3D-printing has revolutionized manufacturing, but changing an industry that still clings to sticks and nails might be harder.
At first glance, the video is not all that exciting—a robot arm squeezes out layers of concrete over and over again. But as the layers accumulate upward and the outline of a structure emerges, it becomes clear that this robot is building a house and doing it with astonishing speed. The video, made in 2017 by a company called Apis Cor outside Moscow, caused a sensation.
3D-printed homes won’t solve the problem of homelessness, but they are another “tool in the toolbox for housing development,” said Dee Walsh, chief officer of strategic development for the national affordable-housing nonprofit Mercy Housing, based in Denver. While the words “3D-printed home” have understandably caught attention, a better term is additive manufacturing, says Bradley Rothenberg. Rothenberg is the CEO of nTopology, a software engineering company focused on enabling digital manufacturing. The key component that defines 3D-printing is the aspect of digital manufacturing, which builds from a 3D-solid model rather than from drawings. This kind of technology, Rothenberg said, is a “game changer.
Sunconomy, employees pictured above, is one of many companies investing in 3D-printing technology for construction. | Patrick Cavan Brown for Politico Magazine
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