[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOlRI_Hm1Po[/youtube]

A new automated construction system is all set to change the face of home-building, for it is soon going to step out of the developmental phase and become a functional house-building robot. This prototype was developed by Behrokh Khoshnevis of the University of Southern California.

A computer-controlled crane or gantry will build houses efficiently without any manual labor. It will use a quick-setting concrete-like material and will build up structures in a layer-by-layer fashion. This system will be adept at erecting walls of almost any shape and specification and can finish a full-fledged house in a matter of a day without any breaks. In addition to the savings on labor costs, the machine is believed to be eco-friendly in contrast to the standard home construction method, which churns up to seven tons of waste and fumes. Such is the quality of this prototype that NASA is eyeing this machine for aid in building a lunar habitat. The maker suggests that the robot’s ability to rapidly construct housing will help authorities in reconstructing shelters in areas struck by natural calamities.

Via Gizmowatch