A robotic truck equipped with a 105-ft (32-m) telescopic boom arm has just journeyed from Australia to Florida. Now the construction robot will get busy churning out up to 10 houses in a bid to become the employee of choice for building entire communities.
The truck and its accompanying brick-laying arm is known as the Hadrian X and has been developed by robotics company FBR, which first announced its prototype in 2015. That machine could complete a full-sized house in two days. Last year, FBR (which used to stand for Fastbrick Robotics), showed off the new Hadrian X which, at top speed, could stack 500 USA-format masonry blocks per hour.
The robotic vehicle/construction arm gets to work after it is loaded by pallets containing the blocks. Each block is then sent down a chute on the arm, painted with a quick-dry construction adhesive that takes the place of mortar, and is placed by a variable gripper at the end of the arm. Thanks to its impressive length, the arm is able to build structures that are three stories tall. Plus, because it's a robot, it never needs to sleep or take a break if the weather turns nasty, so it can chug along pretty much 24/7.
Hadrian X's arrival in Florida is part of a joint venture between FBR and CRH Ventures Americas, Inc, a subsidiary of CRH plc, one of the largest concrete block suppliers in the US.
The plan is for the robotic builder to first complete a site acceptance test at a facility in Fort Meyers, Florida, to demonstrate its capabilities. Should that go well, Hadrian X will then build between five and 10 single-story homes as part of a demonstration program. Once that's done, the two companies will enter into a more permanent agreement wherein FBR will become CRH Ventures' exclusive "Wall as a Service" provider in the United States.
Such an agreement could eventually lead to the phased purchase of 300 Hadrian X units from FBR, which would be used to create entire robot-built communities.
“We have set a clear strategy for the Company to enter the United States market, and we will be doing so with the assistance of one of the largest concrete block manufacturers in the country," said FBR Managing Director and CEO, Mike Pivac. "We are excited to arrive in a new international market to showcase the capabilities of our technology and commence our scaling plan with the financial and operational support of one of the world’s leaders in building materials production.”
You can find out more about Hadrian X and its work in the US in the following company video.
Source: FBR
