Could quadrotor robots construct buildings?

Could quadrotor robots construct buildings?

tinyurl.com

UPenn’s GRASP Lab has been experimenting with these autonomous aerial drones to make them perform amazing feats. We’ve seen them dart through windows, spy on people, and even haul lumber. Now, GRASP has gotten them to work together and build simple structures. The quadrotors use magnetically interlocking struts to autonomously build towers individually or in concert.

(visit the link for the full news article)

What works in teams, can build any tower you design, and makes a horrifically angry buzzing sound? No, not super intelligent construction wasps. Quadrotors.
It makes me think of bees constructing a hive. They sound like it, too. While this work is still very preliminary it alludes to ways in which aerial drones could revolutionize disaster relief, construction, and exploration.

This GRASP quadrotor project is the work of Daniel Mellinger, a PhD candidate working with Vijay Kumar. The drones themselves are purchased from Ascending Technologies, and are actually fairly standard devices.

tinyurl.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by NewsCollective


Sounds interesting but your link is broken.

reply to post by NewsCollective


Perhaps this link works better ??

singularityhub.com...

Interesting.

Somehow i don't think i would feel comfortable with robots flying around building things, reminds me too much of the terminator films!

reply to post by BarmyBilly


If these robots can be upscaled and programmed effectively, this would mean that shelters of good standards could be errected in haste to accomodate disaster victims.
With the increasing volume of devastation causing incidents in the world, this technical capacity to speedily errect habitation blocks may come very much into its own in times to come, and as Terminator like as it may appear, if this tech can be harnessed to perform this humanitarian function, then this can only be a positive in my opinion.

reply to post by BarmyBilly


if the drone discussed in the OP scares you, i wonder how you'll react to this one.