy and impact resistance. Structural efficiency is further optimized through variable wall thickness 7.5 mm at the bottom for stability and 5.5 mm at the top to reduce weight.

The process leveraged advanced active layer time management, dynamically adjusting robotic speed and extrusion flow to maintain consistent thermal conditions, ensuring strong adhesion while preventing warping or deformation.

With Asket, we are demonstrating how functional, one-piece marine vessels can be created through additive manufacturing, said NODE team representatives. The project underscores the potential of large-scale 3D printing in marine engineering and autonomous systems development.

Source: iaac.net