

USC makes a robot that manufactures housing from a CAD file - alaskamiller
http://www.contourcrafting.org/

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gibsonf1
As a building architect, the system looks fascinating. However, the biggest
problem I see is reinforcing - concrete performs very poorly in tension
without steel (usually rebar) reinforcing, and in general is not allowed by
most building codes. One solution would be to have the robot build a double
wall that effectively acts as formwork for the real structural wall in the
resultant cavity. The structural concrete would have to be poured after
reinforcing is placed in the cavity, and structural continuity would need to
be achieved by the rebar connecting to rebar in the foundation as well. The
other approach that would work better for the robot would be a radical
improvement in concrete technology that would boost the tensile strength
without the need for rebar - that would be ideal.

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olefoo
The robot could embed steel or kevlar tape pretensioned during the pour.

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gibsonf1
The main problem is the vertical reinforcing bars - unless, of course, the
robot was redesigned to build the walls in vertical passes instead of
horizontal. But then you have to cope with the horizontal reinforcing - I
think it is a difficult problem which they haven't solved yet. The only clean
solution I can think of is a new kind of concrete that has tensile strength -
maybe there is a nanotechnology solution to this.

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technoguyrob
We see inventions like this every few weeks that have the potential to
"completely revolutionize" a field (e.g., long-life batteries, 3D printers,
etc.). The notable examples of ones that have come into fruition that I can
think of are drinking straws (filtering on-the-spot) and the OLPC project.

It always frustrates me to see things like this so undervalued. To me, it
seems something like this could have a societal impact on the same order-of-
magnitude as the internet, yet the story only has 16 upvotes, and it will
probably take over two decades, if not longer, for this manufacturing system
to materialize in, for example, my neighborhood. Why is that? I realize there
are certain costs to introducing it and it does have its risk (and some
problems, as gibsonf1 mentioned), but wouldn't this be a marvelous investment
not just financially, but in general for humankind? I suppose the point of my
ramble is to raise the question: why is viral marketing so hard to perform in
"real life"?

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alaskamiller
A video as well! <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyOgDlUWfFE>

