Hadrian's Wall 2.0: FBR's Hyper-Efficient Bricklaying Robot

Australian company FBR has spent the past few years working on the Hadrian X, a bricklaying robot that is mounted on the bed of a work truck.

Hadrian X has a 100-foot arm that takes bricks and lays them out according to a design's CAD files, and is able to calculate how many bricks are needed, and where to lay them. Curbed reports that the robotic arm can sense inertia, wind, and vibration in real time, and can then readjust its plans based on conditions to ensure the structure is stable. FBR anticipates it will build 10 homes with Hadrian's help in 2019.

The customized bricks Hadrian X builds with are 12 times larger than a typical brick and bond together in 45 minutes through a special adhesive. The arm is able to lay up to 1,000 bricks an hour while stationed from a single position, making it a hyper-efficient construction worker. After the bricks are laid, humans go in and do their thing, adding wall linings, roof tiles, and other finishing touches.