Some metaphysical theorists may argue that AI is the pinnacle of human evolution, a technological singularity that will someday encompass the entire human experience, past and present, within a single entity. Well, the good news is that such an entity is a long way off, so long, that it may permanently remain in the recess of science fiction. Until then, we’ll have to settle for robots building other robots, or in this case, if that wasn’t metaphysical enough, robots 3D printing physical structures in mid-air.
Two years from now, a project will begin over a canal in Amsterdam in which a six-axis robot will craft smoldering metal in mid-air, climbing as it builds to craft a 24 foot-long steel pedestrian bridge across the body of water. Led by the Dutch designer Joris Laarman of the R&D company MX3D, the project reimagines the concept of 3D printing by eliminating the print bed altogether, instead, depositing droplets of metal in horizontal, vertical, and diagonal planes to create rail supports as it moves forward.
To accomplish the project, Laarman is using the help of the engineering software company Autodesk to develop new error-correction software that will enable to MX3D multi-axis robots building the bridge to adapt to any error caused by outside elements, and make the appropriate redesigns necessary to continue the progress.
Laarman has successfully demonstrated the technology in action within MX3D’s enclosed studio, but has yet to experiment building on a structure of the project’s caliber within an uncontrolled environment. The current project is scheduled to take a two month time frame, which is rather excessive and unpractical as far as building a 24-foot pedestrian bridge is concerned, but the overall concept may spark interest in a on-site, 3D printed infrastructure projects, which inevitably, is the future. Just consider the implications of this: Robots autonomously building space stations or Martian colonies using natively refined materials, long before humanity arrives.
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