Imagine reviewing the blueprints for your dream home, putting down your down payment and having it built to order all within one day. Scientists in California say not only is that possible, but they can already make it happen.
Researchers at the University of Southern California claim to have developed a giant 3D printer that can build a 2,500-square foot concrete home in just 24 hours.
The 3D printer was developed by Professor Behrokh Khoshnevis and can create the entire home using a layer by layer build out process called "Contour Crafting."
According to the project's website, the robotic process replaces construction workers with a huge platform containing a nozzle that squirts out the concrete based on a precise computer pattern.
The developers say the groundbreaking technology will revolutionize the home construction industry, "A single house or a colony of houses, each with possibly a different design, may be automatically constructed in a single run, embedded in each house all the conduits for electrical, plumbing and air-conditioning."
Potential real-world applications could include creation of emergency housing after disasters, or even rapid development of housing for settlers colonizing other planets in the future.
Its proponents also say the process will help reduce energy use and emissions tied to traditional construction.
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