6-axis robots 3D printing a metal bridge in Amsterdam

[Rakcom]

 

A Danish Company called MX3D is planning on using a couple of 6-axis robotic arms to 3D print a bridge in Amsterdam in the year 2017. (and maybe replace all construction workers with robots soon after)

 

Sources: http://www.fastcodesign.com/3047350/this-robot-can-3-d-print-a-steel-bridge-in-mid-air

              http://www.archdaily.com/642329/mx3d-to-3d-print-a-bridge-in-mid-air-over-amsterdam-canal/

              http://mx3d.com/projects/bridge/

              http://mx3d.com/projects/metal/

 

 

In 2017, Dutch designer Joris Laarman will wheel a robot to the brink of a canal in Amsterdam. He'll hit an "on" button. He'll walk away. And when he comes back two months later, the Netherlands will have a new, one-of-a-kind bridge, 3-D printed in a steel arc over the waters. This isn't some proof-of-concept, either: when it's done, it will be as strong and as any other bridge. People will be able to walk back and forth over it for decades.

 

These prints are still rough and may require a grinder to finish, but it is still impressive to see that at this stage in development,  these 3D printed metal wires are able to support a human weigh.

 

 

 

[Notional]

And so it is starting. The Danish Vikings taking over the world again. With robots!

[Sidiox]

Damn, the future really is now

[Thony]

More unemployment...

[Spannerhands]

Though this is very cool, they are basically MIG welding with a robot, so that technically is not new, I even do that... The reason none has done this before, the quality issues they have is because the shielding (barrier) gas is not helping, Carbon dioxide (heavier than air) normally will pool over the work surface stopping any oxidation of the weld, so when you weld on a flat surface it works well upside down or in mid air not so good, what they did not show you is you can snap those structures with your bare hands...

[LePawel]

More unemployment...

[pyromaster225]

More unemployment...

You say that but who has to maintain the robots, restock their metal supplies, move them, grind the bridge, make replacement parts, make the robots themselves, sell these robots, keep them powered. They will bring much more to the table. Yes if someone for some reason could only work building a bridge then it would be bad but people are able to do whatever is need and I am sure that they will be open and ready to adapt to this change when it comes.

[Thony]

You say that but who has to maintain the robots, restock their metal supplies, move them, grind the bridge, make replacement parts, make the robots themselves, sell these robots, keep them powered. They will bring much more to the table. Yes if someone for some reason could only work building a bridge then it would be bad but people are able to do whatever is need and I am sure that they will be open and ready to adapt to this change when it comes.

Construction workers dont have much going for them really. Its not like they can easily find something else once majority of companies go this route (decade or more) but number of people required for same task will be lower as u dont need that many ppl on the site. Robots will do grinding or the 3D printing will improve.

So either way unemployment will go up. No big company wants to invest time and money into training the low educated workers and offer them new position. They will just lower their staff count and lower their expenses.

Business wants to make money, it doesnt care about its people. Thats how it is...

[pyromaster225]

Construction workers dont have much going for them really. Its not like they can easily find something else once majority of companies go this route (decade or more) but number of people required for same task will be lower as u dont need that many ppl on the site. Robots will do grinding or the 3D printing will improve.

So either way unemployment will go up. No big company wants to invest time and money into training the low educated workers and offer them new position. They will just lower their staff count and lower their expenses.

Business wants to make money, it doesnt care about its people. Thats how it is...

This is true. This next part may be a little morbid but by the time this becomes the standard, for the technologically advanced countries anyways, most of that uneducated workforce will have died off (from age just needed to add that) and each generation of people will become more and more used to the changes and ready for this. If this were something they were going to roll out tomorrow morning and put our that 45% of the industry that video talked about then I could see the concern but yes unemployment will rise but no it will not be to the degree everyone thinks it will be. Aside from this, I think it is cool as hell this is becoming more of a thing, probably since I dont have any ties personally to any of the affected jobs and cant speak from that view, but I would love to have rebits able to just build new bridges and houses and such. 

Another thing I just thought of too is how many workers die due to the dangerous conditions of working on skyscrapers or huge projects and that these robits will prevent or at least lower that number. Anything above 0 is too many lives lost for that.