A robotic truck equipped with a 105-foot (32 m) telescopic arm has just traveled from Australia to Florida. Now the construction robot will be busy churning out up to 10 houses in an attempt to become the chosen employee to build entire communities.
The truck and its accompanying brick-laying arm are known as Hadrian X and were developed by robotics company FBR, which first announced its prototype in 2015. The 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 could stack 500 US-size masonry blocks per hour at top speed.
The robotic vehicle/construction arm starts working after it is loaded with pallets containing blocks. Each block is then sent down a chute on the arm, coated with a quick-drying construction adhesive that replaces mortar, and placed by a variable gripper at the end of the arm. Thanks to its impressive length, the arm is capable of erecting structures three stories high. Plus, because it’s a robot, it never needs to sleep or take a break when the weather turns bad, so it can behave 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 robot builder to first complete an on-site acceptance test at a facility in Fort Meyers, Fla., to demonstrate its capabilities. If all goes well, Hadrian X will then build five to ten single-storey houses as part of a demonstration programme. Once that happens, the two companies will enter into a more permanent agreement that will make FBR the exclusive provider of “Wall as a Service” to CRH Ventures in the United States.
Such a deal could eventually lead to the incremental 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’s entry into the United States market and will do so with the help of one of the largest concrete block manufacturers in the country,” said FBR Executive Director and CEO, Mike Pivac. We are excited to enter a new international market. to demonstrate the capabilities of our technology and launch our expansion plan with the financial and operational support of one of the world’s leaders in building materials.”
Learn more about Hadrian X and his work in the US in the following company video.
Get ready, WE! Meet the future of construction with Hadrian X®! | FBI
Source: FBR