A common weather station costs anywhere between $10,000 and $20,000, making them inaccessible to many of the more disadvantaged countries. Many countries in Africa have only a fraction of the density of weather stations that the World Meteorological Organization recommends. Fortunately, 3D printing is making it possible to create effective, low-budget stations that these countries can afford.
The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) is making use of additive manufacturing to build weather stations for only $300. As an added benefit, countries can be provided with the plans they need to print out their own replacement parts to repair their own stations, cutting down significantly on the time and money that goes into maintenance. Five of these printed weather stations are already being used in Zambia, helping farmers predict the weather and get the most out of their crops and offering communities advance warnings about environmental disasters.
To learn more about how you can make use of 3D printing and rapid prototyping to improve your own life, contact our 3D printing company in Seattle today.
