What if Hadrian X could be the solution to the ongoing shortage of labor in the construction industry? According to Australian company Fastbrick Robotics, their innovative construction robot is capable of building a brick house in just 48 hours.
Fastbrick Robotics (FBR) aims to revolutionize the way houses are built with its Hadrian X robot builder.
A Masonry Robot on a Truck
Hadrian X consists of a three-axis robotic arm, 30 meters long, mounted on the roof of a truck. The workers load the truck with bricks via pallet trucks. The blocks are then transported along the robot’s telescopic arm via a trolley on wheels, to its head equipped with grippers. It is thanks to these grippers that the bricks are lifted and then placed in the correct location and position.
According to the company, Hadrian X can handle up to 300 bricks per hour. This means it only needs a day to erect the walls of an average-sized house. The robot can also add a special adhesive, which is “twice as strong as traditional mortar“ the company says. This ensures that the bricks are securely bonded to each other.
DST, Dynamic Stabilization Technology
Hadrian X follows a 3D CAD model to position the bricks. Fastbrick Robotics has developed software that they call DST, Dynamic Stabilization Technology, to enable the robot to operate in outdoor environments.
While robots are inherently designed to operate indoors, things are more complicated outside with weather conditions. Wind, rain, temperatures, etc. can indeed disrupt a robot’s proper functioning. But in the case of building a house, the robot is necessarily outdoors, so it is essential to ensure that external elements do not disturb its work so that the erected walls are perfectly straight.
The DST software allows the robot to place the bricks precisely by constantly adjusting its position, ensuring that the robot always occupies the correct 3D space ( x, y, and z points).
Next-Generation Hadrian X
Fastbrick Robotics plans to go even further with its next-generation Hadrian X. With its 32-meter-long telescopic arm, it will be capable of handling 500 bricks weighing 45 kg each per hour at a speed of 120 m2/hour. y.
It will also have a new delivery system to maximize speed in transporting the bricks to the head of the robot.
The company says next-gent Hadrian X will be able to build external and internal walls in just one day and mount walls up to 3 stories high.
The robot has already completed its first outdoor test build.
Available in Australia and the US
Hadrian X has already constructed townhouses in Australia. According to the company, a total of 117,556 blocks were laid, covering an area of 10,927 square meters in walls. The construction process is designed to have a minimal environmental impact, with less than 1% total waste per build.
Hadrian X is also available for purchase in the United States. The company has a Wall-as-a-Service enterprise located in Florida, evidence that it expects to develop in the American market.
A New Trend Addressing Labor Shortages
Construction robots are increasingly developing. A group of researchers at ETH Zurich in Switzerland has collaborated with artificial intelligence and robots to design a 22.5-meter tall green architectural sculpture called Semiramis, named after the Babylonian queen associated with the ancient Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
In 2020, in an interview with DirectIndustry, Jacques Dupenloup, Sales Director for France and Benelux at Stäubli told us:
“Other markets are going to open up to robotics, such as construction, to carry heavy things. There is a labor shortage in this sector. We are already developing robotic applications for washing facades.”
Construction robots like Hadrian X could indeed serve as a solution to a labor shortage in the sector.
