- Technology will see lunar soil layers built up in a pre-determined design
- System will work like a giant 3D printer using a nozzle and moveable gantry
- Could create curved walls and architecture that is 'exotic' and 'beautiful'
- Aside from buildings in space, the innovation could have applications in creating simple homes in disaster zones or slum areas
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With a manned mission to Mars on the agenda, and plans for lunar exploration underway, scientists are increasingly looking towards unconventional construction methods.
The most promising of these is 3D printing, which could make building a lunar home in space a matter of pressing a button and letting a robot do the work.
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Building a home both on Earth and the Moon could soon be a matter of pressing a button and letting a robot 'print' the structure
According to researchers, Contour Crafting could allow computer-controlled machines to build houses within 24 hours.
The layered fabrication technology sees concrete, or other material such as lunar soil, applied in a pre-determined design by a nozzle on a moveable gantry.
A process called Contour Crafting allows
computer-controlled machines to build houses within 24 hours. The
layered fabrication technology sees concrete, or other material such as
lunar soil, applied in a pre-determined design by a nozzle on a moveable
gantry, as shown in this image
Nasa has provided funding to the University of
Southern California to develop the 3D printing technique known as
Contour Crafting. It hopes this will allow astronauts to have a base on
the moon in the near future
The technology means it will also be possible to create curved concrete walls, such as the ones pictured
WHAT IS CONTOUR CRAFTING?
Contour Crafting could allow computer-controlled machines to build houses within 24 hours.
The layered fabrication technology sees concrete, or other material such as lunar soil, applied in a pre-determined design by a nozzle on a moveable gantry.
The nature of the technology means it will also be possible to create curved walls and architecture that is both 'exotic' and 'beautiful'.
Aside from creating buildings in space, the innovation could have applications in building simple homes in disaster zones or slum areas.
The layered fabrication technology sees concrete, or other material such as lunar soil, applied in a pre-determined design by a nozzle on a moveable gantry.
The nature of the technology means it will also be possible to create curved walls and architecture that is both 'exotic' and 'beautiful'.
Aside from creating buildings in space, the innovation could have applications in building simple homes in disaster zones or slum areas.
The few parts that would need to be made on Earth would be folded from a tubular module that can be transported by space rocket.
Professor Behrokh Khoshnevis from the University of Southern California claims that Contour Crafting construction methods can build entire lunar houses with all the fixtures and fittings.
The nature of the technology means it will also be possible to create curved walls and architecture that is both 'exotic' and 'beautiful', according to Professor Khoshnevis.
Aside from creating buildings in space, the innovation could have applications in building simple homes in disaster zones or slum areas.
It could also be used to print out customised luxury homes, Professor Khoshnevis said.
Scientists believe that 90 per cent of the
materials needed to build structures on the Moon already exist on its
surface. This means the cost of creating lunar buildings would be much
cheaper than sending materials from Earth to the lunar service
Aside from creating buildings in space, the
innovation could have applications in building simple homes in disaster
zones or slum areas
Some fixtures created using Contour Crafting.
Professor Behrokh Khoshnevis from the University of Southern California
claims that the process can build entire lunar houses with all the
fixtures and fittings
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