The design doesn't have as much freedom of movement as a human being, but makes up for that with numerous joints that flex to degrees you wouldn't see in real people. It won't always look the most natural when doing its job, but it'll be effective. It can also correct for slips, and it's not deterred when it has a limited field of view.AIST's robot is methodical, but you can't call it quick given its tendency to take baby steps and otherwise act cautiously. The potential is huge, however. In addition to typical building construction work, robots like this could also help assemble aircraft and ships. The team is aiming for collaboration with private companies that would treat HRP-5P as a development "platform" that could lead to further breakthroughs.However, the machine also fits into a familiar pattern for Japan: its determination to address population shortfalls through technology instead of immigration. AIST is quick to declare that robots like HRP-5P are meant to tackle the "manual … [Read more...] about Humanoid construction robot installs drywall by itself
Building construction
SoftBank-backed construction startup Katerra to open a California factory
Katerra, a self-described end-to-end provider of building services valued at over $3 billion, announced today that it’s opening a new advanced manufacturing factory in Tracy, California. Set to begin production in 2019, Katerra expects to employ 500 people at the factory. Founded in 2015, Menlo Park-based Katerra most recently raised an $865 million new round of financing in January, led by SoftBank’s Vision Fund. Other investors include Foxconn and DFJ. The company’s goal is to make the building construction process cheaper and more efficient by handling everything from the architectural design of the building to the construction of walls to the installation of appliances itself, cutting out the need for subcontractors. And in order to fulfill this vision, Katerra needs its own domestic factories. In addition to the soon-to-be opened Tracy factory, Katerra also has a factory in Phoenix, which employs 300 people. Katerra also announced in September that it … [Read more...] about SoftBank-backed construction startup Katerra to open a California factory
San Francisco is building skyscrapers like crazy — and there could be a deadly downside
caption San Francisco’s building boom could be deadly. source heyengel/Shutterstock San Francisco is undergoing a building boom. But the city is at serious risk for a major earthquake. And the building codes for skyscrapers aren’t strong enough, according to experts. The next big Bay Area earthquake could be disastrous. San Francisco is undergoing a skyscraper building boom, but the city’s building stock – including skyscrapers – is at serious risk in a major earthquake. There’s a 76% chance that the San Francisco Bay Area could experience a devastating 7.2 magnitude earthquake within the next 30 years, according to some reports. The earthquake that caused the fire that leveled much of the city in 1906 was measured at a magnitude of 7.9. In downtown San Francisco, where most of the new skyscrapers are clustered, a 7.2 magnitude quake could … [Read more...] about San Francisco is building skyscrapers like crazy — and there could be a deadly downside
Building With Bottles
Powerful hurricanes and earthquakes have wreaked havoc in the United States and around the world in recent years, often leaving people stranded for months and even years without access to water, food, and shelter. A unique collaborative project at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute seeks to provide a sustainable solution, while also considering the environment. After a disaster strikes, first responders and other aid organizations mobilize to send needed supplies such as water, food, and medicine. Bottled water is sent by the tons, but all too often, the empty plastic bottles end up in the trash stream. The goal of the project is to re-use the empty bottles to construct and structurally test different structural components (walls, columns, and roofs) and then design and build a prototype for emergency shelters for displaced populations under conditions of distress. The structure will be approximately 15 square meters in size and will be erected on campus in front of the Greene Building … [Read more...] about Building With Bottles
More than 800 West Hollywood buildings could collapse in a big quake
LOS ANGELES — West Hollywood has identified more than 800 buildings that could be at risk of damage or collapse in a major earthquake, part of a comprehensive effort to inventory them and require retrofits.About 90 percent of the 821 buildings on the list are thought to be wood-frame structures, such as apartments with carports on the ground floor. The rest are believed to be concrete or steel. Officials emphasized that properties on the list are not necessarily unsafe, and that further study will be required to determine whether retrofitting is needed.West Hollywood is one of several California cities attempting to strengthen buildings before the next major temblor, joining Santa Monica and Los Angeles among others. The Hollywood fault runs along the city’s famed Sunset Strip, and buildings listed as needing further study include landmark hotels like the Andaz West Hollywood, Mondrian, Standard and Sunset Tower.City officials say the mandatory retrofit law is needed not … [Read more...] about More than 800 West Hollywood buildings could collapse in a big quake