Print Your Own Home Aug 10, 2012 10:20 by Matt Bird
What’s that? Another amazing innovation for 3D printing? Yup, but this time, it’s bigger’er.
Dr. Behrokh Khoshnevis of the University of Southern California has developed a quite amazing technology that allows entire houses to be printed. These houses come fully wired, with plumbing and air conditioning!
The technology is called Contour Crafting, and not only will it blow your mind, but it will hopefully revolutionise everything from third world housing to standard everyday construction practices.
This technology brings:
- faster construction times
- cheaper construction costs
- more potential for building designs
Utilising an absolutely massive 3d printer, the machine builds walls, including wiring and plumbing, for the entire house. Literally the only thing missing from the final build are windows and doors!
After that added touch? Program the machine to add tiles to floors and paint the walls a certain colour during construction to save on any future DIY.
We think the most impressive part of this project is how customisable the houses can be. With such a wide array of variables to consider when building a house, especially with wiring and plumbing included, we’d have expected a fairly standardised house design being required.
But due to the stunning nature of their design and power of 3d modelling, a whole array of house designs and styles can be printed/built.
How About A House On Mars…
This project is also being considered for things usually reserved for film, such as the construction of buildings on other planets!
The Mars Science Lab, ‘Curiosity’, just landed on our neighbouring planet, imagine if he was accompanied by one of these machines? Structures and housing ready for a manned mission, incredible.
Ultimately, this project may have severe repercussions on the jobs market if ever fully realised, but something this game changing with the potential to help so many people cannot be ignored. I hope my next house is a Printer House!
For more information on this awesome project, visit the Contour Crafting website.
3D printing really is going to change the way we live our lives…especially if Peter Thiel’s recent investment in Modern Meadows synthetic meat printing technology comes to anything!
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