The printer is the brainchild of Dr. Behrokh Khoshnevis from the University of Southern California. Two tracks guide the Contour Crafting device along as it extrudes cement along a programmed floor plan.
It is hoped that the device will be used to provide low-cost shelter for the estimated 1 billion people living in substandard housing around the globe. It could also be used to quickly restore housing to those lost in natural disasters, such as those displaced by the hurricane in the Philippines late last year.
There is a bit of concern among some that it would steal jobs from millions of construction workers. Dr. Khoshnevis states that humans will still need to be involved in maintaining the machinery and finishing the homes; the Contour Crafting machine simply eliminates the most dangerous aspects of the occupation.
As a bit of added flair, each house can be designed differently, easily adding decorative architectural touches without any additional effort.
More info and video: http://bit.ly/1fI9wAg
Image via: Contour Crafting
Via: ScienceAlert
