3D interior design apps from Amazon, smart home automation, and now the first home built by a robot — what a time to be alive
We first noticed robotic technology company Fastbrick (FBR) late last year, when a time-lapse video emerged of its one-armed robot bricklayer building an indoor home in less than three days.
Now, FBR has made headlines again as the company used its technology to build a three bedroom home outdoors in Western Australia, while exposed to the elements. Watch the video here.
“To be able to demonstrate that the machine can work in extreme heat and with strong winds is pleasing and is exactly what we wanted so far from our ongoing testing program,” FBR Chief Executive Mike Pivac said to Urban Developer.
The machine behind this amazing feat is called Hadrian X. It’s a unique construction robot mounted into a classic cab over an engine truck, making it is easy to transport. It also uses Dynamic Stabilisation TechnologyTM to measure movements caused by wind and vibrations which it counteracts in real-time using FBR’s advanced algorithms.
Pivac said he and the team were particularly exhilarated to see the machine operating throughout the night. “We understand how valuable this capability will be in global markets,” he added.
The award-winning robot is reported to be able to lay 1,000 standard bricks per hour. When compared to the average of 400 bricks per day of a manual bricklayer, this has the potential to have a major impact on the construction industry.
Pivac first came up with the idea for Hadrian X in the 1990s as a solution to a growing population and a shortening supply of bricklayers to build homes.
In addition to reducing the need for manual labour, the improved precision Hadrian X means it can reduce material waste. And, if major construction firms begin to implement the robot and task it with the heavier lifting, we will see a dramatic improvement in the working conditions of manual labourers.
“The challenge for the bricklaying industry is that it is hard work on the body — it’s not a career people typically have for a very long time,” Pivac said, adding that FBR now has “the world’s only fully automated, end-to-end bricklaying solution, with a massive market waiting for it.”
Sources: Urban developer and The West Australian
