Real (non-CGI!) timelapse of the robot bricklayer:<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YcrO8ONcfY" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YcrO8ONcfY</a><p>It seems like a cool concept. The real example is slightly different to the CGI mockup, so I think they still have a bit of work to do.<p>Best of luck to them! This could potentially bring down huge construction costs. Keen to see more automation in the construction industry.
By this sample residential construction schedule for a 6,000 sq-ft custom home[1], it looks like they've theoretically managed to cut a 9-day job down to 3 without addressing the negotiation of foundation imperfections, plumbing, electrical, rebar reinforcement, air gaps, structural arches, and random site obstructions to name a few. Cool tech and surely a step in the right direction, but if we're still talking about affordable (patented, proprietary blocks?), sustainable (mortar substitute reliability?) housing that meets code, color me unconvinced.<p>Heimo Scheuch, CEO of Wienerberger AG: <i>In times of digitalization, high demand for affordable housing and the prevailing shortage of skilled workers, the construction industry is facing major challenges.</i>[2]<p>Prevailing shortage of skilled construction workers??<p>[1] <a href="https://www.b4ubuild.com/resources/schedule/6kproj.shtml" rel="nofollow">https://www.b4ubuild.com/resources/schedule/6kproj.shtml</a><p>[2] <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qcyvoCtZB0" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qcyvoCtZB0</a>
Brick work and framing are two of the easiest and fastest steps in building a house. They are using an expensive system to do the cheapest steps. Essentially, they are answering a question no one asked.<p>The expensive and time consuming parts are everything else; something this system does not address.
Their system uses some custom adhesive as do some of the other systems around.<p>The catch is how will this adhesive hold up in 30 years and are you brave enough to be that it works well on your house compared to the saving of using conventional systems?<p>This is why innovation in building is slow.<p>Fail fast is not possible. And there are often side effects. Just ask people with a metal framed house that creaks when it expands and contracts.
So this is their video from 2 years ago : <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bW1vuCgEaA" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bW1vuCgEaA</a> and they are a penny stock (3.5 cents to over 20 cents on the news). The video on the web site doesn't work for me but I would be interested in seeing a video of this thing building an actual house.
No photos of the house, a broken video, and zero details on things like roofing, plumbing, in-wall wiring, etc. Oh wait, it’s a penny stock? Color me surprised...