3D printing has been used to make tissue, cars, food, spider robots from scratch. It’s a popular method for DIY projects and experiments but we had no clue it would, one day, reshape our cities. MIT, though, had the vision and the resources to built a robot that can 3D print entire buildings #machinemagic
In a paper published in the Science Robotics journal, MIT researchers explain how 3D printing could revolutionize the construction business. Unlike traditional methods, it can build custom spaces, as the contractor envisions them. The density of the material as well as the materials used can vary with this type of machine, meaning it can make one-of-a-kind, futuristic buildings. Plus, this process is less costly than the one employed today and the printing can achieve results faster.
Just how fast? In 14 hours, for example. The MIT team put their robot to the test and needless to say, the results were impressive. The 3D printing robot is actually a tracked vehicle equipped with a large, industrial robotic arm, continued with a smaller, precision-motion arm. The latter can be used with any construction nozzle to pour concrete or spray insulation material.
During the test though, the robot was programmed to build the basic structure of the walls of a dome. In just 14 hours, the 3D printer prototype managed to lay the foundation of the dome – a 50-foot-diameter, 12-foot-high mold – where concrete was then poured. Then, the robot added a built-in bench, showing it’s able of complex designs. Fast and flexible? We like how the MIT guys think!
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