3D-Printed Six-Meter Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB)

under evaluation

Voltage Vessels, a Hawaii-based startup, developed a six-meter rigid hull inflatable boat using a 3D printing process with a basalt-reinforced thermoplastic composite material called Eclipse X9. The boat is designed for marine and defense applications and has been submitted for U.S. maritime defense evaluation for potential integration into autonomous naval programs. The project aims to enable distributed composite manufacturing with regional production facilities capable of printing boat hulls and components on demand, reducing logistical vulnerabilities in contested maritime environments.