<2> Could Home-Building Robots Help Fix the Housing Crisis?
<3> The Rise of Automated Architecture
AUAR, a company that specializes in automated architecture, has developed “portable” micro-factories that use a robotic arm to produce wooden framing for houses. The micro-factories are designed to be more efficient, cheaper, and more precise than traditional timber framing crews.
<4> Mollie Claypool, co-founder of AUAR, explains that the micro-factories can produce the panels for a typical house in about a day, compared to four weeks for a traditional timber framing crew. The precision of the micro-factories also reduces heat loss in the final home, making them more energy efficient.
<5> AUAR currently has three micro-factories operating in the US and EU, with five more set to be delivered this year. The company has raised £7.7 million ($10.3 million) to date and is expanding into the US, where a lack of housing and preference for using wood makes it a large potential market.
<6> However, some may argue that automation could replace jobs in the construction industry. Claypool insists that “Automation isn’t replacing jobs. Automation is filling the gap.” The UK’s Construction Industry Training Board