• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to secondary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • Your Membership
    • Edit Your Profile
  • Services
    • Advertising
    • Case studies
    • Design
    • Email marketing
    • Lead generation
    • Magazine
    • Press releases
    • Publishing
    • Sponsored posts
    • Webcasting
    • Webinars
    • White papers
    • Writing
  • Shop
    • My Account
    • Cart
  • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy
    • Terms of use
  • Events

Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

  • News
  • Features
  • Video
  • Webinars
  • White papers
  • Press releases
  • Featured companies
    • AMD Xilinx
    • BlueBotics
    • Elite Robot
    • RGo Robotics
    • SICK Sensor Intelligence
    • Vicor Power
eth_dfab house Rendering_crop

Swiss robots planning to build houses using 3D printers

June 30, 2017 by Sam Francis

ETH Zürich, a university in Switzerland, has unveiled a plan to build a three-storey house – dubbed DFab House – using robots and 3D printing. (See video below.) 

Structural engineers and sustainability experts from ETH Zürich have teamed up with business partners on the project, which is designed to bring numerous building technologies from research labs into the real world.

The project is overseen by the National Centre of Competence in Research Digital Fabrication, and its architects, robotics specialists, and materials scientists. 

eth DFAB_HOUSE_MeshMould

ETH professor Matthias Kohler, founding director of the NCCR Digital Fabrication and the initiator of the DFab House, says: “Unlike construction projects that use only a single digital building technology, such as 3D printed houses, the Dfab House brings a range of new digital building technologies together.

“This allows us to use the advantages of each individual method as well as their synergies, and express them architecturally.”

Kohler adds that the variety of new construction technologies is what makes the DFab House a flagship project for digital construction.

eth DFAB_HOUSE_MeshMould 2

Construction is taking place at a facility called Nest, the modular research and innovation building that materials science institute Empa and research institute Ea-wag have built on their campus in Dübendorf to test new building and energy technologies under real-life conditions.

Nest offers a central support structure with three open platforms, where individual construction projects – known as innovation units – can be installed. Construction recently began on the DFab House.

eth DFAB_HOUSE_MeshMould_

Kohler says the project has brought together academia and business, which will accelerating the development of the technology.

“We are convinced that this collaboration is worthwhile for both sides. An increasing number of Swiss companies, such as Erne, which is the general contractor for the DFab House and was previously involved in building the Arch_Tec_Lab at ETH Zürich, want to proactively use the opportunities of digital technologies – something that gives us great pleasure.”

Other ETH boffins involved with the DFab House include:

  • Prof Matthias Kohler, Chair of Architecture and Digital Fabrication
  • Prof Fabio Gramazio, Chair of Architecture and Digital Fabrication
  • Prof Benjamin Dillenburger, Chair for Digital Building Technologies
  • Prof Joseph Schwartz, Chair of Structural Design
  • Prof Robert Flatt, Institute for Building Materials
  • Prof Walter Kaufmann, Institute of Structural Engineering
  • Prof Guillaume Habert, Institute of Construction & Infrastructure Management
  • Prof Jonas Buchli, Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems

The boffins-turned-builders say digital technologies will also be used when the DFab House is inhabited from summer 2018.

Led by smart home company digitalStrom and in collaboration with several other Swiss companies, innovative smart home solutions and internet of things technologies will be also tested in the DFab House construction.

This includes devices and systems that communicate intelligently with one another and are capable of learning, and which control the building in a way that improves both energy efficiency and comfort.

eth_dfab house Rendering_crop
A partial computer image of the planned three-storey house, which will be built by robots using 3D printing
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Share this:

  • Print
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Pinterest
  • Skype
  • WhatsApp
  • Telegram
  • Pocket

You might also like…

Filed Under: Infrastructure, Miscellaneous, News Tagged With: architects, building, construction, dfab, digital, eth, house, innovation, nccr, nest, robotics, scientists, swiss, switzerland, technologies, university, zurich

Join the Robotics & Automation News community

Primary Sidebar

Latest articles

  • Autonomous mobile robots market expected to expand at 22 percent a year
  • Will a robot take my job? Notre Dame researcher says this view is overly pessimistic
  • Flexiv partners with Doco Engineering to meet ‘expanding US robotics demand’
  • Addverb opens second software development centre in India
  • ABI Research gives 16 autonomous forklift system vendors competitive rankings
  • euroTECH’s Vacuum Lifter System Increases Efficiency and Ergonomics in Wood Processing
  • How to Reduce Chatter in Robotic Milling Applications
  • Otto Motors launches new ‘mid-sized’ autonomous mobile robot
  • SGS introduces ‘cutting-edge testing protocol’ for robots checking furniture drawer slides
  • Europalco buys two robots from Kuka to add ‘wow factor’ to shows

Most Read

  • Top 20 electric vehicle charging station companies
    Top 20 electric vehicle charging station companies
  • Difference Between Three-Phase and Single-Phase Power
    Difference Between Three-Phase and Single-Phase Power
  • Scientists have found more water in space than they ever knew possible
    Scientists have found more water in space than they ever knew possible
  • Top 20 programmable logic controller manufacturers
    Top 20 programmable logic controller manufacturers
  • How to Know if Your iPhone is Being Tracked? Check This!
    How to Know if Your iPhone is Being Tracked? Check This!
  • What You Need to Know About Fixing an Engine Misfire
    What You Need to Know About Fixing an Engine Misfire
  • Why is My Car Key Stuck in the Ignition?
    Why is My Car Key Stuck in the Ignition?
  • Why is Money Important in Our Lives?
    Why is Money Important in Our Lives?
  • IoT Basics: A Guide to the Internet of Things for Beginners
    IoT Basics: A Guide to the Internet of Things for Beginners
  • Hengbot unveils ‘world’s first robotic dog with musculoskeletal limbs’
    Hengbot unveils ‘world’s first robotic dog with musculoskeletal limbs’

Overused words

ai applications automated automation automotive autonomous business companies company control customers data design development digital electric global industrial industry logistics machine manufacturing market mobile operations platform process production robot robotic robotics robots safety software solution solutions system systems technologies technology time vehicle vehicles warehouse work

Secondary Sidebar

Latest news

  • Autonomous mobile robots market expected to expand at 22 percent a year
  • Will a robot take my job? Notre Dame researcher says this view is overly pessimistic
  • Flexiv partners with Doco Engineering to meet ‘expanding US robotics demand’
  • Addverb opens second software development centre in India
  • ABI Research gives 16 autonomous forklift system vendors competitive rankings
  • euroTECH’s Vacuum Lifter System Increases Efficiency and Ergonomics in Wood Processing
  • How to Reduce Chatter in Robotic Milling Applications
  • Otto Motors launches new ‘mid-sized’ autonomous mobile robot
  • SGS introduces ‘cutting-edge testing protocol’ for robots checking furniture drawer slides
  • Europalco buys two robots from Kuka to add ‘wow factor’ to shows

Footer

We are…

Robotics and Automation News was established in May, 2015, and is now one of the most widely-read websites in its category.

Please consider supporting us by becoming a paying subscriber, or through advertising and sponsorships, or by purchasing products and services through our shop – or a combination of all of the above.

Thank you.

Independent

Archivists

June 2017
M T W T F S S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
2627282930  
« May   Jul »

Complex

Old-skool

This website and its associated magazine, and weekly newsletter, are all produced by a small team of experienced journalists and media professionals.

If you have any suggestions or comments, feel free to contact us at any of the email addresses on our contact page.

We’d be happy to hear from you, and will always reply as soon as possible.

Future-facing

Free, fair and legal

We support the principles of net neutrality and equal opportunities.

Member of The Internet Defense League

Copyright © 2023 · News Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT