An affordable house, 3D-printed in less than 24 hours
Technology has touched human lives in more ways than one. And now, this marvel creation of technology can help build homes for the 1.2 billion people who lack shelter. New Story, a charity that works to build houses for the deprived, and Icon, a Texas-based robotics construction company, have come together to create the world's first affordable 3D-printed house in Austin, Texas. Here's more.
A 3D printed 800-sq-ft house
New Story and Icon have demonstrated the feasibility of building an easy-to-replicate house in less than 24 hours. This 800-sq-ft house, built using Icon's proprietary Vulcan printer, costs around $10,000. However, Icon is working to reduce the cost to $4,000. With this proof-of-concept, both the companies now plan to build such small, inhabitable houses for the deprived families in El Salvador and Haiti.
About Icon's Vulcan printer
At the heart of 3D-printing houses is Icon's Vulcan printer. This massive-yet-portable printer is built using aluminum and has an built-in backup generator. Vulcan ejects a custom building mix which has to have the right consistency to flow through. Further, it hardens to take the shape of the building. Notably, Icon has also created 3D-printing software suite that can allow design customizations.
Technology can help save time in completing an entire house
Once the structure is ready, New Story's crew takes care of the final touches - from installing windows and roof to basic plumbing and electrical wiring - to complete the house in under 24 hours. However, in future, Vulcan may automatically install the windows after printing the structure. Also, drones could be used to spray-paint the exterior walls or perhaps even print the roofs.
