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MIT Creates 3D-Printing Robot That Can Construct a Home Off-Grid In 14 Hours (mit.edu)

Kristine Lofgren writes: Home building hasn't changed much over the years, but leave it to MIT to take things to the next level. A new technology built at MIT can construct a simple dome structure in 14 hours and it's powered by solar panels, so you can take it to remote areas. MIT's 3D-printing robot can construct the entire basic structure of a building and can be customized to fit the local terrain in ways that traditional methods can't do. It even has a built-in scoop so it can prepare the building site and gather its own construction materials. You can watch a video of the 3D-printing robot in action here.

2 of 62 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Misleading title by rtb61 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Speaking of concrete. You can construct the basic structure, excluding footings, is just a couple of hours using precast concrete panels as, floors, walls and roof. Then depending upon fit out, it could be finished within a week. To accelerate construction is not that difficult but it is very expensive, even traditional forms of construction can be carried out very quickly, a traditional house quite easily complete in a month. As long as all required materials are all on site at the begging and all required labour is on standby ready to go and you are willing to pay for lighting the construction site to turn night into day and pay for a whole bunch of overtime and idle time. You can get a huge amount of work done in a very short amount of time, as long as you are willing to pay the required premium for it.

    Quickest form of construction would be an inflated structure. A high strength fabric, say a para-armind synthetic fibre cloth https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/..., inflated with a lightweight cementitious grout, so walls, roof, ceiling and finishes all in one fell swoop. You could do the same on the moon or even mars, just have to figure out how to turn moon dust (or mars soils) into cement and recover the water to be used again.

    --
    Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
  2. Re:It built a roofless circle. by Humbubba · · Score: 5, Interesting
    I am in awe for what MIT did. Their prototype construction is, to abuse a phrase, the shape of things to come. But I think the Ruskies print a better 3d house now. About: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-03-04/house-was-3d-printed-under-24-hours-cost-just-10000.

    Their website: http://apis-cor.com/en/