This Bricklaying 'Bot May Disrupt the Construction Industry

The Hadrian X, a new home building machine from Fastbrick Robotics, was created to ameliorate the shortage of bricklayers in the U.S., U.K., and Australian construction industries.

The robot cuts its own bricks, applies the adhesive, and then feeds the bricks to the end of its large robotic arm for placement. Kiel Chivers, director of corporate affairs for the Perth-based company, says that the machine can lay more than 1,000 standard bricks per hour, per Business Insider. In the U.S., masonry jobs are expected to grow 15 percent by 2025, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Chivers explains that to fulfill the needs of growing cities, the machine does the work that humans don't want to, "Young people no longer see brick-laying as an attractive career due to the dull, dirty, and dangerous nature of the work."

Fastbrick Robotics intends to build its first home this year; a human team will complete the home's finishes including electrical and plumbing systems, and windows and doors. Since the Hadrian X grinds and mills its own bricks, it can customize sizing so the pieces fit perfectly. The bot can handle bricks as large as 2,000 cubic inches, Chivers said. (For comparison, a standard brick typically measures about 115 cubic inches.) According to Fastbrick, the technology could improve the speed, safety, and accuracy during construction — while lowering labor costs.