The Crane WASP, also known as "the infinity 3D printer," uses locally sourced clay, mud or cement to 3D-print affordable homes. It can even use agricultural waste as aggregate. The system is now being used to build much-needed housing in Colombia.
  • Baggins@beehaw.orgEnglish
    5·
    2 months ago

    180 grand for the printer? Holy cack that’s peanuts. Just think what we could do if we spent the money on this sort of thing instead of giving it to politicians.

    • VeganPizza69 Ⓥ@lemmy.vgEnglish
      10·
      2 months ago

      These are gadget huts. It’s made of techno-hopium material.

      They’ll want money to do this in some poor rural area in a place where they can hardly name the native language. They think this will help poor people, but ignore the part where humans have always built shelters. If they fail to transfer the technology and know-how, then this technology is, over time, totally useless. And they will fail because such tech is usually patented and protected by IP laws.

      If they try to sell this in the richer parts of the World, all they will do is make the environment and climate worse by promoting more suburban sprawl.

      • JillyB@beehaw.org
        2·
        2 months ago

        Yep. The cheaper and easier solution to extreme housing issues is a few pallets of bricks and some mortar. This company is on a marketing campaign to try to get people in rich countries to get excited about buzzwords so they can get funding.

      • mindlesscrollyparrot@discuss.tchncs.de
        2·
        2 months ago

        The ones in Texas are built of a “high performance polymer concrete”, so probably including cement and contributing to climate change. They appear to be single storey as well.

      • mindlesscrollyparrot@discuss.tchncs.de
        6·
        2 months ago

        Well, quite. They don’t appear to have windows or doors either (doorways, yes, but not doors), and they have holes in the roof. Yet the article mentions “homes” about a million times.

        It’s almost like somebody who didn’t have any knowledge of construction had the idea of 3D printing buildings. Probably in the shower.

        I notice that they fill the walls with natural fibers by hand (see the photo) - so they must pause the printers at regular intervals and get a ladder to get up to the top parts. So even what we see isn’t entirely 3D printed.

        • Mr_Blott@feddit.uk
          3·
          2 months ago

          I’m pretty sure about one third of the population of earth would be absolutely ecstatic to call that “home” and we’re very lucky to consider it not to be

          Also, this basic concept is how Alpine chalets are built, and they’re incredibly well insulated against cold and heat

          This’ll be world-changing in ten years

        • Telorand@reddthat.comOP
          2·
          2 months ago

          You’re being pedantic about the word “home” and whether they’re fully 3D printed, and I’m not sure why. A home is a place where people live, and whether they have windows or doors is not relevant to that point. The point of the design is that they don’t have to have those things, and they’re considering ongoing problems like climate change; the western ideal of a “home” is actually an impractical design when you start to consider the environment as it is.

          And yes, they have to infill the insulation. Nobody is claiming these homes are built without human intervention.

          Are you just trying to find weird ways to shit on a thoughtful way to help people?