Minibuilders: Fleet of robots works together as a roving 3D printer of concrete buildings (VIDEO, PHOTOS)
| June 26, 2014 |
Robotic concrete 3D printing fleet
Though 3D printing is one of the more exciting emerging technologies in several industries right now, for the construction industry the possibility of one day efficiently printing buildings and other structures is perhaps most exciting.
Inspired by that possibility while challenged by the size of current 3D printers, a team of Spanish architecture students have attempted to solve the technology’s scalability issues by breaking up the functionality among a team of robots they call Minibuilders.
The team, from the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia in Barcelona, built three small robots: a Foundation robot, a Supplier robot, a Grip robot and a Vacuum robot. You can click through the gallery above to see a step-by-step guide to how the fleet of robots work.
We’ve seen examples of 3D printers spitting out pieces of buildings that are then assembled, but this seems like the biggest advancement toward autonomous building yet demonstrated. You can watch video of the process below.