Architecture now automated, robots to 3D print buildings

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a system that is able to 3D print the basic structure of a building in one go.

The researchers believe that because of this system, structures could be built faster and less expensive as compared to the traditional construction methods.

Through their research published in the journal Science Robotics, it is known that the newly made system consists of a tracked vehicle which has a huge robotic arm mounted on top of it. At the end of the arm, there is a smaller, precision-motion robotic arm that can be fixed with any construction nozzle. The arm can be used for pouring concrete or spraying insulation material.

The system is though not restricted by a fixed structure or print bed which makes it free moving and able to be customized to print on any surface. Intending the system to be self-sufficient, it is equipped with a digging scoop that could be powered by solar panels for being able to use in remote locations, reported CNET.

The experiment was conducted by the group when they printed a usual structure of the walls of a dome that was 50 feet in diameter and 12 feet in height out of insulation foam. The prototype completed the structure in less than 14 hours. The structure serves as a mold into which concrete is poured.

The building made could be entirely customized and modified in innovative ways. It is capable of creating complicated shapes and overhangs. Before pouring the concrete, any required wiring and plumbing can also be inserted into the mold. Along with that, Science Daily reports that the system is capable of incorporating data regarding the site that is collected during the procedure with the use of in-built sensors for various parameters like temperature and light.

The lead author Stephan Keating expressed, “The aim is in the future to have something totally autonomous, that you could send to the moon or Mars or Antarctica, and it would just go out and make these buildings for years.”

The authors claimed that the developed technique could prove to be adaptable and can make structures that are suitable to almost any building site.

Keating mentioned, “We also wanted to show that we could build something tomorrow that could be used right away. With this process, we can replace one of the key parts of making a building, right now. It could be integrated into a building site tomorrow.”