Breakthrough in robotics: it became possible to build on other planets

May 1, 2017 | News

Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology created a robot that can build a house, while working completely independently and not requiring control. The robot moves on caterpillars, and works with the help of a long mechanical arm. With its help, he is able to use building foam, from which his test architectural creation consisted. The network has a video, which shows how the robot constructs a building that is more than 3 meters high. Strictly speaking, so far the robot has built only the simplest semblance of a house with one entrance and without a roof, but scientists said that eventually it will be possible to erect entire buildings printed by robots on a 3D printer. The speed of the mechanical “builder” is impressive: in order to build a test house, it took less than 14 hours.

Theoretically, such a robot is capable of autonomous work not only in hard-to-reach corners of the Earth, but also on other planets. The robot is capable of charging itself from solar energy, and it can use building materials for various purposes, erecting stone, sand or ice structures. This makes it possible for him to work in the environment in which he is, even if he does not have materials normally used in construction.

Unlike a human robot is able to work day and night without interruption. The creators of the robot say that with its help in the future it will be possible even to build houses for the colonists of new planets.

Over time, the robot’s design will become more complex: sensors of light, temperature and radars will be built in to study the environment. With their help, the robot can not only collect information, but also modify the house in such a way that it is sustainable and suitable for the climate in which it is built. The houses that the robot builds will become more complex in design, separate rooms will appear in them.