The technologies will be presented at SXSW. Photo credit: Miriam Doerr Martin Frommherz via Shutterstock.
Construction technology company ICON has unveiled a new suite of construction technologies at the official SXSW event in the US.
The suite includes a new robotic multi-story 3D printer, a low-carbon building material, a digital catalog and an AI-powered architect system.
These innovations are intended to further automate construction and make it faster, more sustainable and more affordable worldwide.
Jason Ballard, co-founder and CEO of ICON, said: “When we launched the company and the first approved 3D printed house in 2018 during SXSW, we wanted to both reduce costs and increase the quality of construction, rather than opting for that to decide one or the other.” . Not only did we want to be the best at 3D printing, we also wanted to be the best at building, period.
“Now I believe we can say that this is reality. I’m so proud of the work ICON has done to get to where we are today – not just the promise, but the reality of technology, architecture and materials that will enable us to build better than everyone else in the world.”
The new multi-story robotic construction system, called Phoenix, is said to be able to print entire building shells, including foundations and roof structures.
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This system is expected to halve ICON’s printing costs by increasing speed and size while reducing makeready time and the number of operators required.
Phoenix’s first engineering prototype has completed a 27-foot-tall architectural demonstration structure, which is currently on display in Austin, Texas, USA.
Meanwhile, ICON’s digital catalog, CODEX, offers more than 60 print-ready home designs in five collections, including modern, fireproof, stormproof, affordable and avant-garde Texas styles.
ICON’s Vitruvius AI system streamlines the home design and construction process.
Currently in open beta, Vitruvius can create home designs, floor plans and renderings in minutes, taking individual preferences, budgets and feedback into account.
Schematic designs are expected to continue through the end of the year and ICON expects to soon deliver complete construction documents and permit-ready designs.
