Scientists have developed a technology that will revolutionize the technique of making concrete structures as we know it now.
Scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore are responsible for this breakthrough. They have developed a technology where two robots can work together to 3D print a concrete structure.
The current 3D printing method opens a new path for robotic teams that could print even larger structures in the future.
Developed by Quang Cuong and his team at Nanyang Technological University's 3D Printing Center, this new technology using multiple robots was published in "Automation in Construction", a leading civil engineering journal.
The Nanyang Technological University researcher also developed the Ikea Bot earlier this year, when two robots managed to assemble an Ikea chair in eight minutes and 55 seconds.
Using a special cement mixture suitable for 3D printing, this new development will allow the creation of unique concrete models that are not currently available. Also, the structures can be produced on demand and in a much shorter period.
Currently, 3D printing large concrete structures requires printers that are larger than the printed objects, which is impossible to achieve because most construction spaces are spatially limited.
More mobile robots that can 3D print synchronously means that large architectural structures and facades can be made that can be printed anywhere, as long as there is enough space for the robots to move around the object of interest.
The robots 3D printed a 1.86 meter concrete structure in eight minutes. It took two days for it to cure and a week for it to be fully ready for installation.