3D printing has been taking the construction field by storm ever since its introduction. Texas-based Icon is a leader in 3D printing. The company has to name over 130 houses made with its Vulcan 3D printer. The company intends to create a neighborhood via 3D printing and is also part of NASA’s Olympus project, eyeing to build a model habitat for Mars.
As the demand for 3D-printed buildings surged, the Icon wanted to make something more manageable to set up and move from site to site, one that could reduce the number of required operators and get bigger jobs done faster. As a result, the company came up with its Pheonix printer. It differs from the Vulcan as it is locked into a pillar and cross-beam structure, whereas the phoenix consists of a large, free-moving articulated arm on a rotating base.
Icon says that Pheonix can cut construction project costs by half. The Pheonix will be able to build structures cheaply compared to conventional construction. It would cost around US$25/square foot for wall systems or $80/square foot for structures that include a foundation and a roof; in a nutshell, it would be US$25,000 cheaper.
“In the future, I believe nearly all construction will be done by robots, and nearly all construction-related information will be processed and managed by AI systems,” said Jason Ballard, ICON Co-Founder and CEO. “It is clear to me that this is the way to cut the cost and time of construction in half while making homes that are twice as good and more faithfully express the values and hopes of the people who live in them.”
The company’s upcoming venture is Vitruvius, an AI-based system that allows anyone to design a home that can be built using the company’s technology.
“The ultimate goal of Vitruvius is to take human and project inputs and produce robust architecture, plans, permit-ready designs, budgets, and schedules,” said the company in a statement released earlier this month. “Vitruvius will help anyone design homes and generate floor plans, interior renders, and exterior renders in minutes based on their desires, budgets, and feedback,” Icon says the Vitruvius system should be able to produce full construction documents and permit-ready designs along with budgets and construction schedules by the end of the year.
You can now try out Vitruvius in its beta version on the program’s website.
Source: Icon
