Contour Crafting (CC) is basically a "house printer;" when supplied with the proper instructions, it will "print out" a complete shell of a house. Technovelgy readers should be familiar with the work of Dr. Behrokh Khoshnevis from a previous article (see Contour Crafting: 3D House Printer for additional details on how the technique actually works).
(Robotic Contour Crafting Video )
According to a recent article in the TimesOnLine, a UK news site, Dr. Khoshnevis' Contour Crafting techniques will receive their first real world test in Los Angeles sometime in April of this year. The first prototype will be a watertight shell of a two-story house built in 24 hours - without a single construction worker on the job site.
Citing a 200-1 speed increase over traditional house-building methods, Dr. Khoshnevis particularly recommends his methods for use after natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina:
Contour Crafting is the only layered fabrication technology which is suitable for large scale fabrication. CC is also capable of using a variety of materials with large aggregates and additives such as reinforcement fibre. Due to its speed and its ability to use in-situ materials, Contour Crafting has the potential for immediate application in low income housing and emergency shelter construction
Zprinter 350 Full-Color 3D Printer
Nothing like getting a full-color object right out of the printer - or the nanofax, for William Gibson fans.
D_Shape 3DPrints Houses, Rocks, Temples
All you need is a CAD file - use it to print out conventional houses - are you kidding? Print out Mayan temples or Planet of the Apes houses!
Mcor Matrix 3D Paper Printer
This device prints out three-dimensional objects using regular paper. It seems like only yesterday that I brought home my MX-80.
Hexapod Robot CNC Router
I'd never look at a six-legged robot and think to myself 'This thing would make a great CNC router.' But Matt Denton did, and you'll be glad he did.
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